The Birthday Party

Directed by Jill Reiter

A queer girl’s fantasy of the best birthday party a mother could give. Being queer, the “sweet sixteen” character has only two girlfriends to invite to her party: one is the daughter of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the other a precocious slut. The party is depicted primarily in long shots in a 1960s home-movie style. The mother is a hippie (played by a drag queen) who believes in free love, communal living and crazy parties. She has her boyfriend serve cake to the girls and brings in a male dancer and a female sex worker to entertain them.