I frequently find it hard to connect with documentaries that use the "interview" and "archival film" technique· No matter how skillfully done (and this is a skillful film), the omnipresent camera interposes itself· I often sensed a "play to the camera" feel in these films not usually present with fiction films·
In Strike a Pose we are shown the surface facts of WHERE the dancers are twenty five years after their famous performances in Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour and the documentary Truth or Dare, but is weak on WHO they were and now are· I admit, there is an important line between privacy and voyeurism· Nevertheless, I wish we could have learned more· Perhaps, film is just not well suited to in-depth biography· I also must admit that I have not yet viewed Truth or Dare, which I suspect, based on what I have read, will provide additional insight·
It is also interesting to note how grindingly oppressive the stigma HIV+/AIDS was (and still is) even among those who are otherwise a close family and open about their sexuality· Their experiences are as I remember them to have been among my peers, and still are today·
This is a fine film, and included on my personal list of essential GLBTQ heritage films·
Premiered at the Berlin Festival on 15 February 2016· Featured at Tribeca Film Festival 2016· Available now on Netflix· Scheduled for DVD release June 6, 2017; $30.