Beards, Camera, Action!
The first rule of Beard Club is to talk about Beard Club, or at least that’s what I assume after meeting Bay Area filmmaker Laura Lukitsch, producer of the forthcoming documentary film Beard Club. I met Laura at DIY Days, a day-long conference in SF on do-it-yourself film production, distribution and promotion in the age of the internet. One of the big “take-aways” from the conference was the value of word of mouth promotion in our media-saturated world, and so it was a good thing that Laura was talking Beard Club, otherwise she might have missed an opportunity to get some beard-related blog buzz.
From the website, Beard Club is described as:
“A documentary about the social politics of facial hair. Examining the ideas and ideals of masculinity, gender, and identity.”
What? So, a beard is more than a symbol of swagger, or the key to graceful aging for aging hipsters? The beard has deeper social relevancy than “I’m too lazy to shave?” Well, sometimes not, but most of the times, yes. To quote the website again:
“Almost every man has a beard or mustache story. Each day, every man must decide either to shave or not to shave. The act can be one of conformity, rebellion, laziness, or transition”
Now, excluding many of the Golden State Warriors, yes, almost every man has a beard or mustache story, and I like this idea that every beard comes with a narrative. And just as I’m too lazy to shave sometimes, I’m too lazy to find these stories, but I’m glad that someone has taken on the Herculean task of documenting some of them. Hercules has a beard. Laura Lukitsch does not, but after talking about Beard Club, I think she can handle it. I’ll be looking forward to seeing her film in the theaters, or on DVD, or maybe even on the internets. Afterall, just as the beard knows no borders, why should a film about beards be limited to just a few platforms, right?
M. Meschery
PS - I couldn’t find a blog-friendly Youtube version of the trailer, but you can peep it on the Beard Club website.
No mention of Jack Passion or of the IBY Best Beard Champ? My O my!
Quick, someone call Laura before she misses out …. Hah!!!
Turman, can’t believe your not in there. What’s up with that?
Comment by Shahid | 08.18.2008 | 8:32 am
Shahid, I’ll definitely let her know about the Best Beard Champ. The film isn’t finished yet, so there still might be time to get Jack Passion up in there too.
Comment by matthewmeschery | 08.18.2008 | 10:38 am
Looks great. I need to find that barber so I can get my whiskers tightened up.
Comment by Gd. | 08.18.2008 | 11:47 am