JOY! Portrait of a Nun
JOY!
a film by Joe Balass
Spiritual sanctuary, sex, sisterhood and a gathering of faeries. A bearded nun. Through an intimate lens, this feature documentary takes us on a journey with Sister Missionary P. Delight, one of the founders of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
In 1979, Mish, as he is affectionately known by his friends, created an Order of gay male nuns to promote a philosophy of promulgating universal joy and expiating guilt. Both he and the Order have come a long way since then. Today, the Sisters are spread out across the globe, and Mish lives in the middle of the woods of the Deep South, in a community of Radical Faeries. JOY! follows Mish and his community over a seven year period, along the way we discover the history of the movement and the highs and lows of his own personal journey.
Compass Productions
presents
a film by JOE BALASS
JOY!
Portrait of a Nun
With the generous participation of
Sister Missionary P. Delight aka Sister Lamosama
DeLite the Sodomite / Soami
Written, Produced & Directed by
JOE BALASS
Editor
ANNIE JEAN
Sound Design
CLAUDE BEAUGRAND
Also Featuring
SISTER HYSTERECTORIA AKA AGNES DE GARRON
SISTER CLARA CUM
PASSIONATA
GABBY HAZE
RAZZLE DAZZLE
CRAZY OWL
BUCK ERIKSON
GREG SWIFT
This film was made possible with the financial participation of:
SODEC Société de développement des entreprises
culturelles – Québec The Canada Council for the Arts
Media Arts Program QUÉBEC
Crédit d’impôt cinéma et télévision – Gestion SODEC
Programme du crédit d’impot du Gouvernement du Québec
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
The Canadian Independent Film & Video Fund
The Canadian Government Film or Video Tax Credit Program
Additional support for this film provided by:
The National Film Board
Aide au cinéma indépendants du Canada (ACIC)
Camera
JOE BALASS
Additional Camera
GIAMPAOLO MARZI
EVE LAMONT
MARIA MICHAILS
Animation Camera
Mélanie Bouchard
Additional Editing
JOE BALASS
MICHEL GIROUX
Dialogue Editor
FRANCINE POIRIER
Mix
LUC BOUDRIAS
Mix Coordination
MARCELLE CADIEUX
Studio
VISION GLOBALE
Post Production Advisor
GIAMPAOLO MARZI
Foley
LISE WEDLOCK
Foley Recording
LUC LEGER (NFB)
Digital EditingTechnician (NFB)
PIERRE DUPONT
On Line Editor (NFB)
DENIS PILON
Titles (NFB)
GASPARD GAUDREAU
MÉLANIE BOUCHARD
Coordinator (NFB)
MARIE-CHRISTINE GUITÉ
Producer (NFB)
JOHANNE BERGERON
Story Advisor
GIAMPAOLO MARZI
ROLLAND POLLACK
Associate Producer
PATRICIA DIAZ
Legal Consultant
REMY KHOUZAM
LUSSIER & KHOUZAM
French Translation
NORMAND BOUCHER
Archival Footage
ALTERED HABITS
Excerpt featuring Sr. Missionary Position, Sr. Homo Fellatio,
Reverend Mother, Sr. Helen Damnation, St. Thomas Bernina
& Father Mother
Director: Marjorie Newman
Used with permission of Marjorie Newman
SISTERS IN THE CONVENT
Excerpt featuring Reverend Mother, Agnes de Garron
& Sr. Loganberry Frost
Director/Field Producer: Vincent Casalaina
Used with permission of Fabrice Florin and Videowest.us
BUTT HOLE BABIES
Excerpt featuring Agnes de Garron & Sr. Loganberry
Frost Camera: Peter Kesselman
Used with permission of Janie Kesselman
Additional footage provided by the Archives
of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence inc.
Used with permission of Sr. Vicious Power Hungry Bitch
& the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence inc.
PACKER CORNERS FARM MAYPOLE CEREMONY
Used with permission of Footage Farm
Photographs
Selection of photographs by JEAN-BAPTISTE CARHAIX
Used with permission of Jean-Baptiste Carhaix
Selection of photographs by Nina Glaser
Used with permission of Nina Glaser
Selection of photographs by Greg Day
Used with permission of Greg Day
Selection of photographs provided by Sister SoAmI
used with permission of Sister SoAmI and the SoAmI Archives
Selection of photographs by Agnes de Garron
Used with permission of Agnes de Garron[/one_half]
HARMODIUS AND HOTI
Castro Street Fair August, 1975, by Daniel Nicoletta
Used with permission of Daniel Nicoletta
RFD Collective by Robert Giard
© Jonathan Silin
Used with permission of Jonathan Silin
ASSUNTA by Marshall Rheiner
Used with permission of Arthur Evans and the SoAmI Archives
Additional photographs provided by the Archives of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence inc.
