The film Mama Gloria by Luchina Fisher, the Emmy-award winning director, is on its way to becoming an LGBTQ Classic. The GLAAD-nominated documentary offers an intimate portrait of the late Gloria “Mama” Allen (1945–2022), a trailblazing Black transgender elder from Chicago. This heartfelt and hopeful film follows Gloria as she reflects on a life lived authentically — from her coming-of-age in Chicago’s pre–Stonewall drag ball culture to founding a self-funded “charm school” for young transgender people experiencing homelessness. More than a celebration of survival, it’s a testament to joy, grace, acceptance and intergenerational love. Mama Gloria is also available to stream as part of AfroPoP.
Today I talk to Luchina about the film, and the heart and soul she projected into its making. Luchina's other work includes the Emmy Award-winning short documentary The Dads (Netflix), executive produced by Dwyane Wade; Team Dream (BET), winner of multiple film festival awards, executive produced by Queen Latifah; and Locked Out, the Best Documentary Feature at the American Black Film Festival. Her latest project, celebrating Black queer contributions to music, won the 2023 PitchBLACK Film Forum.
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