In-Person
Past Event: Screening: In the Best Interests of the Children (1977) w/ Post-screening Q&A
This event has passed.
- Past Event: Thu Oct 23, 2025 5:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m.
320 York Street New Haven, CT 06511
- All Ages
DCP| 1977| Directed by Frances Reid, Elizabeth Stevens, Cathy Zheutlin| USA| 53 min| English
Free admission. No registration required.
After being restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, this groundbreaking documentary about lesbian motherhood is coming to Yale. The film reveals a forgotten chapter of queer history by telling the stories of eight lesbian mothers who raised their children amid legal and societal bias before their ability to be good parents was recognised. Created by a feminist collective, the documentary follows experiences of its protagonists across diverse racial and economic contexts. Through intimate family footage and personal interviews, this film challenged prevailing prejudice by showcasing and validating family love beyond the heteronormative model.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/810678401?fl=pl&fe=vl
The screening will be followed by Lesbian Custody (2025), an 18-minute documentary by Samuael Topiary Landberg and Molly Skonieczny, which continues the story of one of the mothers of the film and her adult daughter.
Samuael Topiary Landberg will join Marc Francis (Manager of Film Programming, FAS) for a post-screening discussion and Q&A with the audience.
Sponsored by Yale Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)