Velvet Vision: The Story of James Bidgood and the Making of Pink Narcissus
Film program, US 2025, 98 min., engl. OV + engl. UT
By: Bart Everly
With: James Bidgood, Ira Sachs, Christian Louboutin, Jonathan David Katz, Colton Ford
Glitter, sexy men, and a truly original aesthetic – self-made artist James Bidgood unintentionally created a cult favourite of New York’s gay underground scene with Pink Narcissus in 1971, a film that has since become a crown jewel of queer cinema history. But who was the man behind the dazzling visuals and softcore erotica? Through archival footage and contemporary witnesses, Bart Everly tells the complex and often tragic story of a man destined for greatness, who only truly shone in fleeting moments. Velvet Vision blends documentary and homage – complete with numerous cameos, including the late porn star Colton Ford.
Kai
Following the screening of the film on 2025-10-25 at 20:30, Björn Koll will present the book Dreamlands, which was published by Salzgeber on 2025-03-25. He will provide insights into the creation of the book and the photographic work of Jim Bidgood.
Dreamlands
By James Bidgood, Hardcover, 240×320 mm, 160 pages, 97 photos
Texts in German and English and an introduction by Hunter O’Hanian.
With his glamorous dream worlds, the American artist James Bidgood revolutionized photography in the 1960s. His dazzling and masterful stagings of naked young men in exuberant settings - as a provocative alternative to social prudery - are part of the canon of 20th century photography. Combining iconic motifs from Bidgood‘s oeuvre with previously unpublished photos, “Dreamlands” takes you on a fantastic trip with images that sparkle, glitter and seduce.
