A vivid trip down memory lane, Through the Windows celebrates San Francisco’s own beloved Twin Peaks bar. With its sky-high windows looking out onto the corner of Castro and Market, this landmark establishment stands not only as one of the gayborhood’s most beloved establishments but also as a testament to the revolutionary idea that gay people should be seen and celebrated rather than hide in the darkness of alleys and blacked-out windows. Whether you’re a regular who thinks of the bar as “Cheers for Queers” or a passerby, this snappy locally-produced documentary is chock-full of familiar faces and fascinating stories. Deeply personal interviews provide a history of this lesbian-owned bar as well as the Castro area—a blue collar Irish-Italian community in the ‘60s that became a gay mecca in the ‘70s, endured the health crisis of the ‘80s, and has served as a sense of home, family, and emotional nourishment for so many in our community every day of its 47-year history.
Direction
Locals telling their own stories — no narrators needed.
Production
47 years of archival photos and VHS gems.
Director
Petey Barma
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Twin Peaks' windows were revolutionary: pre-Stonewall, most gay bars hid behind blacked-out glass. This place said look at us.
Directors Barma and Parker are both Pixar animators by day — this is their stealth passion project, shot on weekends across two years.
US
