Ron Delsener

James Rasin's documentary “Beautiful Darling” honors American Transgender actress and best-known Warhol Superstar, Candy Darling, and her all-too-brief life and career, with a combination of current and vintage interview material, rarely seen archival photos and footage, and extracts from Darling's movies.

U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Cure: Over half a billion records sold but you may never have heard of them if not for a small suburban radio station on Long Island, NY: WLIR. In August, 1982, a small group of radio visionaries knew they couldn't compete with the mega-stations in New York City. With one brave decision, they changed the sound of radio forever. Program Director Denis McNamara, the 'LIR crew and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, the record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought the New Wave to America.

Now well into his eighties, Delsener shows little sign of slowing down. At one point, the camera follows him as he ping-pongs across New York attending multiple concerts in one evening. His love for the work of putting on a show shines through as he drags the filmmakers through crowds and backstage so he can chat with artists and crew members. Interspersed with these present-day adventures are looks back on the highlights of Delsener’s career, reflecting his own intense nostalgia. It’s rare that a documentary so completely embodies the personality of its subject.