Used with permission of Alan Oakley, Sr. Mary Juanita High and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence inc.
Excerpts
WALKING ON THE WATERS OF BABYLON by Harry Kelley
Used with permission of Harry Kelley
JAMES BROUGHTON’S CREDO
Used with permission of Joel Singer
Music
Original Music
Written and performed by TIM RIDEOUT
Original Music Supervisor
MICHAEL MCCANN
PILLOW MIND
Written and performed by COURTNEY WING
THE VATICAN RAG
Written and performed by TOM LEHRER
Reproduced by permission of Tom Lehrer
LIBRARY IMPROVISATION
Performed by LADY RIZO, CYRUS BATY, MOUNTAINE JONAS, DANE TERRY
SPIRIT WALKER
Performed by LEOPARD ZEPPARD
Written by ANDREW J. WILLIAMSON
Woodroot Music ©1999
MIRACLE
Performed by Cyrus Baty & Angelo Michael Tursi
Also appearing in the film:
SISTER VICIOUS POWER HUNGY BITCH
REVEREND MOTHER
SISTER MARY MEKKO
SISTER LOGANBERRY FROST
SISTER MERRY PETER
SISTER RIGHT SARONG
SISTER ENYA FACE
SISTER CONSTELLATION
SISTER SHARIN’ DIPITY
SISTER LILY WHITE
SISTER BELLA DE BALL
SISTER LOLITA ME INTO TEMPTATION
SISTER DAWNA MATRIX
SISTER CHASTITY BONER
SISTER CONSTANCE CRAVING
SISTER DIXIE WRECKED
SISTER PEG ANN HOLIDAY
SISTER FRANCES A. SISSY
SISTER BARBIE
SITER TILLY COMES AGAIN
POSTULANT UMA GAWD
SISTER VIXXEN
SISTER SPARKLE PLENTY
SISTER MARY MARGARET X-PLOSION
SISTER SHOCK T
SISTER SEMI SEMITICA
SISTER SHAWNTI FEY
SISTER CARMEN CIDER
SISTER BAMBIE DEXTROUS
SISTER HOMO FELLATIO
SISTER SUCCUBA
SISTER SENSIBLE SHOES
SISTER MARIE EVER-READY
SISTER BOOM BOOM
SISTER SEARCHING FOR MEN
SISTER LIDA DOG’S LIFE
SISTER KRISHNA KOSHER
SISTER SUN-NUN-MOON
SISTER ROZ ERECTION
SISTER ROSETTA STONED
SISTER GAZZA GUM DROPS
SISTER SLEAZE DU JOUR
SISTER HELEN WHEELS
SISTER UNITY HARMONY
SISTER THERESA STIGMATA
SISTER FOLSOME DELIGHT
SISTER KAYE SERA
SISTER FLORA BUNDTCAKE
SISTER ROMA
SISTER CANDY CIDE
SISTER ROSANNA HOSANNA FELLA BELLA
With many special thanks to all the other Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Another special thanks to all the faeries who participated and contributed to this film:
DONALD GALLAGHER, WILLY HOFF, JAI SHERONDA, LEO PARDO, GONAWAY TA ROUND, MOUNTAINE MORT JONAS, VYNE, VALENCIA WOMBONE, ED CURRAN, ROMAN CURRAN, MARK MIDDLE HUBBARD, JOCELYNE BEZZI-BATANI, JOEL CRISPIN, DIRT FARMER, THUMPER, FIREFLY ROSENGREN, ALBO JEAVONS, JOMICHAEL STODDARD, CHRISTOPHER BARTLETT, WEEDER, DAVID ANTHROS, ENYA FACE, GRANITE TRUDEAU, JANELL KAPOOR,VERMIN F. COCKWOLF, DASHBOARD, SANDOR KATZ, ALWYN DE WALLY, IAN RIBBON CABELL, LUCKY SNOWFLAKE, DONALD GALLAGHER, MATT KAROL, LINK EDGE, TOMMIE BARNAS, WILLIAM LEDSAD, KENNETH LONG, BEN METTLER, ELWOOD CHARPTING, C. SHANE, CHARMING, GEORGE KIERSTEIN, TREVOR LOHRBEER, EGG DANS, MEGAN DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER REBAGLIATI, SÉBASTIEN THIRIEZ, FABRICE HOUCLART, RANDY SEGAGA, ING, PATRIK, PAUL TOMLINSON, SEBASTIEN COLLETT, BERIANNE BRAMMAN, STEVEN SHELTOR, MICHEAL T. BRICE, JEFF SMITH, MARCELLO LANFRANCHI, CHRISTOPHER HAMBLIN, STEVE KRAKEN, CALEY WHEELER, JULIAN HOCKINGS, SEAN O’SULLIVAN, DOUGLAS CAULKINS, BOOMER, MIKEL WILSON, DON PERRYMAN, SHAWN