God is a Pelican
Concept art by Ellie (Birdie) Gerken
“God is a Pelican” follows two queer middle-school girls, Madi and Josie, who both recognize they are different from other students, and don’t fit into the religious white suburbia around them. They decide to create their own religion, a religion for the weirdos and “others” of the world.
The religion they create is rooted in magic and play, while also a critique of institutional structures that have historically excluded queer people. Through this film, the girls reclaim certain aspects of religion like unconditional love and community, using it as a tool to bring queer and “othered” kids together.
Madi (left) and Josie (right) test puppets under a bonsai tree at the Denver Botanical Gardens
However, as the religion grows and their misfit disciples gather, tension builds between them. Madi, as the figurehead of the religion, becomes more confident, both in her strangeness and queerness, while Josie’s jealousy and insecurity grows as she feels Madi slipping away. Finally, after playground sermons, midnight pond baptisms, and unruly followers, the religion sparks a school-wide panic, which ultimately leads to a Judas-like betrayal.
Our film is inspired by a fact Carmela's Catholic School told her growing up: a pelican will rip off its own flesh to feed it’s blood to its children. The school used the pelican as their mascot, claiming it as a parallel to Jesus sacrificing his own flesh and blood to save humanity. The pelican will be a constant motif throughout the film, and serve as an integral player and divine presence in the religion.
Madi and Josie at the pond by Ellie (Birdie) Gerken
A Film by AJ Dubler and Carmela Murphy
AJ Dubler and Carmela Murphy are the recipients of the Colin Higgins Youth Filmmaker Award, which they won for their previous film “A Bird Hit My Window and Now I’m a Lesbian.” They have both relocated to AJ’s home town of Denver, Colorado to begin production on “God is a Pelican.” With this film, they will continue their work telling powerful stories that uplift the queer community.