It is in observant, delicately nuanced moments like these where Kopple’s genius shines the brightest. In a lingering shot, the camera regards from a wide angle the tender image of David gently tucking his daughter into bed in their hotel room as she recovers from her latest surgery. He accompanies her to appointments with the physician, and later with the Beverly Hills doctor that will give her breast implants. Though David still occasionally uses male pronouns while addressing Gigi, there is no doubt in his mind that his child knows exactly what she wants. When he asks her if she has that kind of money, Gigi informs him that she’s already paid for it. Renaming herself as Gigi Lazzarato, she smuggles her camera into a visit with her dad, where she tells him of her plans to undergo facial feminization surgery, a procedure that will cost $14,000. In an emotional interview with Kopple, he affirms that it is a father’s duty to love his children even if he doesn’t understand them. Though her brothers are entirely in support of her transition, the news is more difficult for her father, David, to accept. The “he” of her past is officially no more. Faced with the fragility of life and the limited time afforded to each of us on Earth, the young man decides to finally act on his inner-most desire, and that is to live the rest of his life as a woman. Just as Jones triumphantly forged ahead in her life and career in the aftermath of her cancer diagnosis, earning a Grammy nomination in the process, Gregory comes to a pivotal realization after his loving mother succumbs to cancer in 2012. In many ways, this film is a fitting follow-up to Kopple’s “Miss Sharon Jones!”, a rousing portrait of the titular soul singer who passed away last year. Fisher explains to Kopple how sites like YouTube have enabled talent to maintain unprecedented control over their content, while earning the lion’s share of the revenue, something that could’ve never happened a mere handful of years ago. The videos he posts as “Gregory Gorgeous” gain a greater following once he identifies himself as gay, and at 100,000 subscribers, his channel attracts the attention of manager Scott Fisher, who understands the profitability of vloggers. There’s no question he feels uncomfortable in his skin, and is much more interested in filming makeup tutorials than he is with stereotypical male activities. Yet in home video footage of the young boy, his face has the sort of uneasy expression any viewer of TLC’s “I Am Jazz” will immediately recognize. Born Gregory Lazzarato in 1994, he excelled at diving throughout his childhood, winning a national championship at age 15. “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous,” the latest work from master documentarian Barbara Kopple (available on YouTube Red starting February 8th), focuses on the truth of one particular YouTuber whose sense of self is only strengthened online. Zall comes out by saying she “likes girls,” or when Brad Jones opens up about surviving a suicide attempt, they aren’t just providing a diversion, they are changing lives through the empowerment of truth. Yet the best YouTubers are the ones who encourage their viewers to turn their attention inward and engage with the world existing outside of their laptops.
We’ve already entered the age of Fahrenheit 451, where “friends” primarily exist on screens that take up the majority of our attention. For people who have trouble relating to others, watching these video confessionals can serve as a half-step toward human connection. The bond that viewers forge with an Internet celebrity is stronger than has ever been achieved in any other medium. They tell us that we needn’t be anything other than ourselves, and how can we resist liking them for that? That is the power a person has when they post a video on YouTube. They reveal intimate details about their lives in order to normalize what certain parts of society still consider taboo.
They stare directly at you and invite you to be a part of their conversation.
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