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On October 20th, director Todd Haynes released the family film “Wonderstruck,” based on a book by children's author Brian Selznick.  The movie represents a major departure for the director, whose past works are notable for their frank explorations of gay and lesbian relationships.

Hayne’s first feature length film, “Poison,” won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 1991 and went on to face the ire of conservative groups dismayed over its onscreen depictions of gay sex.  

It was one of several works at the time breathing creative life into the queer community. Together these films formed a movement called New Queer Cinema, a term first coined by film scholar B. Ruby Rich in 1992. 

Today, Rich is a professor of film and digital media at U.C. Santa Cruz and the editor of Film Quarterly. Here, she discusses the evolution of queer cinema, from the 80s to today. 

This segment is hosted by Tanzina Vega.