Not in My Lifetime

Going behind the scenes of the struggle for gay marriage equality in America, filmmaker Pam Colby follows the stories of couples and GLBTQ people over three decades, uncovering a complex web of emotion. Despite the challenges they endure, all reveal a shared commitment to loving relationships before and after marriage equality. Yet Not in My Lifetime gives the viewer a deeper understanding of deciding to get married, or not.

Filmmaker and storyteller Pam Colby, a baby boomer lesbian, narrates. Her story of coming out in the early 1980s and raising two sons provides a personal perspective on the cost of exclusion and prejudice. The film includes footage from the 1987 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian rights, Minnesota Representative Karen Clark’s fight for the right to marry, and transgender activist Andrea Jenkins’ successful campaign for City Council in Minneapolis. Featuring the photography of Terry Gydesen.

  • Pam Colby
    Director
  • Pam Colby
    Writer
  • Pam Colby, Polly Kellogg, Caroline Gilbert
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 16 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Minneapolis St Paul International Film Festival
    Minneapolis
    United States
    April 14, 2018
    North American Premiere
    Audience Choice Award for Best MN. Made Documentary/ Best of Fest
Director Biography - Pam Colby

Pam Colby has worked in television and film for over thirty years, recently producing and directing a feature-length documentary, Not in My Lifetime, which explores the impact of marriage equality legislation on artists, activists, and politicians. The film had its world premiere at the 2018 Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival and was named Best of the Fest. Her credits include narrative and documentary work: Writer/Director, Freedom’s Price (1984); Writer/Director, Speak Truth to Power, A Portrait of Polly Mann (1994); Producer, The Unapologetic Life of Margaret Randall (2002); Producer, Wellstone! (2004); Producer/Director, Fertile Ashes (2011); Producer/Director, Secrets for Mom (2013); Editor/Assistant Director, Angels Alleluia (2014); Director, Carl Eller: The Hunt for Self Expression (2017). Pam’s love of storytelling led her to the Moth Storytelling Competition where her GrandSLAM-winning story was featured on National Public Radio. Pam works as a freelance producer and director, and has taught both narrative and documentary classes at FilmNorth since 2013.

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