So are you gay, straight, bi? Somewhere in between?
Former Chicagoan, Nikki Weiss-Goldstein, who successfully launched the commercial careers of renowned film directors and still photographers via her company Nikki Weiss & Co, hopes to answer those questions and more in a lovely new documentary short that she and wife, Jill Goldstein, have co-executive produced.
“Sexual Fluidity: Love Without Labels” profiles three women – Diora, Jill (Weiss-Goldstein’s wife) and Jaq, who share different experiences about sex and their personal relationships. Though each of the women has been involved with men and women, none feel that the term “bisexual” accurately expresses their sexual identity.
“I don’t necessarily identify as bisexual or straight,” explains Jaq who finds herself currently in a relationship with a man in the film. “I definitely don’t feel straight, because I’m still very attracted to women.”
Released Oct. 11, the nine-minute short, directed wonderfully by Alissa Torvinen and shot beautifully by Zach Osterhout, is based on the 2008 book, Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire by professor of developmental psychology and health psychology, by Lisa M. Diamond.
Weiss-Goldstein and Goldstein are no strangers to helping audiences explore the LGBT lifestyle as theirs was documented on Showtime’s “The Real L Word” in 2010.
According to Weiss-Goldstein, the couple felt so connected to the book that they optioned the rights eight years ago.
“Having experienced some confusion with our emotional and physical attractions in the past, and struggling to make conventional labels fit our experiences, we felt a very strong connection to the notion that sexual preferences are not set in stone and can change over time,” says Weiss-Goldstein’s wife Jill, adding, “Just as one’s career undergoes many reinventions as an individual grows and changes, so, too, can one’s sexuality. It’s this acceptance we feel very drawn to create amongst a larger audience.”
Turning the book into a short documentary became a passion project for the two as it took years of preparation to finally shoot over three months, all while juggling their day jobs.
“That’s how it is right? You fall in love with a project and you have to see it through. We felt such a connection with these stories and the concept of sexual fluidity that we did whatever we could and used whatever spare time we had to bring them to life,” the producer explains. “I am so grateful for the time and energy that my client The Whitelist Collective and EP Jerad Anderson generously gave us, director Alissa Torvinen and DP Zach Osterhout for partnering with us and believing in the project as much as we did and of course Lisa Diamond’s invaluable consultation, which truly elevated and authenticated our film.”
Ultimately, Weiss-Goldstein and Goldstein would like to expand “Sexual Fluidity: Love Without Labels” into a feature-length documentary that will also include men. In doing so, they hope to encourage “more acceptance of variety within sexual orientation.” WME (William Morris Endeavor) has shown interest in helping the project.
“If we can help one person who may be struggling and afford them the comfort or freedom to safely explore who they are and who they love,” she adds, “then we’ve made a difference.”
You can watch this special short below:
The duo is currently casting for a feature length version. If you are interested in sharing your experiences you can contact the project here.
