PINK NARCISSUS
Special Features: New Restoration
At the crossroads of experimental cinema and queer representation is this underground erotica from James Bidgood, shot over seven years on 8mm, which follows a brooding young male prostitute’s (Bobby Kendall) kaleidoscopic journey through a phantasmagoric dreamscape. In a series of sequences, he envisions himself as a Roman slave, a triumphant matador, an innocent wood nymph and a delicate harem boy — striking images suffused with saturated lighting from Bidgood, who also handcrafted the sets. Shot entirely in Bidgood’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment, save for the climactic scene, PINK NARCISSUS is a queer masterpiece from a visionary artist — who was for decades left uncredited after he removed his own name from the film in protest over creative differences with his producers. In the mid-90s, writer Bruce Benderson sought out the truth and tracked down Bidgood, verifying the true mastermind behind this sumptuously subversive erotic film. DIR/SCR/PROD James Bidgood. U.S., 1971, color, 68 min. NOT RATED
Restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive with funding provided by Snapdragon Capital Partners.
Run Time: 68 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, June 29, 2025
Genre: Drama, fantasy
