From director David Weissman:  I met Jake at a Radical Faerie gathering in February 2016. He was 24, only 7 months out of the closet, and his then boyfriend had brought him to the gathering. I think Jake found it quite intimidating! His boyfriend had wanted us to meet, since Jake had gone to film school and had done some documentary editing.

Jake and I had a long conversation on a bench overlooking a snowy meadow—about the gathering, about being gay, about his interest in film, and about this CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS project, and it seemed like serendipity had dropped a perfect opportunity into both of our laps.

Having minimal experience with gay community, but possessed of enormous curiosity, intelligence and heart, Jake seemed like someone who would both enhance the project, and receive great personal benefit from his participation.  Neither of us were disappointed. Jake was based in Santa Cruz, so we mostly worked remotely, but with a few in-person sessions at the beginning, middle, and end of the process.

From Editor Jake Stein: “I had the honor of working with David Weissman on his documentary series CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS. When I first met David at a Radical Faerie gathering in Oregon, little did I know I was meeting someone who would become a great teacher and friend in my life. As serendipity would have it, David was looking for young gay editors to work on this inter-generational project and I was a 24-year-old, recently-out filmmaker who hadn’t even heard of Stonewall. There was so much I didn’t know, and I was eager to learn. David shared his own insight and stories, which helped me better understand my own identity. His invitation to work on CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS opened the door to many colorful stories, including those of the wonderful then-77-year-old Daniel Maloney, whose interview I edited. Editing Daniel’s story while engaging in discussions with David taught me about the gay liberation movement and offered an important lens into the intersectional experience of being black and gay in the pre-and post-Stonewall eras. CONVERSATIONS WITH GAY ELDERS exemplifies the healing power of coming together in community to listen to, share, and respect the stories of our elders. It was powerful to witness elders feel seen and to more deeply understand why that is so important. It’s an experience that had a profound impact on me during a pivotal time in my life. I’m grateful to Daniel for sharing his story, and I’m grateful to David for the love, care, and insight he offers through this project, his friendship, and his lifetime of advocacy.”