David Reviews/ Short Film “The Muse”: Anna Fearon

27th October 2019 / Syd Briscoe

Seen and Believed

Channel 4’s Random Acts often serves as a platform for filmmakers to bring their message to a large audience, and this short film by Anna Fearon certainly deserves that attention. ‘The Muse’ offers a series of portraits of black queer women and non-binary people, who discuss the intersections of their identities.

This is intimate work, both physically and emotionally, Close-up portraits of each subject accentuate their appearance – focusing on their performance (or non-performance) of femininity and complementing their articulate musings on what their genders and sexualities mean to them.

While much of the media around Black History Month focuses on the necessity of remembering the pain of the past, this sensitive exploration of black queer identity and culture looks to a promising, more accepting future. Being seen to thrive against the odds is a revolutionary act – one which will inspire generations to come.