It was a labor of love, truly a four-year odyssey for David Secter, the man behind the brilliant, uplifting documentary on sports in the GLBT community, the 20-year history of the Gay Games and their founder, Dr. Tom Waddell.
Secter, an award-winning writer, producer and director from Long Beach, Calif., delivers a World Series-esq home run with his latest release, titled Take The Flame! Gay Games: Grace, Grit & Glory, part of the annual Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, which features more than 130 films at several venues in Chicago through Nov. 12.
Secter serves as the writer, producer and director for Take the Flame!, an 85-minute journey ( airing Nov. 10, starting at 6:30 p.m., at Columbia College's Film Row Cinema ) , narrated by Greg Louganis, featuring amazing vintage footage and interviews from all past Gay Games, most notably, Sydney in 2002.
Take The Flame! had its world premiere at NewFest in New York City earlier this year, to a roaring success and rave reviews.
'I'm very proud of the final project. I think it tells a wonderful, moving story about an event and a dynamic, terrific person, Dr. Tom Waddell,' Secter said. 'I couldn't be happier that Take The Flame! will be a part of the Gay Film Festival in Chicago months before the start of the next Gay Games.'
Take The Flame! is a well-produced, historic looks at the Games and its wide-ranging athletes, entertainers and performers. There are about 12,000 Gay Games athletes, driven to participate, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, nationality, health status or physical/athletic/artistic ability. Affectionately dubbed the Quadrennial Queen Convention, the Gay Games has truly spanned the globe for host cities, with entertainment and athleticism mixing on and off the fields of play.
Take The Flame! features world-class athletes showing why they are just that. Billie Jean King is quoted in the opening. The documentary also showcases the Everyday Athlete. There are literally thousands of Americans in the Games and other participants from remote, not-friendly-to-GLBT areas, such as Chad and Tonga.
Take The Flame! explores the status of sports as one of the last bastions of homophobia in the western world. Sheryl Swoope's recent announcement that she is gay could impact this documentary's cause, as she joins Martina Navratilova, David Kopay, Billy Bean and others in the oh-so-small gay-pro-athletes club. The documentary also showcases the work of groups like The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Gay & Lesbian Athletic Foundation and others.
Take The Flame! is a motivating, uplifting look at the Gay Games, a journey back in time, to places like San Francisco, Vancouver, New York City, Amsterdam, and Sydney. Sure, the documentary proudly waves the rainbow flag, but it also spotlights the cross-over, mainstream media potential for the Games and its athletes. The documentary is scheduled for international release in 2006.
'Some of the video shot at the early Games isn't the best ( quality ) , but I think that just adds to the appeal of the documentary; it shows how far the Gay Games have come,' Secter said.
For information on Take The Flame!, go to: www.reelingfilmfestival.org . Or, call: ( 773 ) 293-1447. It screens Thursday, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m. at Columbia College's Film Row Cinema. A free reception and Q&A with David Secter follows the screening in the same building.
