It takes a hell of a hook to actually interest me in a non-traditional documentary feature, and A House is Not a Disco has exactly that. Admittedly, I was drawn to cover this project thanks to director Brian J. Smith’s social media posts. Since Netflix’s revolutionary series Sense8, I have followed Smith through his coming out journey, and now here directing his first feature. With the sole reason for watching out of the way, as a gay man myself who grew up partially in Long Island, New York, Fire Island was something of a legend. As far as my classmates were concerned, anyone who set foot there was the worst kind of gay. A House is Not a Disco examines the Fire Island Pines under a multi-faceted microscope, utilizing every imaginable viewpoint to document a year in the life of this gay mecca.
Smith bookends his documentary with the wise words of a man who has lived at Fire Island since the 1960s, through ups downs, orgies and the AIDS crisis. As both the first and last word on this place, the man’s decades of memories feel crucial in understanding what makes the locale so essential to gay culture. Unlike a traditional talking heads doc that defines each perspective we hear quite distinctly, A House is Not a Disco plays more of an observant role. Various queer personalities speak on their experiences involving Fire Island, and the distance of the filmmaking observes its subjects completely free from judgment.
The segments I found the most interesting here, unfortunately, are the ones that get the least attention. One man says that during the early 70s, you simply could not walk down the boardwalk without getting a blowjob. The sexual freedom allotted for a hefty 3-4 sessions of sex with different men per day. The history of the parties in Fire Island and the vintage photographs are fascinating, and speak to the power of minority groups in instituting change. As much as the generational divide intrigues as well, the stories of the past are always what appeal to me most for this brand of documentary. I did find the evolution of streetwear and fashion to be noteworthy, if slight compared to the tragic conversations about the AIDS epidemic.
Constantly shifting focus, some tales definitely interest more than others. The rebuilding of a cathedral, trans activism, and unveiling of a drag queen’s wardrobe fleetingly fill the time to feature length. One of the most vital periods in queer history, the 80s AIDS boom, does not receive nearly enough time, sidelined for some modern texture that loses focus a little too frequently for my taste. Still, A House is Not a Disco captivates, schooling the youth about an important destination for queer people the world over.
A House is Not a Disco screened at 2024’s Cleveland International Film Festival.
