Chris McKim’s documentary about the fiery artist turned AIDS activist is a stirring tribute to voices that were silenced too soon.
New York City in the 1980s was shaken to social rubble as the “epicenter” of the AIDS epidemic. Multimedia artist David Wojnarowicz was one such voice among the quaking moans of societal collapse. Director Chris McKim’s new documentary, Wojnarowicz: Fuck You Faggot Fucker, offers an in-depth look at the raging flame that made the artist such a potent critic of his times.
Using a dazzling display of archival materials, significantly from Wojnarowicz’s huge collection of “tape journals,” McKim and fellow World of Wonder producers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey piece together the artist’s journey largely in his own words. We hear his storries about a traumatic childhood, being a sex worker, the discovery of himself as an artist, his AIDS diagnosis, and problems with fame all in his characteristically keen and morose drone.
As we follow Wojnarowicz’s “rise” within the East Village art scene, friends and artists fill in more of the context. McKim does an excellent job letting 80s and 90s East Village reveal itself though the images, home videos, and interviews, connected together by voicemails left on Wojnarowicz’s machine. It’s easy to talk about art movements as a grand known idea, but McKim reminds us that these movements are made up of people calling each other, checking on each other, setting appointments to make things happen together. We get a clear sense of the moods and objectives of the artists living there and how they began to respond to Neocon backlash and AIDS silence because McKim and his team have done their research.
Wojnarowicz…offers an in-depth look at the raging flame that made the artist such a potent critic of his times.
Clearly McKim and friends, like Fran Leibowitz, are still around to speak about Wojnarowicz, and have a tremendous amount of respect and adoration for him. So large is this affection that it can sometimes over bloat the subject. This is especially obvious when the documentary reflects on Wojnarowicz’s place within the emerging queer consciousness of the American 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
All too often with biographical documentaries, there is a tendency to make the subject into the typefying voice/body of a movement. McKim’s documentary teeters on asserting that Wojnarowicz was Queerness, that he embodied “the queer experience” of the time(s), especially in the context of the AIDS epidemic. But, like his art reveals, Wojnarowicz’s experience and rage comes from his singular perspective as a gay white man. Queer women, transwomen, and queers of color are largely absent from his art and this movie, yet their experience is vital for understanding Queerness in Regan-era New York.
So while McKim and Wojnarowicz don’t offer as total of a look at the East Village of the late 80s and early 90s as they claim, what we do see is richly textured by primary materials. The archive left behind not just by Wojnarowicz but by all the queers in the East Village has a haunting beauty. McKim embraces their anger and allows their struggle to echo across the decades. Archives are meant to carry on after us, to sustain our echoes, but the hands and voices that made these materials were taken so early. The power of McKim’s documentary is its ability to reanimate those voices of a generation of queers and show the joy, the colors, and the rage that was snuffed out by silence.
Wojnarowicz is now available through Kino Marquee virtual cinemas.
Wojnarowicz Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial