HALLELUJAH! Ron Athey: A Story of Deliverance (Virtual Exclusive)
Raised to be a Pentecostal minister, Ron Athey was speaking in tongues by age 10, a heroin addict by 17, and a performance artist by 23. This documentary spends time with Athey on and off stage.
Description
Virtual Exclusive
Raised by his grandmother to be a Pentecostal minister, Ron Athey was speaking in tongues by the age of 10, a heroin addict by 17, and a performance artist by 23. An HIV-positive gay man, Athey practices sadomasochistic ritual as a personal religion and a means of transcendence.
HALLELUJAH! presents Athey’s life and work, spending time with him on and off the stage in Mexico City, Zagreb, and Los Angeles. Using an intimate, hand-held Hi-8 camera style, this documentary combines interviews and at-home verité footage with scenes from Athey’s trilogy of performances: Martyrs and Saints, Four Scenes in a Harsh Life, and Deliverance.
Part of the 38th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Director
Catherine (Saalfield) Gund
Producer
Catherine (Saalfield) Gund
Cast
Ron Athey, Vaginal Davis, Julie Tolentino Wood, Darryl Carlton, James Stone, Sweet P., Myers Rifkin, Cathy Opie, Cross, Alex Binnie, Julie Fowells, Brian Murphy, Katia Esperanza, Mario Kovač, Russell McEwan, Theresa Saso
Cinematographer
Catherine (Saalfield) Gund
Editing
Aljernon Tunsil