Desiree Akhavan says getting ‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post’ in cinemas was hard because it deals with female sexuality
The new film starring Chloe Grace Moretz won the top prize at Sundance Film Festival
By Steve Brown
Desiree Akhavan said her latest film The Miseducation of Cameron Post struggled to land in cinemas because it is “female-centric and queer”.
The director – who is bisexual – helmed and co-wrote, with Cecilia Frugiuele, the movie adaptation of the 2012 gay conversion therapy novel of the same name by Emily M Danforth and despite winning the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Akhavan claimed people don’t want to take risks on a female-centric, queer movie.
She told PinkNews: “I think the powers that be in the film industry are spineless.
“People don’t want to take the risk on a film that is queer, that is female-centric and queer and deals frankly with female sexuality.”
The film follows Cameron Post (Chloe Grace Moretz) who gets caught having sex with the school prom queen.
She is then sent away to a gay conversion therapy camp by her aunt and uncle but she makes friends with Adam and Jane and the three navigate their time at the camp.
Post is told she has to “overcome her struggle” with the “sin of same-sex attraction” while at the God’s Promise camp.
In one poignant moment in the movie, she says: “I’m tired of feeling disgusted with myself”.
The movie is out on September 7. Watch the trailer below: