Mother courage

Montreal documentarian Donald Winkler’s Margaret & Evergon is a touching portrait of a unique mother and son

In 1999, renowned queer Montreal artist Evergon took a series of photographs of his mother, Margaret Lunt, then 80 years old. There wouldn’t be anything so strange about a son taking a few shots of Mom, but this series stood out—due to the fact that Mom was nude throughout. At the time, reactions to the photographs were mixed. Some were moved by Lunt’s bravery, given that the vast majority of images of women are of the young, slim and nubile variety. But others were seriously put off by the depiction of all the wrinkly, sagging flesh. Montreal filmmaker Donald Winkler remembers attending the vernissage for the series in the Belgo Building. “I remember how dignified Margaret was as people were wandering around the room, looking at these huge photos of her naked body.” Winkler had long known Evergon, a photographer whose work often involves nudity. It struck him that Evergon’s close and distinctive bond with his mom would make good fodder for a doc­umentary portrait. Lunt and Evergon agreed, and Winkler began filming.

The result, Margaret & Evergon, is as straightforward as its title. It shows us how powerful the mother-son bond can be, taking us into its subjects’ lives and history. But it’s also quite atyp­ical, in that most sons don’t take nude portraits of their octogenarian moms. Winkler says his main revelation during the making of the film was that “she actually took the initiative with that series of photos. I thought that Evergon had suggested them, but she actually had a very active role in coming up with the idea.”

NOT YOUR MAMA’S PHOTO ALBUM: From the Margaret and I series

Margaret & Evergon depicts Evergon as a caring son; after inviting his mom to live with him, he had his home fitted for an older person (complete with elevator). They both acknowledge that living together again is a challenge, but for the most part, it’s been a rewarding change. But the most poignant parts come when Lunt recounts her past, including growing up with a physically abusive father. “I’m surprised he didn’t break a bone,” she says of one especially harsh beating.

Then came her realization that both her sons were gay. Her husband, an uptight type, didn’t care for such an idea, but she came to embrace them for everything they were. She recounts coming across son Ron’s high heels and, realizing he was doing drag, threw them in the garbage. That initial difficulty would lead to her evolution into a proud mom; another anecdote has her marching down to a small southern Ontario town prison in the middle of the night, to bust out a bunch of gay men after they’d been arrested in a police raid.

“Evergon is obviously a big part of this film,” says Winkler. “But it eventually became Margaret’s film. I’m very happy to have been able to show her as she is and tell her incredible story. Times have changed in terms of young people coming out to their parents, but it hasn’t changed entirely. My hope is that young gay people and their parents will see this film, and if it helps them at all, then I’d be very happy.” ■

MARGARET & EVERGON SCREENS THIS WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, WITH DONALD WINKLER, EVERGON AND MARGARET LUNT IN ATTENDANCE, AT CONCORDIA’S DE SEVE CINEMA (1400 DE MAISONNEUVE W.), 7 P.M.

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