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LGBT Britain
This colourful and challenging collection explores screen representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives over the past century.
British cinema boasts a long history of carefully coded queerness, but for much of the 20th century explicit depictions of gay life in drama or documentary were more or less taboo. Gay men were subject to vicious state-sanctioned persecution, while lesbians were socially ostracised and the transgender community ignored and misunderstood. Cinematic and small-screen breakthroughs in the 1950s and 60s played their part in the public debate. Finally acting on the recommendations of the Wolfenden Committee a decade earlier, the 1967 Sexual Offences Act partially decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales, between two men over 21, in private. As those caveats suggest, the legislation remained problematic. But it was a step forward, paving the way for further battles - some yet to be won. From early glimpses of 'queer' characters, this collection charts the path towards '67 and beyond, through responses to the AIDS crisis to diverse reflections on queer life today.
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HomosexualsHomosexuals
Current affairs 1964 23 minsDirector: James Butler
Current affairs series This Week offers a non-judgmental report on homosexuality
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LesbiansLesbians
Current affairs 1965 26 minsDirector: John Phillips
What is lesbianism? What causes it? ITV's This Week attempts to demystify lesbian sexuality.
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Derek Jarman: Life As ArtDerek Jarman: Life As Art
Documentary 2004 60 minsDirector: Andy Kimpton-Nye
Documentary on the life and work of experimental filmmaker, who died in 1994. Contributors including Tilda Swinton recall Jarman's peculiar genius.
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SebastianeSebastiane
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1976 85 minsDirector: Derek Jarman and Paul Humfress
A distinctly bold and sensual reclaiming of gay history, Jarman here tells the sexually intense story of the 4th-century martyr.
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JubileeJubilee
Drama 1978 106 minsDirector: Derek Jarman
The mythological past and a soon-to-be bleak future converge on the sparse, grey streets of London in Jarmanβs personal vision of the punk movement.
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The TempestThe Tempest
Drama 1980 96 minsDirector: Derek Jarman
Derek Jarmanβs brooding and darkly symbolic third feature is considered by some to be the most evocative Shakespeare adaptation ever to reach the screen.
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The Angelic ConversationThe Angelic Conversation
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1985 81 minsDirector: Derek Jarman
The Angelic Conversation sees Derek Jarman conjure an evocative and radical visualisation of Shakespeareβs love poems. With narration by Judi Dench and music by Coil.
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CaravaggioCaravaggio
Biopic 1986 93 minsDirector: Derek Jarman
Derek Jarmanβs unique biopic of the 17th century Italian artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio is a powerful meditation on sexuality, criminality and art.
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WittgensteinWittgenstein
Biopic 1993 72 minsDirector: Derek Jarman
Written for Channel 4 by radical literary theorist Terry Eagleton and directed by Derek Jarman, Wittgenstein is a bold, offbeat biography, exploring the politics and sexuality of the great, troubled philosopher.
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Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis BaconLove Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon
Biopic 1998 87 minsDirector: John Maybury
Derek Jacobi and Daniel Craig star as artist Francis Bacon and his muse George Dyer in John Mayburyβs darkly exquisite biopic.
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ScrubbersScrubbers
Drama 1982 93 minsDirector: Mai Zetterling
The borstal drama β billed as the female Scum β features Amanda York and Kathy Burke as inmates of a ruthless womenβs prison.
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The Chocolate AcrobatThe Chocolate Acrobat
Fantasy 1995 38 minsDirector: Tessa Sheridan
An elderly woman in a care home strikes up a sensual, nostalgic relationship with a young nurse.
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OrlandoOrlando
Fantasy 1993 93 minsDirector: Sally Potter
Tilda Swinton stars in Sally Potter's dazzling interpretation of Virginia Woolf's novel.
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A Bit of ScarletA Bit of Scarlet
Documentary 1996 71 minsDirector: Andrea Weiss
Mapping how British film and TV depicts the gay and lesbian lifestyle, Andrea Weiss raids the archives for her funny and persuasive documentary.
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Wild FlowersWild Flowers
Romance 1989 68 minsDirector: Robert Smith
Robert Smith's Wild Flowers is an exquisite drama set at the funeral for a daughter, where her mother remembers the passionate yet painful affair she once had with another woman in Scotland.
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PridePride
Comedy 2014 120 minsDirector: Matthew Warchus
The smash culture-clash comedy tells the incredible true story of how miners and a Gay Pride support group come together to fight a common cause.
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WeekendWeekend
Drama 2011 97 minsDirector: Andrew Haigh
Andrew Haigh's internationally acclaimed tale of a brief encounter between two gay men.
