SUNSHINE: the sun’s light or direct rays; brightness or radiance; cheerfulness or happiness as pride month comes to an end, i wanted to share this project i made last semester for my gender and race class. i made this project with the intention of focusing on the theme of queer representation in the media, especially when it comes to lesbian relationships. over time i have had to go through many shows and movies falling in love with characters where i saw myself, only to experience so much grief for them when they were inevitably killed off or not be able to be with the one they loved. why is it that Hollywood and the industry believes that lesbians don’t deserve happy endings? with the success of shows like Heated Rivalry or other shows like Heartstopper, why is this so much more appreciated than lesbian media? i especially saw this divide in the industry with gay men vs. lesbians when the announcement that the upcoming season of Bridgerton would feature two women as the featured couple. there was a ton of backlash, with people calling out the historical “inaccuracies”, however as i have learned more about queer history, lesbians and homosexuals have always existed and it's also important for their stories to get told. this story and film is very personal to me and my own experience growing up queer. Maybe had there been more representation for me to witness, it would have not taken so long to figure out that I too wanted SUNSHINE. 

Director - Ayden Grace

Choreographer - Ayden Grace 

Dancers -  Milla Aero Ayden Grace

Director of Photography - Kaylen Keeley

Editor - Ayden Grace

Music - “I’ll Believe in Anything” Wolf Parade