Filmmaker Statement

In 2016, when my grandpa died, I had also been recently dumped by my first girlfriend, laid off, and kicked out of my apartment. I was at my lowest low — but my grandma was lower. As the person with the least going on in the family, I flew to Florida to stay with my grieving grandma in her Jewish senior living community. There, my grandma and I cared for and rejuvenated each other. I wrote THE LADIES as a comedic escape from my grandma’s and my own grief. As a culture writer and author of GIRLS CAN KISS NOW, a book of essays about monumental lesbian moments in film and TV, I’ve spent the majority of my career analyzing and dissecting queer female narratives. With this film, I wanted to tell the kind of story I’ve always wanted to see — as a fan, consumer, and culture critic — one that’s melancholic, sexy, and centers queer women. THE LADIES allows queer women, especially older queer women like Blanche (60s) — who typically aren’t portrayed as such — to be sexy, horny and complicated.