Born In Flames
By Charlotte Stace
Aptly described by the Village Voice as "perhaps the sole entry in the hybrid genre of radical-lesbian-feminist sci-fi verite", this unclassifiable, unruly 1983 film by the radical intersectional feminist Lizzie Borden is the very definition of guerrilla filmmaking. Borden was working with zero budget (she could only film once a month, "when I had $200 coming in") and filmed scenes with her largely non-professional cast on real New York streets, and clearly without permission most if not all of the time.
The resulting film skilfully explores racism, classism, sexism and homophobia in an alternative-reality early-80s New York City, 10 years after a peaceful revolution has supposedly introduced a socialist state. It also features an array of intriguing cameos, among them the civil rights activist Florynce Kennedy, the first screen appearance of Eric Bogosian, and a rare acting turn from Kathryn Bigelow, who would go on to a major career as a director culminating in an Academy Award for Best Director for The Hurt Locker.