Director: Leslie Foster

Synopsis: “Heavenly Brown Body,” originally conceived and displayed as a four-channel art installation, uses the poem “Litanies to my Heavenly Brown Body” by poet Mark Aguhar (she/her) as the text for a queer liturgy. The poem, which subverts biblical texts, builds the framework of a piece featuring all trans and non-binary performers of color.

Bio: Through his work with experimental film and installation, Leslie Foster (he/him) seeks to create fleeting pocket universes and contemplative ecologies that explore Black and queer futurity through the lens of dream logic. A graduate of Southern Adventist University with a B.S. in Film Production and a B.A. in International Studies, Leslie’s aesthetic sensibility comes from a childhood spent growing up in Southeast Asia, straddling multiple Asian cultures and his own American roots. His work, which has been displayed in numerous exhibitions including two solos shows, is designed to quietly subvert existing power dynamics while inviting viewers into challenging dialogs through the beautifully strange. Leslie currently serves as the Director of Art Residency for Level Ground and fantasizes about running away with a sea-faring band of nomadic artists.

Program: Beauty, Sex & Shame – VAEFF 2020