"Breathtaking." -Variety ° “Beautiful.” -Out Magazine ° "Profound.” -Village Voice
The Royal Road — a film by Jenni Olson
° Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival °
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Named one of the 25 best queer films of the 21st century so far
by Ryan Gilbey, The Guardian (June 12, 2025)
3. The Royal Road (2015)
"Jenni Olson proves herself the unassuming heir to Chantal Akerman in this perfectly calibrated essay film that interweaves California’s bloody history with Olson’s (semi-fictionalised) romantic imbroglios and the tangled roots of her cinematic obsessions – all expressed in a sanguine narration over atmospheric street-and-landscape shots. In a line that captures the essence of queer cinephilia, Olson says: 'Experiencing myself as a fictional character has been a mode of survival for me.'”
by Ryan Gilbey, The Guardian (June 12, 2025)
3. The Royal Road (2015)
"Jenni Olson proves herself the unassuming heir to Chantal Akerman in this perfectly calibrated essay film that interweaves California’s bloody history with Olson’s (semi-fictionalised) romantic imbroglios and the tangled roots of her cinematic obsessions – all expressed in a sanguine narration over atmospheric street-and-landscape shots. In a line that captures the essence of queer cinephilia, Olson says: 'Experiencing myself as a fictional character has been a mode of survival for me.'”
A cinematic essay in defense of remembering, The Royal Road offers up a primer on Junipero Serra's Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, the pursuit of unavailable women, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes, and featuring a voiceover cameo by Tony Kushner. This bold, innovative film from acclaimed San Francisco filmmaker Jenni Olson combines rigorous historical research with lyrically written personal monologue and relates these seemingly disparate stories from an intimate, colloquial perspective to tell a one-of-a-kind California tale.
The Royal Road (2015)
16mm on HD | 65 mins. | USA | color
Writer-Director: Jenni Olson
The Royal Road (2015)
16mm on HD | 65 mins. | USA | color
Writer-Director: Jenni Olson
° Jury Award: Best LGBTQ Film — Ann Arbor Film Festival °
° Winner: Best Feature — Queer Porto LGBT Film Festival °
° Special Jury Mention — Dokufest: International Documentary Fest °
° Lili Award: Documentary Special Mention — MIX Copenhagen °
° Avant Garde & Genre Special Jury Mention: BAFICI (Buenos Aires International Independent Cinema Festival) °
° Winner: Best Feature — Queer Porto LGBT Film Festival °
° Special Jury Mention — Dokufest: International Documentary Fest °
° Lili Award: Documentary Special Mention — MIX Copenhagen °
° Avant Garde & Genre Special Jury Mention: BAFICI (Buenos Aires International Independent Cinema Festival) °
To book The Royal Road at a film festival or other venue (or for educational/institutional purchase) please click thru HERE.
Please visit www.butch.org to see Jenni Olson's latest work, upcoming screenings, and more.
Please visit www.butch.org to see Jenni Olson's latest work, upcoming screenings, and more.
