A black boy growing up in the conservative suburbs of Simi Valley discovers early on that he is different. In search of freedom and identity, he flees to Los Angeles, where he immerses himself in the vibrant underground culture of the 1980s. The nights are wild, the art scene is revolutionary, and the dream of a career as an artist propels him forward. Friendships with scene greats such as John Sex, Ann Magnuson and Keith Haring shape him just as much as the music that eventually leads him to the stage. THE LIFE OF SEAN DELEAR by Markus Zizenbacher tells the extraordinary life story of Sean DeLear, who formed his identity as an artist and queer icon as the lead singer of the post-punk band GLUE. In the 1990s, he rocked the Silver Lake scene, lived with eccentric actress Susan Tyrrell, and rubbed shoulders with bands like Hole, L7, and The Geraldine Fibbers. But as the grunge boom changed the music landscape, his band lost its connection. DeLear worked as a go-go dancer and nightlife photographer, searching for new forms of artistic expression. In the Viennese art collective GELITIN, he found a creative family that took him to Europe. He moved to Vienna in 2015, appeared in theater and film productions in Munich, and discovered new facets of his talent. He passed away shortly before breaking into the mainstream at the age of 50. The film celebrated its premiere at the Frameline Film Festival 2024 and won the award for best documentary at the 46th Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival. It was also shown at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the QUEER Festival in Porto.
The portrait-documentary tells the story of musician, performance artist and scenster Sean DeLear.
A black boy growing up in the conservative suburbs of Simi Valley discovers early on that he is different. In search of freedom and identity, he flees to Los Angeles, where he immerses himself in the vibrant underground culture of the 1980s. The nights are wild, the art scene is revolutionary, and the dream of a career as an artist propels him forward. Friendships with scene greats such as John Sex, Ann Magnuson and Keith Haring shape him just as much as the music that eventually leads him to the stage.
THE LIFE OF SEAN DELEAR by Markus Zizenbacher tells the extraordinary life story of Sean DeLear, who formed his identity as an artist and queer icon as the lead singer of the post-punk band GLUE. In the 1990s, he rocked the Silver Lake scene, lived with eccentric actress Susan Tyrrell, and rubbed shoulders with bands like Hole, L7, and The Geraldine Fibbers. But as the grunge boom changed the music landscape, his band lost its connection. DeLear worked as a go-go dancer and nightlife photographer, searching for new forms of artistic expression.
In the Viennese art collective GELITIN, he found a creative family that took him to Europe. He moved to Vienna in 2015, appeared in theater and film productions in Munich, and discovered new facets of his talent. He passed away shortly before breaking into the mainstream at the age of 50.
The film celebrated its premiere at the Frameline Film Festival 2024 and won the award for best documentary at the 46th Max Ophüls Prize Film Festival. It was also shown at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and the QUEER Festival in Porto.