A sapphic retelling of Adam and Eve where instead of being punished, our lovers are rewarded for following their desires.
This piece can be viewed at The Real Unreal at Meow Wolf in Grapevine, Texas.
I REALLY WISH MERCURY WASN'T IN RETROGRADE RIGHT NOW! was a moment of reconciliation for me on two different fronts: love and religion. Growing up in the Bible Belt, love was an empty concept that was shared in a heterosexual relationship. At a young age, I was struggling with my sexuality, already somewhat aware that I was placing a mid-tier number on the Kinsey Scale. But those feelings were buried under years of guilt for wanting to understand that piece of myself. I was scared.
I had a vision for this prompt from Meow Wolf - to create a dreamlike space that would make 13-year-old me feel less scared about exploring who I am. I wanted to offer solace to anyone grappling with religious guilt from their past, and remind them that love is love, and following our hearts will never lead to punishment.
The title of the piece encapsulates that feeling of longing right before two people become committed to each other. It's a nod to the back-and-forth that often happens, and the resurfacing of buried emotions. Just like Mercury in retrograde, this film encourages us to uncover and embrace these emotions, and to always be true to ourselves. It's a celebration of love in all its forms.
As this piece will be displayed in an art museum, I drew inspiration from some of my favorite art pieces, such as Magritte's The Son of Man:
Marina Abramović and ULAY's Rest Energy:
Kenneth Anger's Scorpio Rising:
and Gregg Araki's The Doom Generation:
I hope this piece will be a beacon of queer love, and a reminder that if we are happy, then Fate, or whatever you believe in, will be happy for us as well.
cast
IZZY BRAVO as eve
ABBY VAN GERPEN as eden
IMANI CAULDWELL as fate (or whatever)
crew
written and directed by L.C. HENDERSON
produced by ROSS KELLY, ANNIE JAYNES
director of photography BRAD WOLFEY
gaffer RYLE YAZZIE
score by JEFF NELSON
hair and makeup by JANINE MALONEY
creative director of "dream tv" series ANNIE JAYNES
property of MEOW WOLF