A bearded and glittering man stares into a crystal ball like some fabulous demi-god divining the secrets of the universe. That's how the short film, "The Fortune Teller," begins. Director Leo Herrera weaves together curated images and video from 50 years of queer history into a single, breathtaking narrative.
Heady and exotic, the six-minute short unfolds like a prophetic dream as viewers move from tragedies such as the Holocaust and the AIDS crisis to joyful coming-outs and on-point vogueing.
"The goal of the Fortune Teller has always been to document and remember where we came from, recognize the struggles and attacks we have overcome, and also celebrate the progress gained through the fight and sacrifices of those that came before us," Herrera said.
At the end, the names of the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting scroll down the screen as a tribute to the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in the city.
Watch the video below, and learn more about the individual clips at www.homochic.com/fortuneteller.
The Fortune Teller: 50 Yrs of Faggotry in 5 Mins, By Leo Herrera from Herrera Images on Vimeo.