The filmmakers behind man’s loverThe new documentary explores whether former President Abraham Lincoln might have been gay, and they’re proud of the film they made despite bad reviews from conservative pundits.
Feature film directed by Sean Peterson Man’s Lover: The Untold History of Abraham Lincoln Now playing in theaters. The film draws on interviews with prominent Lincoln scholars and access to dramatized and never-before-seen photos and letters to suggest that the revered politician had romantic relationships with men. Based on the research, the film focuses on four men, including close friend Joshua Speed, with whom Lincoln shared a bed at different stages of his life.
“I’ve been studying this for a long time, starting around 2007,” Peterson said hollywood reporter. “[There was] Before the terms and concepts of “homosexual” and “heterosexual” were invented around 1870, fluidity existed throughout human history. These binary files were used against people, both in the early psychic community and in the church, as well as where we are today.
A view of the Lincoln Memorial.
Kevin Dickey/Getty Images
Producer Robert Rosenheck and Peterson have been creative partners for 20 years. Although Rosenheck is a lifelong Lincoln fan, he was unaware of the discussion surrounding whether the politician was gay until Peterson mentioned his plans for the project, at which point the producers also got involved.
“I said, ‘We need to make a movie that’s not about the queerness of Abraham Lincoln—it has to be about something bigger,'” Rosenhecker recalled. “It tells a universal story. So if you’re a queer person and you watch this movie, you’ll experience a catharsis when you realize that the greatest president of the United States was queer. But if you’re not queer , this story is a universal story about tolerance and how we ‘other’ others.
Rosenheck realized that social media users were asking questions about why a movie should highlight apparent speculation about a man like Lincoln, who kept key elements of his personal life secret. At the time of his assassination in 1865, Lincoln had been married to Mary Todd Lincoln for more than twenty years.
“We’ve had a variety of reactions to the film,” the producer said. “Surprisingly, a lot of people on the left are skeptical about this, [and] People on the right who see this movie are going to say, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize all that history. This is very interesting. So watching this movie is definitely a conversation starter and eye-opener.
The team behind man’s lover The focus of editing the film was to be done in time for this November’s presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, and in fact, the film was released just days before Tuesday’s presidential debate. The filmmakers view the project as a rallying cry for Americans to continue encouraging diverse voices and identities, and they acknowledged conservative pundits including Elon Musk, Ben Shapiro and Alex Jones speaking out ahead of the film’s release negative comments about the movie’s concept.
“I just invite them — and anyone who has questions about the film — to watch the film, give it a chance, look at the evidence and see what the message might be,” Peterson said. “Go to the movies with an open mind, because we are in a time that requires an open mind. We are experiencing history now, with everything that is happening, so it is important to look back to the past to understand our future.
As for how man’s lover “Our team is excited about the way these right-wing figures are spoofing the movie,” Rosenheck said. “The story is provocative.” There are very few original stories. Compelling stories are rare, and this film is.
