Hunky Jesus Documentary Premieres at BFI Flare Festival with Provocative Easter Satire
Jennifer M Kroot's documentary film Hunky Jesus, featuring narration by actor George Takei, serves as the opening event for this year's BFI Flare festival in London. The festival is dedicated to showcasing LGBTQ+ moviemaking, and this film brings a controversial and exuberant celebration to the screen.
San Francisco's Outrageous Easter Talent Contest
The documentary focuses on an annual talent contest held every Easter in San Francisco, where participants compete to be crowned the "hunkiest" Jesus lookalike. Contestants often appear oiled and muscular, with physiques that might surprise traditional biblical scholars. The event includes pole dance-style performances around crosses, with some contestants humorously declaring their desire to be "nailed and rise again" in a playful twist on Christian resurrection themes.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence: Queer Drag Nuns and Activists
This outrageous contest is organized by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of queer drag nuns, performance artists, and activists who maintain their characters with remarkable stamina and commitment. Their celebrations are described as defiant and cheeky, echoing the spirit of Tom Lehrer's comic song The Vatican Rag. The group has developed a strong brand identity over decades, with one sister noting, "The ministry has spread across the globe."
Mixed Reactions and Controversial Themes
While the film captures the hedonistic and shallow fun of the carnival, it also highlights significant controversy. Some church representatives are shown expressing fury and disapproval, particularly regarding the sexualization of Jesus. One gently supportive cleric admits, "I have mixed feelings about the sexualization of Jesus." However, a sister counters with a pointed argument: "You don't own Jesus. You don't own Easter."
The documentary raises questions about whether the Sisters would mock other religions similarly, though this remains unexplored. A sister humorously wonders if the historical Jesus might have competed in the contest himself and lost, though the film suggests sexual identity was likely not a primary concern for the biblical figure.
Film Structure and Viewer Experience
Hunky Jesus includes extensive celebratory footage of the outdoor event, which may require "perpetual indulgence" from viewers expecting more narrative depth. However, it offers amusement through its portrayal of the parallel competition for the "Blessed Virgin" category and the overall cheerful hedonism. The film occasionally adopts a weird seriousness when discussing the event's significance and the global spread of both the Sisters' ministry and, as noted, "boorish and humourless homophobia."
This provocative documentary challenges traditional Easter celebrations while highlighting LGBTQ+ activism and performance art in a unique cultural context.
