T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness

Shorts, total 76 min.


Location: Chicago Filmmakers


4:00 PM

Nearly a century ago, queer Blues divas forged a bold alternative to the middle-class conventions of the 1920s; today, black lesbians in South Africa continue to defy norms and struggle for understanding. These documentary shorts examine the unique contexts and challenges that their subjects faced.

T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness: Queer Blues Divas of the 1920s

Robert Phillipson (USA, 2011, 28 min.)

Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, and Ethel Waters were among the biggest blues singers of their day. Their nights, however, belonged to them—and the ladies they shared them with. This documentary presents the lives of these strong, independent women who lived hard lives and were unapologetic about their unconventional choices in clothes, recreational activities, and their bed partners.

Difficult Love

Zanele Muholi & Peter Goldsmid (South Africa, 2010, 48 min).

A lively, personal take on the challenges facing Black lesbians in South Africa today, featuring the life and work of visual artist and renowned photographer, Zanele Muholi. Difficult Love poses the question, “how real are the freedoms of the new South African democracy for this diverse minority?