Plays at Cinema Diverse Friday September 19th 4:45PM THEATRE TWO
By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/15/25 – Few filmmakers know how to honor queer women’s lives and community the way Andrea Meyerson does. With her latest documentary, An Unexpected Community (1h 9m 11s), Meyerson reflects on one of her most inspired creations: Women On The Net, the online platform she launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Directed and edited by Kathryn L. Beranich, the film captures the spirit of connection and resilience that defined this groundbreaking virtual space, ensuring that the legacy of Meyerson’s work is both celebrated and preserved.
When lockdowns shuttered in-person gatherings, Meyerson refused to let isolation silence lesbian and queer women’s voices. Night after night, she hosted programming that ran the gamut from comedy to conversations, music to meaningful dialogue. The result was something far more than entertainment: it was connection, resilience, and joy during one of the darkest chapters in recent history.
An Unexpected Community shines because it centers not just Meyerson’s vision but also the women who made the space come alive. Featuring beloved figures like Lily Tomlin, Kate Clinton, and Meredith Baxter, the film reminds us that even through a screen, queer women can build solidarity, laughter, and healing.
The documentary doesn’t rely on glossy staging or overproduction; it thrives on intimacy. Meyerson captures the spontaneous warmth of those nights: the way people greeted each other across digital divides, the relief of being “seen” when the outside world felt distant, and the sheer delight of shared stories.
As someone who has traveled extensively with Women On A Roll and proudly belongs to Women On The Net, I can attest firsthand to the power of the communities Meyerson fosters. She has a gift for creating not just events but experiences, ones that forge friendships, connections, and memories. This film is, in many ways, an extension of her life’s work: amplifying the voices and spirits of women who refuse to be sidelined.
It feels especially poignant that An Unexpected Community is screening at Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, an event that has always championed queer storytelling. Meyerson’s film belongs here, in a space where representation is both celebrated and urgently needed.
Andrea Meyerson has once again proven why she is such a vital force in queer cinema. An Unexpected Community is not only a record of what was lost and found during the pandemic, but also a love letter to the power of women coming together, even when the world forces them apart.
This film is more than a documentary; it’s a reminder that community is not bound by physical walls. For those of us who lived those nights on Women On The Net, the film feels like coming home. For those discovering it for the first time, it’s an invitation into something rare and beautiful: a community that endures.
