Interview with OUTRAGE Director Kirby Dick at The Rumpus
My interview with the director of Outrage, Kirby Dick, just went live at The Rumpus. Here’s an excerpt:
Kirby Dick’s new film, four years in the making, seeks to expose the secret, and sometimes not-so-secret, double lives of closeted gay politicians, whose numbers are higher than you might imagine. But it’s not a salacious film, it’s merely out to cause a stir. The title, when first displayed, is broken up — Out / Rage — suggesting at least four readings. First, this film is about rage: the rage of those who have come out, against the politicians who haven’t. Second, it’s about the outrage of those who have discerned the corrosive effect that being in the closet has had on these politicians. Third, it’s about the outrages caused by being in the closet — the closet kills. And fourth, it’s about the positive effect it would have if all closeted politicians came out. The film makes a solid case that this kind of hypocrisy takes a terrible toll both upon the personal lives of those politicians, and upon their constituencies.
Though it’s an incendiary film, Kirby Dick himself is a friendly, mild-mannered man. When I met him in his publicist’s office in San Francisco, he was relaxed in his chair, seemingly hiding behind his cup of coffee and his stylish, rectangular-framed glasses, and spoke in subdued tones, not at all eager to push his points. Much like his film, he spent his time calmly laying out some facts he knew for certain, along with others less certain, drew some obvious conclusions, and offered them for my contemplation.
The Rumpus: Before watching this film, I didn’t realize how pervasive this issue is. What put you on to it?
Kirby Dick: I was in Washington D.C. in August of 2006, promoting my last film, promoting my last film, This Film is Not Yet Rated, about the censorship of the American film rating system. And that was a story that I was aware of because I was in the film business. I thought, “Here I am in DC; there are probably lots of great subjects that only people inside the Beltway know.” I started asking around, and very quickly came across the fact that there were many closeted politicians. Somebody said, “Everybody is gay in D.C.” I said, “Really?” And he said, “Yeah, even Karl Rove.” And I was like, “Uh… We’ve got to make a film about this.” But there’s nothing to that particular rumor. I don’t have anything substantial on that.
posted: 09 May 19
under: The Next Frame