With the pandemic bringing lives to a halt last year, Brooklyn-based filmmakers Erica Rose (L) and Elina Street found themselves with more time on their hands. To fill it, they created the Lesbian Bar Project (LBP), which raised funds to keep the country’s remaining lesbian bars alive during the shutdown. The initiative launched last fall with a PSA narrated and executive produced by Lea DeLaria and supported by Jägermeister; it raised $117,000 for the bars involved. This year, the LBP has been relaunched for Pride with “The Lesbian Bar Project,” a 20-minute documentary also in collaboration with DeLaria and Jägermeister. For both Street and Rose, telling queer stories is part of their mission as filmmakers. For Rose — who has showcased her work to critical acclaim at national and international film festivals, including Tribeca Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and Aspen Shortsfest — the most rewarding aspect of her work “is that I get to tell stories about queer people who have shaped culture, politics, and have helped me navigate my own personal identity.” Street, too, draws inspiration from her identity and uses her filmmaking skills to give back to the LGBTQ+ community. “I chose to become a filmmaker because you can merge so many different types of art in one,” she tells GO. “It’s such a rich, infinite art, and I love finding new ways to express myself — should it be through a music video, a film, a documentary film where you elevate the stories of others. I always feel challenged and endlessly curious.” Rose and Street’s collaborative documentary, “The Lesbian Bar Project,” can be seen for free on Jägermeister’s Global YouTube channel or on the LBP website. —RK
