In his new documentary My Gay Uncles, S.B. filmmaker Jesse Aizenstat examines past and present-day gay experiences through the stories of his uncle Andy, Andy’s new husband Donald, and of residents and bar-goers in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. Andy, an AIDS survivor who has seen same-sex relationships find much wider acceptance over the course of his lifetime, serves as the film’s starting point. I interviewed Aizenstat about what inspired him to make the film and what he learned from making it.
What inspired you to make the documentary? My inspiration for making this documentary came from my childhood. My uncle Andy (who the documentary is largely about) would often come and visit. He was a great guy and was full of fun and often eccentric behavior. As a child, I would ask my mom questions. Who is the man Andy brings with him? How can Andy have a family if his partner is another man? You know, questions that a child would ask out of ignorance and just simple affection for his uncle. My mom, a psychologist, would always answer in full, detailed answers. In the end, I had a pretty decent understanding of gay culture that my straight friends just didn’t have. So, I thought, why not make a documentary?
How was it interviewing your uncle and getting to know him on a deeper level? Growing up, was his struggle with AIDS something you were aware of? Video production is what I do professionally. I interview people all the time. Yet, no one to memory has been as open during an interview than my gay uncles, Andy and Donald. It’s really an amazing experience—and a gift for all of us to learn something about their lives. They are teachers to both gay and straight people, with anecdotes of wisdom that are both profoundly tear jerking and profoundly funny. They were made for TV.