Directed by Regan Latimer, Bulletproof: The Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot explores the nature of Queer representation in television. Fueled by animation, clips from the past and present and multiple interviews with televisions insiders and fans, the series steps into the power of media to help us understand and empower who we are.
With Bulletproof, Latimer takes a serious subject and infuses it with humour and joy. With a keen eye for pop culture trends, Latimer isolates the subtle (and not-so-subtle) layers of homophobia that have infected television writing. Noting the ways that television can of minimize members of the LGBTQ community onscreen—‘Beware the guest star’, we’re warned—Bulletproof explores both the positive and negative examples in an onscreen world and the impact that it can have upon its viewers.
In doing so, Bulletproof highlights the importance of these stories to the cultural zeitgeist. To those on the outside, shows like Xena or The 100 may seem frivolous. But, to their fans, they become opportunities for representation and connection. For them, these characters embody their own experiences as those who are often misunderstood or even as outsiders. The passion for characters such as Lexa is more than enjoyment.
It’s about being seen.
And its that assumption that gives Latimer’s film its social edge. Even though these characters are fictional, they remain examples to the LGBTQ+ community. As a result, their treatment onscreen connects deeply with the real-life experiences of their viewers. (The best example of this comes in through The 100‘s Lexa, who’s death inspires a massive wave of online rage.) As such, even though the film may take a more humorous tone, Latimer’s cry for better representation matters is taken with urgency, proving the need for the LGBTQ community to survive the plot.
Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot is playing at Inside Out ’24. For more information, click here.
