Trailers

Teaser Watch: Docuseries “Nuclear Family” Offers an Intimate Portrayal of a Lesbian Family

"Nuclear Family": Limor Inbar/HBO

Ry Russo-Young has made a name for herself directing fiction narrative features, and episodes of scripted television — and now she’s ready to turn the camera on herself and her family.

A new teaser for documentary miniseries “Nuclear Family” offers insight into Russo-Young’s upbringing and experiences growing up with two moms at a time when the concept of a gay family was inconceivable to most, and — thanks to homophobic laws — extremely impractical to achieve.

Demonstrating deadpan humor, her moms — Sandra Russo and Robin Young — explain on camera the difficulties they went through to build and protect their family in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While Russo Young clearly regards her childhood as relatively idyllic, the spot hints at the roadblocks thrown up when the sperm donor, Tom, changed his mind about wanting to be involved in her life. “It’s so fucked up, what happened,” as one talking head bluntly puts it.

Described as “an exploration of love, loyalty, loss, and the immutable power of family in all its configurations” in a press release, it’s clear that with a combination of interviews, home videos, and archive footage, the three-part HBO series will offer in-depth insight into a first-generation lesbian family, which — as teased by the source — was involved in a landmark legal decision that would change the way gay families were perceived forever.

When we asked Russo-Young last year about her inspirations as a filmmaker, she explained: “I’ve always loved independent films and being a part of a film community fueled my desire to keep making films. I’m committed to telling stories that give voice to women and LGBTQ experiences, and knowing the potential reach of film has made me feel like I could actually change hearts and minds through this medium.”

Russo Young co-wrote and directed feature films “You Won’t Miss Me” and “Nobody Walks.” Her other directing credits include features “Before I Fall” and “The Sun Is Also a Star” as well as TV’s “Everything Sucks!,” “Cloak & Dagger,” and “Sorry For Your Loss.” As a teenager she participated in Meema Spadola’s documentary “Our House,” which is excerpted in “Nuclear Family.”

“Nuclear Family” debuts on HBO September 26.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5fwK2CgCI


Trailer Watch: Trace Lysette Confronts Her Painful Past with Patricia Clarkson in “Monica”

Trace Lysette returns home to care for her dying mother in “Monica.” A new trailer for the Venice Film Festival title introduces us to Monica (Lysette, “Transparent), a trans woman...

Teaser Watch: Mel Eslyn Tells the Story of the Last Men on Earth in “Biosphere”

“Everything is feeling a bit unbelievable,” says Sterling K. Brown in a new teaser for “Biosphere,” Mel Eslyn’s feature debut. Set in the not-too-distant future, the...

Trailer Watch: “Little Richard: I Am Everything” Explores the Complex Legacy of a Musical Genius

“Little Richard: I Am Everything” pays tribute to the OG rock ‘n roll icon. “He spit on every rule there was in music,” we’re told in a new trailer for the...

Posts Search

Publishing Dates
Start date
- select start date -
End date
- select end date -
Category
News
Films
Interviews
Features
Trailers
Festivals
Television
RESET