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Yony Leyser

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Yony Leyser (born 1985) is a director and writer based in Berlin.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Yony Leyser was born in DeKalb, Illinois in 1985 to an Israeli-Iranian mother and a German Jewish father.[1]

Leyser studied at the California Institute of the Arts and at the University of Kansas[2] before graduating with a B.A from The New School in New York City, where he majored in film and journalism, and an MFA from the Academy of Media Arts Cologne.[2]

In 2010, Leyser relocated to Berlin.

Career

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After five years in the making, Leyser independently released his first feature film, William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, a documentary film covering William S. Burroughs in 2010. The film features archival footage, some of which was previously unreleased, as well as interviews with Burrough's friends and colleagues. The film received was received positively, with a 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3] The film was a Critic's Pick of The New York Times[4] and received positive reviews from the Los Angeles Times,[5] and Variety,.[6] It was an official selection at multiple international film festivals including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam[7] and Vienna International Film Festival.

In 2015, Leyser released his second feature film, Desire Will Set You Free. Rooted in the director's actual experiences, the film follows an American writer of Palestinian and Israeli descent and a Russian escort as they navigate the Berlin's underground queer scene.[8][9] The film was the centerpiece of that year's San Francisco Independent Film Festival.[10]

In 2017, Leyser released Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution, a feature length documentary about the cultural/social movement known as queercore. The film focuses on queercore zine culture, music, cinema, and activism. It debuted at Sheffield DocFest[11] and was acquired by French network Arte[12] and by Germany's ZDF.[13] Leyser also co-wrote a book of the same name, released by PM Press in 2021.[14]

In 2022, Drag Me to the USA was released. The docuseries directed by Leyser follows three German drag queens as they embark on road trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles. It was commissioned and released by RTL+.[15]

In addition to his feature films, Leyser has written and directed a number of theater productions including W(a)rm Holes, which was shown at Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin.[16]

Leyser has also contributed to publications including Vice.[17]

Filmography

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Year Title Ref. Notes
2010 William S. Burroughs: A Man Within [18] -
2015 Desire Will Set You Free [19] -
2017 Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution [20] -
2022 Drag Me to the USA [21] Docuseries

References

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  1. ^ "Yony Leyser | filmportal.de". www.filmportal.de. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  2. ^ a b "The man behind 'A Man Within'". LJWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  3. ^ "William S. Burroughs: A Man Within". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  4. ^ Holden, Stephen (2010-11-16). "'William S. Burroughs: A Man Within' - Review". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Sheri Linden (2010-11-25). "Movie review: 'William S. Burroughs: A Man Within' - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  6. ^ "William S. Burroughs: A Man Within". www.variety.com. 28 January 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  7. ^ www.oberon.nl, Oberon Amsterdam, William S. Burroughs: A Man Within (2010) - Yony Leyser | IDFA, retrieved 2022-11-16
  8. ^ Tramontana, Mary Katharine. "this decadent film looks at berlin nightlife, with a soundtrack featuring blood orange and peaches". i-d.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  9. ^ Dazed (2016-03-03). "Looking through the lens at Berlin's underground queer scene". Dazed. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  10. ^ Lewis, David (2017-01-25). "Facts about SF IndieFest". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  11. ^ ""Queercore": A decades-old movement for gay punks, freaks and rebels". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  12. ^ www.oberon.nl, Oberon Amsterdam, Queercore: How To Punk a Revolution (2017) - Yony Leyser | IDFA, retrieved 2022-11-16
  13. ^ "Queercore – Die schwule Seite des Punk". www.zdf.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  14. ^ Adams, Kevin (2022). "Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution: An Oral History. Liam Warfield, Walter Crasshole, and Yony Leyser, eds. Oakland, CA: PM Press, 2021. 224p. Paper, $18.00 (ISBN 9781629637969)". College & Research Libraries. 83 (2). doi:10.5860/crl.83.2.337. hdl:10829/24842. ISSN 2150-6701.
  15. ^ GmbH, DWDL de. "Roadtrip: RTL+ schickt drei Drag Queens durch Amerika". DWDL.de. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  16. ^ "W(A)RM Holes". W(A)RM Holes | Gorki. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  17. ^ "Yony Leyser". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  18. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 16, 2010). "Naked Lusts and Natural Painkillers: Portrait of a Literary Outlaw". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021.
  19. ^ "Yony Leyser's New Film Is a Time Capsule of Berlin's Underground". www.vice.com (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  20. ^ ""Queercore": A decades-old movement for gay punks, freaks and rebels". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-11-14.
  21. ^ GmbH, DWDL de. "Roadtrip: RTL+ schickt drei Drag Queens durch Amerika". DWDL.de. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
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