Built on nine decades of professional and personal archives, UNCLE ROY follows the extraordinary life of globe-traveling-skater turned photographer Roy Blakey through the lens of his niece, award-winning documentary filmmaker Keri Pickett.
Born in Oklahoma in 1930, Roy dreamed of performing on ice. He began collecting figure skating programs and photographs, a collection that expanded over his lifetime to 44,000 items, including posters, costumes, and so much more. This love of figure skating also led Roy to a career in theatrical skating, performing globally with Holiday on Ice before becoming a photographer in New York.
Roy’s photography captured iconic figures, including queer icons, while his work in male nudes pushed boundaries in art and publishing.
Growing up, Keri didn’t know her mysterious uncle Roy until she followed him to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming a professional photographer. As their lives converge, a friendship begins. So when a medical crisis brings Keri to Minneapolis, Roy follows and they open a photography studio together. A deeply private person, Roy’s book “HE” (1972) was unknown to Keri until she found a box tied up in rope, sparking her curiosity. After learning that her uncle is considered a “forefather of gay photography”, she helps him reintroduce his portraits of a generation largely lost to AIDS.
Over the next three decades, their relationship deepens and Keri realizes that his photography and world’s largest archive of theatrical figure skating, need a home. As Roy slips into dementia, Keri struggles to care for him and her efforts to preserve his legacy become more urgent.
This heartfelt documentary is a tribute to dreams, family, and the importance of preserving history.