About the Film

Standing by the lake at the legendary Hollywood Memorial Cemetery is a monument built by two men whose self proclaimed achievement is simply that they have been able to be An Ordinary Couple.

In 2003 Orin and Bernardo began building a monument at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery as a way of, "showing the world that we walked this earth with a lifetime of love and commitment to each other." During this time, filmmaker Jay Gianukos was hired to run the studio at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Life Story Documentaries were being made for the clients of the Cemetery as a way to fill in the gap between the date of birth and date of death. In 2006 Orin and Bernardo hired Jay to make a film that would be shown at the unveiling of the monument.

This all-consuming and symbolic event forces Orin and Bernardo to examine their lives in such a way that all aspects of who they are - both then and now, are revealed. Orin and Bernardo discuss what it was like growing up gay in 1950s and 1960s America and how it presented an extra set of challenges.

It seems unlikely that Orin and Bernardo would ever cross paths. Orin hails from a New York Jewish family, while Bernardo grew up in an Italian Sicilian community in Birmingham, Alabama. Both grew up in an America devoid of any societal recognition of homosexuality. As Bernardo states, "I didn't even know what 'gay' was." Orin always knew he was different than the other boys but it was not until high school when a man he met introduced Orin to, "A new world…a gay world."

As America came of age in the 1970s, so did Orin and Bernardo. It was their common quest to find their own identities that brought them both to Los Angeles, and ultimately to each other. After meeting in 1976 they experienced five years of a very tumultuous, on and off again relationship. It was not until they both were comfortable with themselves that they were able to learn how to become comfortable with each other.

Today, Bernardo maintains his position as one of the most in-demand interior designers in Beverly Hills, while Orin is recently retired from his role as Chairman of the Board of the Location Managers Guild of America. Established in their careers and their community, Orin and Bernardo enjoy what Jay perceives as "a fabulous life."

Orin and Bernardo have been filmed by Jay Gianukos the Director/Co Producer for over three years. He views their relationship as a great personal accomplishment not only because of the prejudices they faced growing up in an almost exclusively heterosexual world, but also as adults facing the temptation for promiscuity many gay men are often drawn to within the homosexual community. The Co Producer/Editor Susan Barnes also views their story as a model the gay community and her generation can learn from in pursuing sustainable life partnerships. Together, Jay and Susan see the film as more than a story about a gay couple; rather and more importantly, it presents the timeless struggle of two people to find happiness, and it shows how they found it, together, in an extraordinary way -- by becoming An Ordinary Couple.

One of the important realizations the filmmakers have is why Orin and Bernardo are so unique. In 1981, Orin and Bernardo finally moved in together and entered into a committed, monogamous relationship. "The trust was there, the respect was there. All the ingredients for a marriage were there," says Orin. Unknowingly, this one choice made them rare survivors of an epidemic that was about to ensue. Their commitment to "settle down" proved to be a life saving decision. "That's not why we settled down together, at the time we didn't even know about AIDS," reflects Bernardo. "But our timing was perfect, absolutely perfect. We lost hundreds of people that we knew." Statistics show that the death rate jumped from 0 in 1979 to over 80,000 in 1991.

While the Puccio Kennedy monument stands as a testament to their love for one another, their long lasting relationship is a dignified symbol of the struggle the gay community has endured for decades to achieve equal recognition. In Bernardo’s words, “We have been recognized as a couple, not as a gay couple.”
The May 15, 2008 California Supreme Court decision that overturned the ban on same sex marriage has inspired many couples. Orin and Bernardo decided to finally make official what they have known to be true for over 30 years. On October 12, 2008 Orin and Bernardo were married and the filmmakers were there to cover it. Jay and Susan are starting to realize that the story has now been elevated into the realm of one of the contentious issues facing this country today. From a filmmakers perspective they also realize that the story now might be uniquely about a fabulous funeral and an even more fabulous wedding…in that order.

Join Orin and Bernardo as they relive their past, rejoice in each day and celebrate their own special type of eternity. As Orin says, "We're just an ordinary couple…in an extraordinary world!"

Yes it is true...Orin and Bernardo are getting married. Get updates for video's and news updates!