I personally believe that having queer actors and directors in films enhances the accuracy and reality of being queer into a film. I think queer audiences like seeing themselves represented accurately and have attention brought to the elements of their lives that never seem to play out on mainstream cinema. Within the definition of queer though fails many subcategories of personal identification so a film like female trouble, a cult classic, is a complete turnoff for me personally and not to others. I think the film Heavenly Creatures was well done in the context of its queerness because it wasn't representing a lesbian relationship but a deep obsession between two individuals. Having a straight cast and director didn't kill the film for me but it wasn't touching on a category of my self-identification of being a gay man. I have seen gay relationships and topics butchered in movies done by mainstream/straight actors and directors. I think it really takes a queer to know a queer and by that I mean the issues and struggles of being queer in this society can only really be understood by another queer.
Takes a queer to know a queer
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While I agree that a given audience can relate and connect more with a film or character when they identify similarly, I have trouble excluding directors and actors from accurately portraying a given life. Can we truly disregard every male identified director's depiction of a female protagonist? Or vis versa? Can we truly say that a black crew member's ability to relay the story of a white man's life? What about with regards to age? I don't know if we could honestly give a 40 year old's portrayal of young adulthood less credit than if s/he were younger.
I agree with you. Although queer movies can be well made by queers I think that they can better be made by queers. Just like in main stream society its important to have straight allies to further queer cause but to listen to a straight persons version of queer issues over a queer persons would be problematic.
I understand what youre saying here. But I do think that a male's depiction of a female protagonist would be less credible for the sole reason that that reality is not something theyve experienced first hand. With regard to age I think that an older mans portrayal of young adulthood would be more accurate since it something that he experienced at some point in his life. I'm not saying that we shouldn't take about things that we don't fully understand but I do think that we should acknowledge the differences in point of view due to identity.
Part of being an artist is attempting to tell a story from a viewpoint completely different than your own. Over the course of history many male novelists tell a story from the perspective of a woman and vice versa. It's unfair to assume that the only way to tell a story is through personal experience. I agree that a an LGBT director/writer could touch on LGBT issues better than a straight ally, but the ally should at least get credit for attempting to tell a story out of their immediate realm of knowledge.