Documentary about same-sex behavior in animals, narrated by Elliot Page, screening at the State Theatre.
Second Nature screens at The State Theatre on Tuesday, August 25. It's a documentary about same-sex behavior in animals, narrated by Elliot Page, and it centers on the work of Dr. Joan Roughgarden, a trans evolutionary biologist who spends the film meeting other scientists to look at the diversity of the animal kingdom.
The number they work with is more than 1,500 animal species that engage in same-sex sexual behavior and parenting, change sex, form matriarchies, and more. By following Roughgarden as she connects with other researchers, the film builds a case for how common these behaviors are across the natural world. It works to debunk a couple of specific myths along the way: that females are 'inferior' and that being queer is 'unnatural.'
Roughgarden is a trailblazing figure in her field, and the film lets her lead the way as she brings together these different examples from across the animal kingdom. It's the kind of documentary that takes a single, specific question—who does what in the wild—and follows it until it touches on much larger ideas about gender and nature.
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Doors open at 6:30 PM, and the show starts at 7:30 PM. The State Theatre is at 719 Congress in downtown Austin.
