Part of a group of bohemian poets, philosophers, and dancers who made radical art, James Broughton was a poet, a pioneer of queer filmmaking, a teacher, and a free-spirited man who had a dynamic and amazing life, and who knew some of the most interesting people in the San Francisco art scene from the 1950s onward. His avant-garde films included dance, nudity, poetry, love, and all modes of sexuality. Big Joy includes excerpts from his poetry and films, documentation of him throughout his life, and interviews with people who knew him. His personal life was adventurous and complicated, and he made the most of everything the world had to offer. A friend said of Broughton: “He was forever liberating people.”
Big Joy plays Fri May 31 at 6 pm at SIFF Cinema Uptown and Sat June 1 at 1:30 pm at Pacific Place.