‘The Hobby’: A Love Letter to Board Gamers like My Son
The documentary reminds us how to revel in creative play and the company of others.
SXSW
‘The Queen vs. Texas’ Revisits the Battle over Lone Star Drag
Raemonn James, better known as Hermajestie the Hung, teamed up with a filmmaker to tell a moving story of activism and queer culture.
Short-Term Rentals Cause a Long-Term Mess
Giant temporary housing platforms are creating drama in the streets—and putting money in the coffers of Texas cities.
‘American Born Chinese’ and the Limits of Cultural Representation
The young hero in the new Disney+ show follows a familiar journey for colonized people, as predicted by theorist Frantz Fanon.
Past the Pursuit of Pretty
"Caterpillar," Liza Mandelup’s recent documentary, unearths the humanity in cosmetic surgery.
Dragging Democracy into the Future
As the Texas Observer survives to muckrake another day, Steven Monacelli highlights the battle for fundamental rights happening in the Lone Star State.
Olive Klug’s Melancholy Mood: A Visit with TikTok’s Nonbinary Folk Music Star
“They're trying to sell us and sell to us, but they're also trying to kill us.”
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Confronting Queer Oppression in Moscow … And America
Queendom, a documentary that recently premiered at the SXSW film festival, should leave viewers—especially LGBTQ+ viewers—shaken.
True Crime’s Ethical Dilemma
What begins as a search for a murder ends as a hard look at the murky ethics of "nonfiction" crime storytelling.
‘I’ve Always Been a Transplant’: A Global Perspective on Texas Hip-Hop
David Shabani’s life took him on an international journey from France to the Live Music Capital of the World.