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A queer and BIPOC spin on Bible stories: ‘A Book By Their Cover’ filmmaker starts crowdfunding campaign for new movie

“I’m retelling a lot of stories in the Bible from more of a queer and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) perspective,” Tedeschi told The Berkshire Edge. “What I’m saying is, why do we accept some of the things that we accept? Why is there racism? Why is there sexism?"

Berkshire County — Stockbridge filmmaker John Tedeschi, who previously created the film “A Book By Their Cover,” has started a GoFundMe campaign for his new movie “BEGET.”

According to the campaign website, the movie is based on biblical roots but with twists on the tale of “Adam and Eve”:

What if God’s Original Plan was for Queer reproduction not heterosexual? What if the Original Sin of humanity was that they turned away from their homosexuality? The Four Gods beget Stephanie and Eve, and also Dana and Adam to go forth and multiply. How will this change all of recorded time?

Four brightly and majestically dressed Gods, have decided to create humanity. The Original Plan is to create two females as a couple – and two males as a couple – these couples will produce children through sex and The Gods given immaculate conception.

However, hundreds of years after this harmony, a shape-shifter appears telling people to couple male and female to produce offspring without The Gods’ assistance. This causes, the first known application of, mayhem.

“I’m retelling a lot of stories in the Bible from more of a queer and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) perspective,” Tedeschi told The Berkshire Edge. “What I’m saying is, why do we accept some of the things that we accept? Why is there racism? Why is there sexism? There doesn’t need to be any of these things where certain people are less than another group of people. That’s what the film is saying.”

Tedeschi said that the movie aims to use spiritual, mythological, and historical characters to “change the perspective.” “It’s a new interpretation of the Bible,” Tedeschi said. “Instead of one God, we have four gods. Instead of Adam and Eve, we have Adam and Dana, along with Stephanie and Eve. Instead of the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah, we have characters that sort of represent them. The problem with those towns is that they were more heterosexual [in nature].”

Tedeschi said that the movie starts with the four characters of Adam, Dana, Stephanie, and Eve, with more characters entering the fray over several years.

“The movie is inspired by stories from the Old and New Testament,” Tedeschi said. “I think these interpretations come mainly from situations where people were using Bible stories to justify the political ideologies that they came up with. I thought that, instead of using the stories, you can interpret things however you want to. I think that’s fair, but maybe there should be another interpretation in addition to some of the stories that we’re hearing a lot about. Some of that was because of Project 2025. I just wanted to tell a story that is old with a new perspective.”

Tedeschi admitted, “I do think it can be controversial,” when asked whether felt the film’s subject matter might raise some controversy. “When you write a film, you look into grants and festivals, and they all always ask you, ‘What is your intended audience?” Tedeschi said. “My intended audience is the people who will not see the film. But I would love to have debates on the film.”

Tedeschi said that he plans on filming in multiple locations in the Berkshires and will use cast members from western Massachusetts and New York.

For more information about “BEGET,” visit its GoFundMe page.

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The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.