Directed by avant-garde filmmaker Su Friedrich, Damned If You Don’t is a landmark work of the New Queer Cinema movement. This experimental, black-and-white featurette is a subversive and poetic exploration of female desire, blending narrative, documentary, and found-footage techniques to challenge the rigid structures of religious life.
The Synopsis
The film weaves together several layers to examine the intersection of Catholicism and lesbian identity. At its centre is a quiet, contemporary narrative following a young nun who finds herself tormented by her burgeoning sexual feelings for a “sultry” woman living in her neighbourhood. As the woman begins to pursue the nun, the film tracks the slow, sensual breakdown of the nun’s emotional and physical isolation.
This central story is punctuated by a variety of experimental elements:
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Archival Deconstruction: Friedrich includes and critiques footage from the 1947 classic Black Narcissus, highlighting the cinematic history of “repressed nuns” and re-imagining it through a queer lens.
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Historical Voice-overs: The narrative is layered with readings from the trial of a 16th-century lesbian nun and personal reminiscences of women who attended Catholic schools.
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Symbolic Imagery: Through impressionistic camerawork, the film treats the ritualistic removal of a nun’s habit as both a stripping of a “prison of clothing” and a liberating act of foreplay, ultimately building toward a celebration of desire that is rarely granted a “happy ending” in traditional cinema.
Cast & Crew
| Role | Name |
| Director | Su Friedrich |
| The Nun | Peggy Healey |
| The Other Woman | Ela Troyano |
| Voice-overs | Makea MacDonald |
| Producer | Su Friedrich (with grants from NYSCA) |
| Cinematographer | Su Friedrich |
Production Notes
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A Personal Response: Friedrich created the film as a response to her own Catholic upbringing, seeking to replace the “tragedy and madness” typically associated with religious repression with a narrative of self-discovery and fulfillment.
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Independent Craft: Characteristic of the experimental scene of the 1980s, Friedrich served as the director, writer, cinematographer, and editor, giving the film a deeply personal and cohesive artistic voice.
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Experimental Legacy: While it runs only 42 minutes, the film is frequently cited in academic circles for its unique “layering” technique, which uses audio and visual juxtapositions to tell a story that exists as much in the characters’ minds as it does on the screen.
