Director Ryan Ashley Lowery’s Light Up is a documentary about, and a love letter to, the LGBTQ+ community. It explores the stories of five members of the African American community in Atlanta, Georgia and how they came to find love and acceptance within themselves by embracing their truth.
The participants all have very different backstories. From a hairdresser, to a former minister. A content creator, to a fashion designer whose big break came when the writer of Moonlight wore one of their tuxedos to the Oscars. Their stories are presented and told with a disarming honesty, rawness, and vulnerability.
The film, with its talking heads and sit down interview style, has a televisual feel. And the reason it does is precisely because that is exactly what it is. A docuseries that has been edited down to produce a feature centred on five of the twenty-two stories captured during the process.
Of the five featured stories, two leap off the screen as worthy of deeper exploration.
Benjamin Carlton’s history of becoming a minister as it was easier to find God’s love than loving himself, and then the fallout of coming out whilst a member of the church is very compelling. One that showcases a man who tried to walk a fine line between hope and love, and fear and hate.
The same goes transgender artist Simone Tisci, who found herself through Atlanta’s “ballroom” scene. A world where the LGBTQ+ community found a safe place to express themselves through music and dance, in particular, vogueing.
This is not to do a disservice to the other interviewees, but every time it cuts away from Benjamin and Simone, it feels like a missed opportunity to delve deeper into those individuals and the worlds they inhabit. For example, one can visualise a feature documentary about the history of the ballroom scene in Atlanta. A potentially more interesting and exciting film than the one presented here.
Lowery provides a safe space for the individuals to open up and speak freely, however the resulting documentary feels a little too safe. One understands the desire to showcase this strong, supportive, and broad community. However, by constantly cutting between them, it loses focus, and subsequently lessens some of the impact.
Light Up provides an empowering podium for those to speak their truth, albeit not a particularly cinematic one.
Rating: 
Director: Ryan Ashley Lowery
Stars: Benjamin Carlton, Derek Jae, Simone Tisci, Octavius Terry, Obio Jones
Runtime: 91 minutes
Country: USA
