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Bight of the Twin

Directed by Hazel Hill McCarthy

United States, Benin • 2016 • 55 mins.

Showtimes & Past Screenings

Bight of the Twin, an experimental visual and musical journey, tells the story of musician and artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and filmmaker Hazel Hill McCarthy III’s journey to Benin to explore the origins of the Vodoun (Voodoo) religion. Transcending assumptions of what it means to be “gendered,” Orridge and h/er late wife Lady Jaye underwent a series of surgical procedures to become physically identical to one another, seeking to perfect a gender-neutral state. In Benin, twins carry sacred meaning and are venerated as gods. Through a series of sacrifices and ceremonies, Genesis reaffirms an eternal bond with Lady Jaye, a deeply inter-dimensional connection of Western civilization and African ritual. The sonic landscapes are by Coum Transmissions, Throbbing Gristle, PTV, and DJM[REX. Q & A with filmmaker Hazel Hill McCarthy III and Bight of the Twin’s Douglas J McCarthy following the screening. Presented as part of TBA 17, September 7–17.

There is special pricing for this film; $10 for general admission, $8 for members.

Genres: Documentary

The Northwest Film Center recognizes and honors the Indigenous peoples of this region on whose ancestral lands the museum now stands. These include the Willamette Tumwater, Clackamas, Kathlemet, Molalla, Multnomah and Watlala Chinook Peoples and the Tualatin Kalapuya who today are part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and many other Native communities who made their homes along the Columbia River. We also want to recognize that Portland today is a community of many diverse Native peoples who continue to live and work here. We respectfully acknowledge and honor all Indigenous communities—past, present, future—and are grateful for their ongoing and vibrant presence.