FilmOut 2024 Bulletproof

Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot

Saturday, September 14, 3:15pm

Director: Regan Latimer, 105 min, Canada

In this entertaining documentary, filmmaker Regan Latimer takes an insightful, funny, and personal look at queer representation on television and the profound influence of media on our self-perception. With wit and fast-paced narration, Latimer journeys across North America and beyond, exploring the forces that shape the stories we see on screen. Bulletproof weaves together original animation, personal anecdotes, and wide-ranging conversations with television insiders, LGBTQ+ community advocates, and enthusiastic viewers. As Latimer navigates an ever-evolving media landscape, she discovers firsthand that well-executed representation has the transformative power to reshape societal perceptions and empower marginalized communities.

Director Regan Latimer on the Idea behind the film:

So, the idea came about I don’t know if you will remember back in 2016 it was just a spring season of queer dead everywhere. There was like 27 queer deaths on television. And for me you know I’m a little older I was used to seeing it I was use to this kind of treatment, but it was just one after another and I was watching the Walking Dead and they killed off Denise, who was not even a mayor character, she was a minor character but it was this storyline that had been building and building and of course it was that trope as soon as she talks about, “oh yes I do love her, I’m in love.” She gets an arrow throw the eye, which is the most gruesome, graphic awful death and for me that was like the proverbial nail in the coffin, and I was like “no, no this cannot continue”. So as a film maker what can I do, turn a lens on the problem which is what I decided to do. I did not think it would take 6 years to make the film, but it did and here we are. 

The Discovery of Validation:

Having had a lifetime of it I was not that shock by the numbers, but it was great to finally have some actual hardcore research numbers to lean on. Because you know that is something you always think is the case, but without having the numbers to back it up it becomes a conspiracy theory. I think what really blew my mind in the course of making the film was a particular interview when we talked to a psychologist about the actual psychological scientific impact on our brain watching these characters die and why we feel so deeply about them. Because there was an aspect of shame to it of why do I care so much about this character why does it make me so upset, and then talking to Dr. Aiden Hirshfield was an amazing conversation and he explained that it is literary science how your brain interacts with what you are seeing and develops para social relationships with these characters, so when they do die it has an effect on you. That interview helps me field very validated about these feelings that I have had for these characters without feeling like I am weird or strange. Especially when people don’t follow this shows and don’t have these relationships with these characters, they are wondering what the problem is since it is just a TV show. So, this interview was very validating in how we feel about these characters but more importantly we start looking on how they are being portraited. 

A Lighter tone for the subject matter:

That is something I wanted to do with this film because the subject matter can be very sad and down and depressing. I wanted to make sure the tone of the film was more comedic and fun and uplifting and hopeful in dealing with this subject matter because otherwise who the hell would want to watch that. Isn’t bad enough that we saw all the characters die without now having a film about the characters deaths and doom and gloom, let’s find the levity, so that’s something I kept in mind.