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BabyBaby
Drama 2000 12 minsDirector: Wiz
A teenager (Ben Whishaw) pays a sexually charged visit to the swimming pool.
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LiltingLilting
Drama 2014 86 minsDirector: Hong Khaou
Ben Whishaw stars in an intimate portrait of two strangers brought together by the common language of grief.
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Greek PeteGreek Pete
Drama 2009 70 minsDirector: Andrew Haigh
Acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years) made his feature debut with this bold, sexually explicit drama-documentary about London rent boys.
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3 Steps to Heaven3 Steps to Heaven
Drama 1995 87 minsDirector: Constantine Giannaris
Edgy mixture of black comedy and urban drama about a woman uncovering the hidden truths about her dead lover.
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Yellow FeverYellow Fever
Comedy 1998 27 minsDirector: Raymond Yeung
A gay British-Chinese man refuses to date Chinese men. But then Jai Ming moves in next door.
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One in FiveOne in Five
1982 52 minsSilentDirector: Ken Howard
Endearingly right-on concoction bringing together lesbians and gay men for dancing and debate at Heaven nightclub
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The PassThe Pass
Drama 2016 86 minsDirector: Ben A. Williams
Russell Tovey stars as a Premier League footballer who shares a fumbled pass (of the sexual kind) with a teammate (ArinzΓ© Kene), changing everything - both on and off the pitch.
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ChemsexChemsex
Documentary 2015 80 minsDirector: William Fairman and Max Gogarty
A hard-hitting and often graphic documentary about the 'chemsex' sub-scene in Londonβs gay community.
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The ComedianThe Comedian
Drama 2013 79 minsDirector: Tom Shkolnik
Touching drama about a thirtysomething comedian looking for happiness.
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Madagascar SkinMadagascar Skin
Drama 1995 91 minsDirector: Christopher Newby
John Hannah stars as a painfully shy gay man who escapes the city in Chris Newbyβs extraordinary second feature.
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Dressed as a GirlDressed as a Girl
Documentary 2015 101 minsDirector: Colin Rothbart
An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Londonβs finest drag performers. Warning: extreme use of make-up and glitter.
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A Boy Called MaryA Boy Called Mary
1986 52 minsDirector: Paul Oremland
The fabulous life and times of queer writer Kris Kirk, who became one of the UKβs most influential music journalists.
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More than a JourneyMore than a Journey
1986 52 minsDirector: Caroline Mylon
From Sudan to the Greek islands via the East Midlands - a young gay woman seeks love, happiness and fulfilment
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Tall Dark StrangerTall Dark Stranger
1986 48 minsDirector: Paul Oremland
Are you ready to strut your stuff? Take a bracing, sexy cruise around the diverse 1980s gay scene.
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Andy the Furniture MakerAndy the Furniture Maker
1986 53 minsDirector: Paul Oremland
How did a cute, gay Essex boy go from oyster fishing to becoming the toast of the London arts scene?
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Tides of LaughterTides of Laughter
1986 49 minsDirector: Paul Oremland
A female βend-of-the-pierβ double act find out a surprising secret about their landlady - and about each other.
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Remembrance of Things FastRemembrance of Things Fast
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1993 62 minsDirector: John Maybury
John Mayburyβs dark, queer state of the nation film starring Tilda Swinton and Rupert Everett
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Beautiful ThingBeautiful Thing
Comedy 1996 91 minsDirector: Hettie Macdonald
Hettie MacDonaldβs 1996 comedy tells the story of two classmates and neighbours (Glen Berry, Scott Neal) who fall in love over one summer in South East London.
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ClosetsClosets
Science Fiction 2015 18 minsDirector: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan
Tommy Knight (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Waterloo Road, Young Victoria) stars in this light-hearted drama as Henry, a teenager struggling with his sexuality in 1986.
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DepartureDeparture
Drama 2016 108 minsDirector: Andrew Steggall
Andrew Steggallβs deft and delicate drama about a teenage dreamer who falls for the rough beauty of a local boy while staying in France.
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The Crying GameThe Crying Game
Drama 1992 112 minsDirector: Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan's acclaimed 1992 drama-mystery tells the story of Fergus (Stephen Rea), who looks after the lover (Jaye Davidson) of a British soldier he once knew. But what is Dil hiding?
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Entertaining Mr SloaneEntertaining Mr Sloane
Comedy 1970 94 minsDirector: Douglas Hickox
Joe Ortonβs delicious slice of suburban perversity, in which Beryl Reidβs lascivious landlady and her gay brother attempt to seduce their psychopathic tenant.
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LootLoot
Comedy 1971 102 minsDirector: Silvio Narizzano
Silvio Narizzano adapts Joe Ortonβs extraordinarily funny satire on police corruption and the conventions of detective fiction.