A Queer’s Guide to Spiritual Living (2023) (Ari Conrad Birch and Michal Heuston)
A Queer’s Guide to Spiritual Living (2023) (Ari Conrad Birch and Michal Heuston)
Blending zine-inspired animation, spoken word, and poetry with insightful interview footage, this lo-fi documentary collage follows four queer people from different religious backgrounds as they explore the intersections of faith and queerness.
We meet Summeiya, the genderfluid founder of Queer Muslim Network Toronto; Juliana, a bisexual teacher and former Baptist Christian; Vaibhav, a gay Hindu dancer; and Ari, a trans Christian Orthodox drag artist. Each person talks openly about their own spiritual journey, and their testimonies collectively open up possibilities for faith and queerness to connect rather than exist in opposition.
Recognizing the complexity of individual queer faith journeys, directors Ari Conrad Birch and Michal Heuston have crafted an intimate work that prioritizes beauty over conflict and demonstrates that the process of reconciliation does not have to be tackled alone.