Bears in Their Natural Habitat (Video)

Matt Rose and Brad Griffith believe our lives as we live them are history in the making and this moment in time needs to be recorded.

For their documentary Cohibernation, the filmmakers interviewed seven long-term couples from the bear (and bearish) community. They asked what it's like to live as a male couple, what are special challenges and rewards, and what's unique to each pair. They came up with this idea by realizing how many great couples they knew and recognizing the need to hear more of their voices.

Video above: Matt Rose and Brad Griffith

The stories are not always in the similarities, but sometimes in the differences. Two of the couples have raised children. Most of them are married. The couples are from varied backgrounds: one from Colombia and Mexico who speak of their own cultural differences while being seen as "Latino" in the U.S.; a couple who lived as binational, having to deal with visa issues for 16 years of their relationship; a couple dealing with depression; a couple in which one had a calling to ministry. The couples discuss monogamy, nonmonogamy, their place and identity as gay men in the bear subculture, the larger gay culture, and what it's like being in a long-term relationship.

Most important, Matt and Brad ask, "How does a couple stay together for more than 20 years?" You can help fund this worthwhile project on Indiegogo.com and learn more on the documentary website.

Matt and Sean

On the next few pages are clips from each couple as they tell their stories.

Esteban and Leo

Mark and Ian

Dave and Jason

Mike and Mike

Carl and Bob

Michael and Scott