Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood and the Making of Pink Narcissus
Bart Everly / US, 2025 / 98 min.
The homo-erotic cult classic Pink Narcissus was released in 1971, but did not name its director which only increased the film’s mystery. This documentary tells the story of its director, photographer James Bidgood.
Pink Narcissus was long attributed to luminaries including Kenneth Anger and Andy Warhol. Only 20 years later was it revealed to be the work of James Bidgood. The latter, a photographer, was the first to apply the pulp and glamour aesthetics of the 1940s and 1950s to explicitly homo-erotic photos. His erotic dream landscapes and pictures of muscled men were different from everyone else’s.
The documentary Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood and the Making of Pink Narcissus by director Bart Everly follows Bidgood's attempts to take a photograph again after a long hiatus of forty years, with the film also delving into his past as a window dresser, drag artist, and costume designer. The fantasy life he creates is a way to stay connected to the world, balancing between genius and madness.
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Details
Director
Bart Everly
Production year
2025
Country
US
Original title
Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood and the Making of Pink Narcissus
Length
98 min.
Language
English
Subtitles
NONE
Format
DCP
Part of
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