What's In a Name
Art-at-all-costs is the motto of guerilla body art performer Jon Cory, who stops at nothing when it comes to his bare-all performances. Belgian debut director Eva Kupper won the IDFA Award for Student Documentary for her film What’s in a Name, which follows 53 year-old New Yorker Cory and his sexually explicit stage performances that he calls ‘gender terrorism’. He decides to have breast implants to further his performances – a decision that doesn’t overly bother his Jewish mother or his family – and then becomes troubled whether he should call himself Jon or be referred to by his stage name, Rose.
Eva Kupper is unobtrusive as she follows him both before and after his operation (...), as well as his painstaking preparations for his performances.
Mark Adams, Screen International
Through barrier-breaking access and outstanding images the filmmaker allows us to get under his skin, to explore the most intimate details of Jon. From a strange, far away world he reaches out to us and makes us fall in love with him. It’s a true masterpiece.
Jury for Best Student Documentary, IDFA 2010
Duration: 70 min
Dialogue: English
Subtitles: English
Age limit: K15
