Casa Susanna

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Casa Susanna

2022

1h 37m

Documentary

LGBTQ+

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In the 1950s and ‘60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place for them to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self-expression. Told through the memories of those whose visits to the house would change their lives, the film provides a look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live their lives out of the shadows.

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Critics Consensus

As a time capsule, Casa Susanna captures a trans community in need of a home to thrive in while expanding, albeit narrowly, on queer history.

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Camilla Long

The Times (UK)

We learn very little about the women whose lives were ruined too. What about their stories — the constant pandering that meant you had to sit there meekly or move home?

Feb 9, 2023

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Rebecca Nicholson

Guardian

These are human tales of strengths and weaknesses, triumphs and flaws, and they are handled by director Sébastien Lifshitz with great care and sensitivity.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 31, 2023

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Drew Gregory

Autostraddle

Lifshitz gives too much screen time to cis relatives, fails to lead his trans subjects toward anything more than broad strokes, and ends up with a film that over-explains basics of transness more than it delivers this history to its own community.

Sep 25, 2022

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Avaryl Halley

Movie Bitches

The photographs alone are worth the price of admission

Apr 24, 2024

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Kathi Wolfe

Washington Blade

Casa Susanna is a fascinating window into hidden queer history.

Jun 29, 2023

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Shane Slater

Awards Radar

Lifshitz truly crafts an illuminating film filled with many insightful details.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 29, 2022

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Sébastien Lifshitz

Director

Sébastien Lifshitz

Writer

Gaetan Rousseau

Executive Producer

Paul Guilhaume

Cinematographer

Tina Baz

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Synopsis

In the 1950s and ‘60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place for them to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self-expression. Told through the memories of those whose visits to the house would change their lives, the film provides a look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live their lives out of the shadows.

Director: Sébastien Lifshitz
Screenwriter: Sébastien Lifshitz
Production Co: Agat Films & Cie - Ex Nihilo
Genre: Documentary, LGBTQ+, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (TV): Jun 27, 2023
Runtime: 1h 37m

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