The Story:
More than being a documentary about the people of Key West, this short film is also a history lesson in gay pride, introducing us to Gilbert Baker, the man who created the first rainbow flag back in 1978. As the residents of Key West discuss the diversity of their safe haven from the rest of the world, we also meet Gilbert as he and many more sew the largest rainbow flag on record to mark the 25th anniversary of his original creation. The final goal is to make a flag long enough to stretch across the island, touching the water from the gulf to the Atlantic. It will take hundreds of Key West residents to carry the 8,000 foot flag across the island to celebrate the worth of all humanity.

While the flag is being made, we get to meet the locals as they discuss this incredible little paradise. Black, white, straight, gay, rich, poor, young, old. They all live in harmony and respect each other. We learn how Key West developed—how gay artists and writers began moving there, building and renovating homes and creating a gay getaway, how this beautification made Key West more attractive to outsiders, how the cost of housing then began to rise, and how it is now becoming hard to afford to live there. A familiar tune for every charming area in this country created by the gay community before others discover it and…"change" it. .

The history of Key West unfolds in personal stories of love, prejudice, racism, AIDS, and acceptance. The film is short as it is (running only a few minutes over an hour) and at times, it can become a bit repetitive as different locals say pretty much the same thing—which causes it to feel slightly preachy at times. And some terms are thrown around that not only seem out of place in this open community—terms such as "the gays," "homosexual," "choice," "preference"—but help demonstrate how even those who think they are incredibly open and accepting have larger societies concepts ingrained in them to some extent. Even so, there are parts of the film that will make you well-up with tears, and you're pretty much going to want to move to Key West after you hear about how wonderful it is. But the real highlight of the film is when the flag celebration begins, and we get to witness the incredible feat as it is "unfurled" and stretched across the island by hundreds of people from the community. Also adding to the moving experience is a mellow musical score that sounds like a David Foster composition lifted directly from St. Elmo's Fire.

The DVD

Video:
The documentary was shot on video, so don't expect cinematic visuals here. But you do get anamorphic widescreen, 1:85:1. The color is so vivid it's somewhat oversaturated, and the image is soft and pixilated. I'd say it looks like someone shot a high quality home video. But its also a bright picture, so the image quality doesn't distract.

Sound:
You have an option of 5.1 surround or 2.0 stereo. 5.1 wasn't really worth the effort. There's a hint of surround ambience during some outdoor scenes and when the musical score kicks in, but this really sounded like a mono track coming from the center.

Extras:
There are 6 chapter breaks on this short feature. You are also presented with the original trailer, which is about 4 minutes long, and shows some of the most moving and powerful clips from the film—and I feel, gives away too much of the good stuff. Other features include:

TRAILERS—I like what Picture This! has done here. The menu is broken down into "Guys" and "Gals." Unfortunately, it shows how much gay media is weighted towards men, because there are 7 previews for the guys, and a mere 2 for the gals.

FLAG FACTS—1 screen of text listing the stats of the completed flag.

DAY OF THE FLAG—30 excellent color still photos of people participating in the flag celebration and carrying.

FLAG AROUND THE WORLD—This is footage of the flag when it was used in parades in both New York City and Columbus, Ohio. The New York footage is dull filming of people walking with it for about 2 minutes, but the Columbus segment is about 7 minutes, and features reaction from residents. Most of the conversation sends out a positive vibe about Ohio—which was all pretty much contradicted by our most recent election. Oh well. I guess optimism equals hope.

GILBERT BAKER OUTTAKES—not bloopers, but footage of Gilbert talking about himself that was not used in the finished product. He is given much less focus in the final cut.

GIBLERT BAKER BIO—5 text pages about the flag creator.

TALMADGE HEYWARD BIO—2 pages of text about the director.

WIN A TRIP TO KEY WEST—This 3 minute commercial for a contest shows you the sex and flesh side of Key West—I guess to make up for the serious tone of the film? Looked more like South Beach to me than the wonderful community presented in the film.

Final Thoughts:
Key West: City of Colors is an interesting documentary about the small gay mecca, and also serves as a type of "news coverage" of the flying of the 8,000 foot flag from one end of the island to the other. The film was a bit repetitive but still a moving tribute to how we as a country should spend more time sharing positive energy with each other rather than sending bad vibes.