Outfest Reviews: Bloomington, A Marine Story, Topp Twins, Anne Lister

Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls

I had never heard of the the Topp Twins before watching this documentary, but I never would have guessed how fascinating and powerful their story would be. Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls follows New Zealand twins Jools and Lynda Topp, who are one of the most successful comedy/folk duos in New Zealand. The sisters are known for  not only their extremely catchy music but also their hilarious character acts and political activism. Both sisters are also out, loud, and proud lesbians who are not afraid to fight for equality. They are an inspiration, two completely dedicated sisters and friends who have shared an amazing life together and are still going strong. 

Untouchable Girls manages to cover in depth the Topp Twins' entire story from beginning to end, including video footage of nearly every milestone of their career, as well as several moments from their private lives. They started out as young farmers with a penchant for songwriting and became superstars in their country as well as two of the first positive lesbian role models of their time. The Topp Twins are a rare case of women who have spent their whole lives performing, continually growing in success and have somehow remained completely unaffected by fame. They come off as two friendly people you'd want to have dinner with -- maybe a jam session if you're lucky. 

Occasionally, the thick New Zealand dialects of the twins and interviewees make their speech difficult to understand, and many of the issue the twins sing about and discuss are particularly topical to their home country. However, these are minor hindrances and hardly affect the film itself. The Topp Twins certainly have a story worth telling, and it is a pleasure getting to watch them do so. 

Read more of Rebekah's stories here. 

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