“Everyone should know their story”
IMAGE VIA BFI FLARE
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, BFI Flare has announced that Jennifer Kroot’s Hunky Jesus will be its Opening Night film. This feature-length documentary tells the story of the wildly popular, annual Easter Sunday tradition in San Francisco known as Hunky Jesus. Hosted by the legendary drag and activist group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the event is a defiant expression of community.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have been a San Francisco institution for more than four decades. Over the years, the Sisters have ordained hundreds of people as saints who have served the greater community including Harvey Milk, Derek Jarman, George Takei and Rosie O’Donnell.
Ahead of BFI Flare’s Opening Night, we spoke to Jennifer Kroot about Hunky Jesus.
Why was it important for you to tell this story?
I’ve lived in SF since 1989. I first heard about the Sisters around that time and have adored them since. The AIDS crisis was in full swing and I was enamored by the Sisters’ take-no-prisoners, punk rock, performance activism in the face of bigotry and cruelty.
The religious right wing was up and coming in the 80s and it was refreshing to see the Sisters call out the hypocrisy of hateful people who called themselves Christians.
I first considered making a documentary about the Sisters a couple decades ago. My mentor was the underground filmmaker George Kuchar. As I made the film, I channeled his use of high camp and vivid color to express the most tender aspects of the human experience without pretense.
Was there a specific moment or reference point which inspired your film?
During the pandemic, the Hunky Jesus Easter event became virtual. I wondered if the event would survive. We didn’t even know if there would be live events again. I promised myself that if Hunky Jesus came back I would pursue making a film.
Did making this film change how you understand your own queerness?
I identify as straight, but not narrow. I detest the dreariness of heteronormative roles and rules that restrict us all. I’m very much adjacent to the LGBTQIA+ community. All of the films that I’ve directed are queer themed and after making HUNKY JESUS my commitment to queer filmmaking is as important as ever.
Everyone should look up to these radical, queer heroes. Like Harvey Milk or Vito Russo, the Sisters are civil rights leaders for all of us. Everyone should know their story.
Making HUNKY JESUS made me more tolerant of religious freedom. Initially, I had expected the film to have a more judgmental tone about organized religion, specifically Catholicism. I originally misunderstood that the Sisters were all atheists or maybe something “cool” like Buddhists or Neo Pagans.
I quickly learned that many of the Sisters identify as Christian and are among the most deeply spiritual people I’ve ever met. As a result, the film explores the idea of reclaiming spirituality, particularly for the Sisters and for many queer people who were made to feel unwelcome in the churches they grew up in because they are LGBTQIA+.
BFI Flare is a celebration of LGBTQIA+ storytelling. What do you hope LGBTQIA+ audiences at BFI Flare take away after watching your film?
The message of the Sisters is to “expiate stigmatic guilt and to promulgate joy.” In other words, overcoming guilt with joy, and spreading that joy outward. There’s a lot of negativity in the news these days, which is depressing to most people, but if we can reclaim a little joy, then we can become our true authentic selves, which gives us agency, autonomy and the confidence to fight for our civil rights. Radical joy is resistance.
BFI is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. What LGBTQIA+ film from the last four decades has changed your life and why?
Jennie Livingston’s PARIS IS BURNING (1991). This character-driven film about the 1980s drag balls in Harlem is my favorite documentary of all time. Through this film, I got an intimate look into a world that I knew nothing about. The performers are people living on the fringes of society. Despite having no resources, they are able to magically transform themselves through creativity into fantastical, drag queens and beyond. These are chosen families. I hadn’t thought of it, but it’s actually a bit like the Sisters!
Why is it so vital that we continue to support and celebrate spaces like BFI Flare for the next 40 years?
Unfortunately, there are a lot of tyrannical voices trying to censor queer storytelling. However, I think it’s too late to stop queer voices and it’s vital that platforms like Flare continue. It’s truly amazing that in the last 40 years that queer stories have gone from celluloid closet tales to films where queer characters might range from normal human beings to fabulous drag stars.
BFI Flare has been running since 1986. What do you think queer audiences in 1986 would make of your film?
I hope they will find it inspiring. In 1986, the Sisters were organizing to help bring awareness to the AIDS crisis, which was in full swing. I imagine that people experiencing the issues of the 80s would have loved to see the Sisters prevail in the future.
Why do you think LGBTQIA+ filmmaking is so important in 2026?
Sadly, those on the right are doing everything they can to silence the experiences of LGBTQIA+ voices (at least in the US, where I’m from, and of course in many, many places around the world). Nonetheless, in the last couple decades, queer civil rights have expanded. Sharing queer stories can help us unite.
What queer cinematic ancestor would you want sitting next to you at your BFI Flare screening and why?
George Kuchar. I mentioned that George was my film teacher and mentor. George was gay, but not exactly flag waving. However, in his films, he was able to openly explore the conflict of his Catholic upbringing with his homosexuality, usually with blatant, absurd imagery and outrageous humor, depicting the horrors of the guilt and shame he felt. I’d love to hear his thoughts on the Sisters’ ability to embrace sexuality and religion together without shame.
The 40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival takes place 18 – 29 March at BFI Southbank. HUNKY JESUS premieres at BFI Flare on 18 March. You can find out more about BFI Flare here: whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare
Love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people? Then you’ll love DIVA. We’ve been spotlighting the community for over 30 years. Here’s how you can get behind queer media and keep us going for another generation: linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine
Did you know that DIVA has now become a charity? Our magazine is published by the DIVA Charitable Trust. You can find out more about the organisation and how you can offer your support here: divacharitabletrust.com
