Casa Susanna 1x97

2022 DOC NYC Festival – Grand Jury Prize Winner

Official Selection: TIFF, BFI London Film Festival, Giornate degli Autori

“A deeply affecting exploration of a secret chapter in LGBTQ history… Complex and riveting… [A] sharp and tender documentary…” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Lovingly crafted… Brilliantly, a nearly lost chapter of queer history has been delicately excavated… vividly brings the past to life through crackling archival footage, incredible photographs, and the golden memories of those who first found themselves there.” – IndieWire

“Fascinating… A remarkable documentary… Casa Susanna is not only a work of historical sociological importance, but also a sensitive nostalgic film…” – Cineuropa

In the 1950s and ’60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross–dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as and living as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self–expression. Told through the memories of those who visited the house, the film provides a moving look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live out of the shadows.