My Own Private Idaho

Monday, March 12, 2018

Mashuq Deen presents MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

DCP projection

After almost two decades of writing and revisions, Gus Van Sant shared the screenplay of MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO with Keanu Reeves, who then drove his motorcycle from Canada to Florida in order to hand-deliver the script to River Phoenix. Both actors would go on to star in this landmark film of the New Queer Cinema. The film follows Mike Waters (Phoenix), a narcoleptic street hustler, and his best friend Scott (Reeves) as they journey from Idaho to Italy in search of connection and personal discovery. For tonight’s presenter, award-winning queer theater artist and resident playwright at New Dramatists Mashuq Deen, seeing the film for the first time was transformative. Deen writes, “It opened my mind both to how stories were told, as well as to what stories were told. I can remember vividly the final image of the fish swimming up river, and just staring at it trying to process what I had just seen, knowing I had been moved profoundly by something, and at the same time, not really sure what had happened to me.” This iconic queer adventure movie is not to be missed!

Screening as part of Queer|Art|Film.

• Country USA
• Rating R
• Year 1991
• Running Time 104 minutes
• Director Gus Van Sant
• Writer Gus Van Sant
• Editor Curtiss Clayton
• Cinematographer John J. Campbell, Eric Alan Edwards
• Cast River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.