WRIGHT, EVAN MALCZYK, GEORGE THUROW, MATT WOODBURY, ERIC GLASEN, CHRIS RESCINITI, SHANNA TODD, MICHEAL KELL, CHRISTIAN BEACH, ERIC KEPHART, JAMES MAVE, JOSHUA LLOYD, ANTLER, SAM CARSTENS, ELBERT GOGGIN, DANIEL TAVELL, FIGMENT, BYRON WHITING, LEO WYATT, THOMAS HALL, JOHN GREENWICH, GARTH HAWKINS, BRIAN BENDER, TUSK, LISA SHOEMHU, JOHN STILLS, EVA MARIE, ELYJAH MCLEOD, JAKOB CHMELIK, MARIE CHMELTOKOVA, DAVID RANDY, DELA, D. BRYER, KYRIAM CHARALAMBOLS, AMICHAI, HI, BAMBOO, WOLFIE, STORM, KEER, TOMMY STARCHILD, HAWK, BUNNY, LOVE, ALASKA DAVE, PHACELIA, ELIJAH, GRACE, WILLIAM ROMAN, VIOLET FLAME AND THE OTHER FOLKS FROM THE MOUNTAIN.
Additional Thanks to:
MARLENE MILLAR, RAMONA RAMLOCHAND, DENIS LANGLOIS, MARTIN LANDRY, CHRISTIAN MEDAWAR, NELSON HENRICKS, PIERRE BEAUDOIN, ERIC VAN HOENACKER, ANGELO VACCA, MYRIAM MAGASSOUBA, JULES DE NIVERVILLE, JEAN-MICHEL DENTAND, TOM WAUGH, ROSS HIGGINS, VAL SHAMASH, GEORGE HARGRAVE,FRANÇOISE JEAN AND THE STAFF AT CALQ, ROBIN JACKSON AND THE STAFF AT CIFVF, IAN REID, SUZANNE PLOUFFE AND THE STAFF AT THE CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS, ÉLAINE DUMONT, LAURENT GAGLIARDI, MICHEL ST-PIERRE AND THE STAFF AT SODEC, KATHARINE SETZER, CHARLIE BOUDREAU AT IMAGE+NATION, SYLVIE ROY, DENIS VAILLANCOURT AND THE STAFF AT VIDÉOGRAPHE, DEBORAH MCINNES, ALEXIS LANDRIAULT, LUCIA FEZUOGLIO, ALEXANDRA GRIMANIS, STEVEN LADOUCEUR, PIERRE LUC GOUIN AND THE STAFF AT MAIN FILM, JULIE RENÉ, SYLVAIN COSSETTE, BRUNO BÉLANGER, AMANDINE BRUN, DANIELLE LEBLANC AND THE STAFF AT PRIM, ANNE PARÉ, JONATHAN DAVIDOVICS AND THE STAFF AT LES FILMS DU 3 MARS, AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS FILM POSSIBLE.
All rights reserved.
©2012, Compass Productions Inc.
Richard Burnett – The Gazette
Balass captures the spirit and shaministic spirituality of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in his meditative film.
Jason B. Crawford, 2B magazine)
An unusually quiet and moving documentary, Joy! Portrait of a Nun lifts us up, drops us into this community, makes us privy to Sister Mish’s life and rituals and we come away, perhaps, with a feeling of having been exposed more to a session of queer faerie meditation…
Bill Brownstein – The Gazette
The doc is an eye-opener on every level. Mish, as Sister Missionary Position Delight prefers to be called, is a nun who doesn’t fit the classic mould… And Mish’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence live by a mantra that most can easily accept: “Spread universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt!”
Sylvie St-Jacques – La Presse
les soeurs flyées… Excentriques, mystiques, coquines… Les Soeurs de la Perpétuelle Indulgence forment probablement la congrégation religieuse la plus funky de la planète.
André Lavoie, Le Devoir
Il a davantage l’air d’un hippie, d’un brocanteur que… d’une religieuse. Et pourtant, Mish a pris le voile en 1979 au sein de la congrégation des Soeurs de la perpétuelle indulgence… prêchant la bonne nouvelle avec beaucoup de maquillage !
LES FILMS DU 3 MARS
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