{"id":16266,"date":"2017-12-15T10:08:06","date_gmt":"2017-12-15T18:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=16266"},"modified":"2023-09-19T14:18:09","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T21:18:09","slug":"from-north-carolina-to-san-francisco-jennifer-kroot-tells-the-tales-of-maupin","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/from-north-carolina-to-san-francisco-jennifer-kroot-tells-the-tales-of-maupin\/","title":{"rendered":"From North Carolina to San Francisco: Jennifer Kroot Tells the Tales of Maupin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jennifer Kroot<\/strong> brings a background in underground filmmaking to her documentaries and uses that sensibility to create surprises within her stories. The San Francisco-based filmmaker first caught the eye of writer Armistead Maupin when he saw her documentary To Be Takei<\/strong><\/em>, about actor and activist George Takei, and, as Maupin said affectionately and humorously in a recent interview with actor Jonathan Groff, he “sat there seething with envy, that some [other] gay geezer got that [special] treatment, but it turns out she specializes in that.” And two months later, Kroot called up the Tales of the City<\/strong><\/em> icon to see if he was interested in a film about him. Which led to\u00a0her new film (with co-director\/editor Bill Weber)\u00a0The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of the documentary, the SF Chronicle<\/em>‘s David Lewis wrote that the “filmmakers have captured that zest with a joyous filmmaking style of their own: breezy editing, fun ’70s graphics and the use of great archival footage from the city’s past. It’s all great fun, from beginning to end.”<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, but serendipitously,\u00a0Armistead\u2019s memoir, Logical Family,<\/em> has just arrived, too, and there\u2019s also a new Tales of the City<\/em>\u00a0series that Netflix is producing that\u2019s in the works. Here Kroot talked to us about her own introduction to Maupin’s beloved series, growing up in San Francisco, how she came to make this film, and her nerves when working with some of the celebrities who appear in the documentary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why did you make this film?<\/b><\/p>\n

I am a long time fan of Armistead Maupin\u2019s writing, and a Bay Area native. I realized that I could explore the elements of Maupin\u2019s work that makes him such a beloved presence to his fans, and create a love letter to SF. One of Maupin\u2019s biggest themes in his Tales<\/em>\u00a0and other books is family<\/strong>, or people searching for family. I wanted to explore this theme in Armistead\u2019s work and personal life and as a reason that people have always come to SF.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you remember your own first experience discovering Maupin’s tales? How did it impact you personally? Did it change your perspectives on anything?<\/b><\/p>\n

I first knew about Tales because my parents and their friends read it in the San Francisco Chronicle<\/em>\u00a0when it was a serialized, fictional column in the 1970s and ’80s. I was a child through the beginning of Tales<\/em> in the newspaper, so I didn\u2019t understand what it was about. I just knew that it was a titillating story for adults. I finally read the novels in the early ’90s when Tales was being made into a miniseries. I was in my 20s and living in SF with gay and straight friends, so it seemed very similar to my own life, but it also documented the Bay Area as I remembered it in the ’70s and ’80s, it really transcended time and felt both pertinent and historical. <\/span><\/p>\n

After that, I read everything that Armistead wrote. It didn\u2019t change my perspective on anything, but I learned more about San Francisco from Tales<\/em>. When I meet people who are recent arrivals to SF, I usually suggest that they read\u00a0[the series] right away, because otherwise I can\u2019t really consider them a San Franciscan.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you learned more about Maupin’s life and backstory, did anything surprise you?<\/b><\/p>\n

His story is filled with surprises. I knew a little about his extremely conservative childhood prior to making this film, but when I first talked with Armistead and he described working for the late Senator Jesse Helms, and also being invited to meet President Richard Nixon (for his work as a conservative Vietnam veteran!) I found it shocking. <\/span><\/p>\n

On a different note, I was more pleasantly surprised by Armistead\u2019s intimate relationship with Rock Hudson. Armistead is like a Zelig<\/em> character. He\u2019s met everyone and been in the right place at the right time, it seems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who do you hope your film impacts the most?<\/b><\/p>\n

Anyone who feels alienated or alone. People who are trying to find the right \u201cfamily\u201d or \u201chome\u201d to belong to and connect with. I think Armistead\u2019s idea that people search for a \u201clogical family\u201d (as opposed to biological family) is universal. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are a lot of recognizable people in your film (Laura Linney, Ian McKellen, writer Neil Gaiman) — were you at all nervous talking to them, or did they put you at ease?<\/b><\/p>\n

I will admit that I was a bit intimidated by Sir Ian McKellen, but I still had great fun speaking with him. For the most part, they were all super nice and did really put me at ease. I try to be extremely prepared to do these types of interviews, so I\u2019m often thinking more about what I need to discuss with them, rather than thinking about being intimidated. It\u2019s an amazing opportunity to get to chat with these people about something that we\u2019re both incredibly interested in. Everyone really enjoyed talking about their friendships with Armistead.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I interviewed Sir Ian I asked him if he\u2019d consider smoking marijuana on camera with Armistead, and he declined very clearly. That\u2019s in the deleted scene [available on the DVD]. It was quite intimidating, but I had to ask!<\/span><\/p>\n