Ellen Page’s Documentary Series Looks Incredibly Powerful

Ellen Page took a "gaycation," and, fortunately for us, she filmed it for a new series on Viceland. The trailer for Gaycation — which comes our way via BuzzFeed — promises a show that celebrates LGBT culture around the world and exposes the injustices that many face. The footage shows Page and her best friend Ian Daniel, with whom she traveled, in the gay district of Toyko. "In the past I was too closeted to come to the gay area," says Page, who came out in 2014. They visit Rio de Janeiro where Page explains that the "issues LGBT people face can be really horrific." They go to Jamaica's first pride event. And, of course, there's footage of Page taking on Ted Cruz at the Iowa State Fair, an already notable incident. "Being gay is not a choice," she says in the trailer. "The amount of people that struggle so much because of the shame they feel or the fear of being oppressed or hurt or killed. Why would someone make that choice?" Page told BuzzFeed how making Gaycation affected her. "I'm a privileged person," she said. "I’m a privileged gay person. [The show] helped me understand, even more so, how much more vulnerable people are."

Page and Daniel also put themselves in uncomfortable and even potentially dangerous situations. As The Wrap reports, at the Television Critics Association press tour earlier this month, Page discussed meeting with a Brazilian police officer who has killed gay people. "It was probably one of the more scary, nerve-wracking moments I’ve had," Page said. "I feel like when we’re in that mode, we probably feel, maybe in a naive way that it’s all going to be okay." You can see that moment in this promo for Viceland. Viceland launches February 29.