New York City–based artist, filmmaker, writer, and dramaturg Uzi Parnes has been an active member of the city’s avant-garde scene since the 1970s, well known both for his own work and for his celebrated collaborations with Jack Smith, Carmelita Tropicana, and Ella Troyano. Thirty-seven years after he presented the Lower East Side surrealism of his Loisaida Lusts (1986) in MoMA’s legendary Cineprobe series, Parnes returns with a provocative new work of queer cinéma vérité that has spent 30 years in post-production. He writes, “In June 1995 my old friend Master C invited me to San Francisco to document the commitment ceremony he and his partner Daddy G had planned for their 12th anniversary. Daddy G requested to be branded with their lucky number, 11. 11>12 documents the branding ceremony and the events that followed, and offers a view of the couples’ unique lifestyle. Edited in 2025, it was shot with minimum light. Technological advances have made the previously overly dark footage viewable. In light of the often-explicit nature of the material, the participants have largely requested to remain anonymous.” After the screening, the filmmaker will be joined by archivist, curator, and ceremony participant Sur Rodney (Sur) for a conversation moderated by Ron Magliozzi, curator in the Department of Film.
11>12. 1995/2025. USA. Directed and edited by Uzi Parnes. With Master C, Daddy G, Sur Rodney (Sur). Digital. 75 min. World premiere.