With London Pride this weekend marking one of the biggest events in the LGBT calender, the celebrations will now be further booming with the incredible news that equal marriage has been declared legal in all 50 states of America by the Supreme Court. Following this huge benchmark in the gay rights movement, there’s no better way to celebrate than by sparing a couple of hours to watch one of these fantastic LGBT-themed films from around the globe:
Milk (2008)
Celebrating the later life and times of Harvey Milk, this glorious biopic demonstrates the struggles faced by the gay activist before being elected as California’s first openly gay politician. Winning the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black), Milk tastefully documents the LGBT movement in 1970s America, both the successes achieved and the bigotry received. Using archive footage of the infamous gay bar police raids of the 50s and 60s, as well as Dianne Feinstein’s real-life announcement of Harvey Milk’s assassination on November 27th 1978, the combination of reality and fabrication is truly touching and will inevitably make you shed a tear.
Kyss Mig (2011)
A love story, a coming out story and a family affair; the Swedish film Kyss Mig kills three birds with one stone. Frida (Liv Mjönes), a calm and good-humoured thirty-something, meets sullen and fragile Mia (Ruth Vega Fernandez) at an engagement party. The two are immediately drawn to each other but Mia faces a problem in her engagement to Tim (Joakim Nättergvist). Throughout the film, Mia is a difficult character to engage with. Being moody and often bitter towards Frida, it can be hard to understand why such a good-natured soul is even interested in Mia. Despite this, Kyss Mig truly blossoms through the varying reactions of Frida and Mia’s families when they discover the true extent of their relationship.
Pride (2014)
Set in Thatcher’s Britain 1984, Pride tells the wonderful true story of a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists who help to raise money for struggling families during the miners’ strike. When their Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign is rejected by the National Union of Mineworkers, the group form an alliance with a small mining village in Wales. What makes Pride so distinctive is that it identifies scrutiny as scrutiny, prejudice as prejudice; a minority bullied by society helps fight against the victimisation of another minority. The concept of two communities coming together is beautiful, despite the two struggling at first. By far, one of the strongest British films to be produced over the past five years and highly deserving of its BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer (Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone).
Circumstance (2011)
Politically ambitious Iranian-American filmmaker Maryam Keshavarz’s debut feature is an underrated gem. Despite the occasional glossy style making up for a plodding script, Circumstance follows Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri), a rebellious teenager from a wealthy liberal Tehran family, as she navigates a burgeoning romantic yet star-crossed relationship with best friend Shireen (Sarah Kazemy). Keshavarz excels in providing a distinctive closeness between the two as they often fantasise a dissimilar life in Dubai. Circumstance is certainly no Persepolis in providing an exploration of Iranian youth culture but it’s completely worth watching.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Following the journey of two drag queens (Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce) and a transsexual woman (Terence Stamp) across the Australian Outback to perform their cabaret act in Alice Springs, Priscilla helped to promote Australian cinema and positive LGBT portrayals worldwide. Only occasionally and subtly commentating on such issues as gay parenting and the AIDS epidemic, the film is truly hilarious with shady one-liners and a leading cast you’d least expect to work a pair of stilettos. Having inspired the 1995 US remake To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, you’ll never love ABBA and Gloria Gaynor more after stepping aboard the fabulous Priscilla.
What films would you add to the list?
Comment with your thoughts.
– Daniel Sheppard Milk, Pride & The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
– Anna Richards Kyss Mig & Circumstance
Eyes on Screen 
I think I’d add Sally Potter’s film of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando because it so liberating in terms of gender and sexuality. The conclusion of the film is you are free to be anything, it does not matter. I’d also vote for Desert Hearts because it is such an affirmative story of a lesbian relationship, but also because it is such a funny riff on the Western. Finally almost anything directed by Werner Rainer Fassbinder. My first encounter was with Fox and his Friends but there are better films. (My only exception might be Querelle based upon the Jean Genet novel. It’s brilliant but brutal in parts I need to view again). Anyone for a Fassbinder mini season in the new academic year?
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Count me in for a Fassbinder mini season; I haven’t heard of Fox and his Friends until now but I’ve always wanted to see Fear Eats the Soul.
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Fear eats the Soul a brilliant film. Always wanted to screen the triple bill, All that Heaven Allows (Douglas Sirk), Fear eats the Soul (Fassbinder) and Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes) . Which I forgot to nominate here. The latter two are remakes of the great Sirk classic. It’d be along evening, but fun!
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It’s a great idea; I haven’t seen Far From Heaven in a LONG time. I’m on the LGBT committee next year so I’m sure I could stir interest, along with getting the FTV and Media lot on board.
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I would like to recommend Blue Is The Warmest Colour by Abdellatif Kechiche. It’s a magnificent piece of cinema.
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