Stonewall director Roland Emmerich defends his take on the riots
q at TIFF: Filmmaker Roland Emmerich says his contested film about the Stonewall riots is "not a documentary".
Stonewall director Roland Emmerich joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss his take on the pivotal 1969 riots — credited with launching the North American gay rights movement — and the backlash he's seen since releasing his film's trailer.
Critics say Emmerich's story pushes trans and non-white activists to the margins of the story, despite their historically central role. The filmmaker responds at length, with reference to the dramatic license he has as an artist.
"It's not a documentary," he says.
The filmmaker, who first heard about the Stonewall riots while growing up gay in Germany, has long wanted to recount the story on the silver screen.
"I so passionately wanted to do it, no one could stop me," he tells Schlanger.