Private Project

Remembering the Glade

Legendary 80 year-old showgirl Brandy Lee recalls how the Glade, a Honolulu nightclub famous for its “Boys Will Be Girls” revue, became a place of community, refuge, and joy for mahu – individuals of dual male and female spirit – during a time of violent anti-trans discrimination.

  • Dean Hamer
    Director
  • Joe Wilson
    Director
  • Qwaves Kanaka Pakipika
    Producer
  • Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
    Cultural Advisor
  • DeSoto Brown
    Historian
  • Brandy Lee
    Key Cast
    "herself"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 57 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson

Dean Hamer is an Emmy and GLAAD Award-winning filmmaker and New York Times Book of the Year author dedicated to telling stories that emanate from the voices of those on the outside. His documentaries and animated films with Qwaves creative partner and husband Joe Wilson have screened and won awards at Toronto, Berlinale, Tribeca, and Annecy, and have been viewed by millions of people on PBS, Netflix, and international broadcast networks. Kapaemahu, Dean and Joe’s previous film from Hawaiʻi, was shortlisted for Best Animated Short at the 93rd Academy Awards and subsequently developed into a popular children’s book, feature documentary, and immersive museum exhibition. Dean and Joe made Remembering the Glade as a reminder of the persistence and resilience that made queer life today possible.

Joe Wilson, a longtime human rights activist and Emmy and GLAAD Award-winning filmmaker, helped pioneer the movement to use film and media to catalyze community engagement, dialogue and action on a range of often overlooked issues. From LGBTQ equality in small town America to gender diversity in public schools, from cultural erasure in Hawai'i to the criminalization of sexual and gender minorities in the Pacific Islands, Qwaves Out in the Silence impact campaigns have helped to elevate and center the stories of affected communities in movements for change and have been supported by the Sundance Institute, Ford Foundation, Pacific Islanders in Communications, ACLU, and Native Hawaiian Education Council. Joe and Dean are currently working on the Lei Pua ʻAla project, a multidimensional effort to document and memorialize Hawaiiʻs history of gender and sexual diversity and inclusion.

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Director Statement

Meeting Brandy Lee, and having the opportunity to help share her story with the world, has been a transformative experience for us both as filmmakers and activists. We are grateful to our longtime collaborator and cultural advisor Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu for introducing us, and to all the entertainers, patrons, and admirers of the Glade who have supported our work.

Although Hawaiʻi today enjoys a high level of LGBTQ+ visibility and legal protections, that was not always the case. It was the courage and resilience in the face of danger of pioneers such as Brandy Lee that blazed the trail to dignity and respect. Our hope is that Brandyʻs fearless queer visibility will inspire others in the ongoing quest for equality and inclusion.