Exploring life under Section 28, the raw portrayal of queer resistance will be released in cinemas this LGBT+ History Month
BY GEORGIA DIMDORE-MILES, IMAGE BY ALTITUDE
Blue Jean, Georgia Oakley’s award-winning film exploring life under Section 28, is the first feature-length piece on the big screen to address the impacts of this damaging legislation on school teachers and pupils alike. Set to be released in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 10 February, aptly just as LGBT+ History Month kicks off, for now, we have been treated to a fresh trailer that hints are the genius of this film:
The trailer teases at its moody portrayal of this dark period of recent history for LGBTQIA rights in the UK. Set in 1988, just as Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government is about to pass Section 28, Jean is a lesbian P.E. teacher with everything to lose. Played by the astounding Rosy McEwen, the feature explores the double life that Jean is forced to live and the nail-biting precipice of undetection she attempts to tread. Threatened by the arrival of a new girl at school, everything that Jean knows is challenged. Meanwhile her partner, played by Kerrie Hayes, grapples to tease out of Jean the internalised shame that Section 28 has piled upon her.
The result is a raw portrayal of queer resilience from a teacher, her pupils, her closest friends and lover, set against a powerful authority that sought to quiet LGBTQIA voices in the late 1980s and 90s. Released in cinemas in 2023, against the backdrop of a conservative government once again determined to prevent queer and trans people from achieving equality, the film looks to be a shining beacon of hope, demonstrating how our community once fought and resisted the British government and how we might achieve this once more.
Keep your eyes peeled for the DIVA February issue, which you can pre-order from next Friday, it features an exclusive interview with writer-director Georgia Oakley – definitely not one to miss!
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