Valencia

Michelle is an artist and a lover… a lover of women. VALENCIA is Michelle’s story, marvelously adapted from Michelle Tea’s groundbreaking autobiographical novel of the same name. Compiling short films by 20 queer filmmakers from across the country, each episode is a retelling of a designated chapter from Tea’s memoir. Michelle dynamically observes and participates in the rise of the lesbian punk scene as well as the gay liberation movement in 90s San Francisco. Through her numerous loves and hookups, Michelle is introduced to kink, narcotics, and a kaleidoscope of queer characters so vibrant they make the screen glow. Full of memorable moments, including a very explicit 16mm film shoot, a queer repurposing of scenes from “Coyote Ugly,” and a heartfelt tale told by a blow-up doll, VALENCIA is by turns riotous, political, and even touching. It paints a prismatic portrait of Michelle, both real and imagined, as a true rebel with a cause. —C.P.