About this episode

Erick Taylor Woodby interviews filmmaker Lazarus X about the significance of Black queer storytelling in arthouse cinema.

Our Black Gay Diaspora host Erick speaks with independent filmmaker, writer, director, and showrunner Lazarus X to explore the power of Black queer storytelling in arthouse cinema. With over two decades of experience, Lazarus X discusses his journey as an auteur, from his early days in the web series movement to creating internationally filmed productions like the erotic drama Guap , set in Naples, Italy, and the critically intimate series A Beautiful Cruel Thing . He unpacks why authentic representation still falls short despite milestones like the 2016 film Moonlight and how arthouse cinema can transform how Black audiences see themselves. Lazarus X also shares his passion for capturing intimacy, his exploration of Afrofuturism, and his vision for expanding Black storytelling to global stages. A must for fans of independent filmmaking, Black LGBTQ+ culture, and authentic creative expression. Rate, comment, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Acast , and YouTube . For more information, go to Our Black Gay Diaspora . Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Erick Taylor Woodby

Guest: Lazarus X

Topics covered

• Black queer storytelling
• arthouse cinema
• independent filmmaking
• authentic representation
• Afrofuturism
• Black LGBTQ+ culture

Keywords

• Black LGBTQ+
• arthouse cinema
• independent filmmaker
• representation
• Afrofuturism
• storytelling

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Guap, A Beautiful Cruel Thing, Moonlight

Places: Naples, Italy

More episodes of Our Black Gay Diaspora Podcast™

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• The Fantasies of Future Things: Identity & Belonging | Ep. 137 · June 17, 2026 · 39 min

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