January 1, 2021

In this episode, I speak with writer and director Elegance Bratton and producer and costume designer Chester Argenal Gordon. In our conversation, we chat about how they met each other, their latest documentary project Pier Kids, and the joys and strength needed to stay true to themselves and their protagonists' stories and voices. Because they are my favorite power couple, this episode's song is Ashford & Simpson's classic, "Solid."

Photo Credit:

[Image Description: Chester and Elegance stand next either in front of a reddish, brick wall. A window reflects the image of brick wall across from them. Chester wears a long black coat his had is turned slightly to look at Elegance. Elegance wears a knit cap, sun glasses, and a long, tan coat. He looks into the camera. They both have their hands in their pockets.]

Photo Credit: Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times

[Image Description: B&W Photo, Close of up Elegance who wears a white baseball cap and shirt. His chin rests on his elbows as he hugs himself. He’s pictured from the chest up. ]

Photo Credit: Chester Algernal Gordon

[Image Description: Chester is pictured from the side from the shoulders up. He turns his head to look into the camera. His hair is braids with black beads so of which are pulled to the to his head. He wears ornate gold earrings, a silver nose ring, and black leather collar.]

Photo Credit:

[Image Description: A man stands on the right of the frame. He wears a black baseball camp and hat. He is pictured from the side but looks into the camera. The nighttime street is illuminated behind him and slightly out of focus. The framed with the flow of streetlights, headlights, and the lights from nearby businesses.]

Elegance's Bio

Elegance began making films as a U.S.Marine after a decade spent homeless. Today, he holds a B.S. from Columbia University (2014) and M.F.A. from N.Y.U. Tisch Graduate Film (2019). Walk For Me, his debut narrative short, is about Hannah, a young trans girl whose secret life is discovered by her mother at a gay ball. The film played in over 100 festivals worldwide, including winning Best Student Short at the New Hampshire Film Festival (2016), Best LGBT Short at the Ann Arbor Film Festival (2017), Best LGBT Short at the Columbus Film Festival (2017), and Best Short at the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (2017) among many other awards. His documentary feature Pier Kids follows three queer and trans homeless youth on N.Y.C.'s iconic Christopher Street Pier to show the intricate ways queer people of color utilize public space to build a chosen family. With Pier Kids, Elegance was given the Emerging Talent at Outfest (2019). The film was also awarded a Documentary Feature honorable mention at the New Orleans Film Festival (2019).

Elegance is the executive producer/creator of Viceland's GLAAD-nominated and Cannes MIPCOM winning series, My House. The Inspection, his forthcoming feature narrative script, is supported by Tribeca All Access and Film Independent’s Fast Track (2019). He is one of Indiewire's 25 LBGT Faces to Watch (2019) and the winner of the Maynor Biggers Artist Fund (2018). Buck, his most recent short, will had its world premiere at the Sundance International Film Festival (2020).

Chester's Bio

In 2019, Gordon became the first gender non-binary African-American costume designer to compete in competition at Cannes Film Festival with Port Authority. In the last four years, they have produced a fleet of acclaimed short films and a feature documentary called Pier Kids. Gordon was also a winner of the Tribeca Film Institute’s 2019 All Access Grant and Pond5 Program. Gordon is a Film Independent 2019 Producing Lab & Fast Track Lab fellow. Gordon’s films have been official selection and won many awards in over 200 festivals combined, including Berlinale, SXSW, BFI, Outfest, New Orleans Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Athens, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Blackstar, and the American Black Film Festival. They’re also a producer for the MIPCOM 2018 winner, GLAAD nominated documentary TV series‚ “My House” on Viceland. Gordon’s latest shorts‚ “Buck” and "-Ship: A Visual Poem” world premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

About Pier Kids

Caught up in the precariousness of survival and self-preservation, homeless queer and trans youth of color hang out at Christopher Street Pier, forging their own chosen family. Genuine and charming, these eloquent youth must contend with overwhelming amounts of homophobia and abuse. As real as it gets, and with intimate, immersive access to the hazardous life of its vulnerable but fearless protagonists, director Elegance Bratton's still-hopeful portrait exposes a raw side of New York City many often choose to ignore.