UK: Gay mers' strike film ws Queer Palm award at Cann | PkNews

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• GAY MERS FILM "PRI" WS QUEER PALM AT CANN FILM {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY ALEXANR STEVENSONMAY 28, 2014/8:11 AMBY ALEXANR STEVENSONMAY 28, 2014 / 8:11 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GAY MERS FILM \"PRI\" WS QUEER PALM AT CANN FILM FTIVAL","DATEPUBLISHED":"2014-05-28T12:11:38.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2014-05-28T12:11:38.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ALEXANR STEVENSON","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PRI, A BRISH FILM ABOUT A GROUP OF GAY ACTIVISTS SUPPORTG THE 1984 MERS’ STRIKE, WAS AWARD THE QUEER PALM AWARD AT CANN FILM FTIVAL. IT'S THE FIRST TIME A UK FILM HAS RECEIVED THE HONOR, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE OFFICIAL CANN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RELATED: JT BIEBER DONAT $545000 TO AIDS REACH AT CANN AMFAR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BASED ON A TE STORY, PRI RELAT HOW A GROUP OF GAY ACTIVISTS RAISED MONEY TO SUPPORT THE MERS, BREAKG DOWN STEREOTYP AND FG A BOND BETWEEN THE DISPARATE GROUPS. BILL NIGHY, IMELDA STNTON, DOMIC WT, ANDREW STT AND PADDY CONSIDE STAR, WH TONY-WNG STAGE DIRECTOR MATTHEW WARCH (GOD OF CARNAGE, MATILDA) AT THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THIS FILM REMDS THE GAY MOVEMENT HAS S ROOTS ISSU LARGER THAN SELF: CLASS NSCNS, SOCIAL EQUALY AND EEDOM OF EXPRSN," SAID THE AWARD JURY. “THIS FILM PRENTS ALL OF THE ISSU A SOMEWHAT NVENTNAL FORM BUT WHOUT SUCCUMBG TO OBV STEREOTYP OR OVER-SIMPLIFIED SCENAR. [IT] REPRENTS S CHARACTERS AND SUATNS WH SUBTLETY AND PASSN, WHILE REMDG THAT OUR STGGLE NTU.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RELATED: EROTIC LBIAN FILM "BLUE IS THE WARMT COLOR" SR AT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE FILM IS DUE OUT BRA ON SEPTEMBER 12, THOUGH NO US RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. BELOW, WATCH TWO SCEN OM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• PRI REVIEW – WHEN GAY ACTIVISTS STCK A AL WH MERS
• COAL MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS PARTNER IN 'PRI'
• UK: GAY MERS’ STRIKE FILM WS QUEER PALM AWARD AT CANN
• TURNS OUT, BARBIELAND ISN'T AS GAY AS S QUEER FANS HAD HOPED

GAY MERS FILM "PRI" WS QUEER PALM AT CANN FILM {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}MOVIBY ALEXANR STEVENSONMAY 28, 2014/8:11 AMBY ALEXANR STEVENSONMAY 28, 2014 / 8:11 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"GAY MERS FILM \"PRI\" WS QUEER PALM AT CANN FILM FTIVAL","DATEPUBLISHED":"2014-05-28T12:11:38.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2014-05-28T12:11:38.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ALEXANR STEVENSON","ARTICLESECTN":"MOVI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PRI, A BRISH FILM ABOUT A GROUP OF GAY ACTIVISTS SUPPORTG THE 1984 MERS’ STRIKE, WAS AWARD THE QUEER PALM AWARD AT CANN FILM FTIVAL. IT'S THE FIRST TIME A UK FILM HAS RECEIVED THE HONOR, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE OFFICIAL CANN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RELATED: JT BIEBER DONAT $545000 TO AIDS REACH AT CANN AMFAR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BASED ON A TE STORY, PRI RELAT HOW A GROUP OF GAY ACTIVISTS RAISED MONEY TO SUPPORT THE MERS, BREAKG DOWN STEREOTYP AND FG A BOND BETWEEN THE DISPARATE GROUPS. BILL NIGHY, IMELDA STNTON, DOMIC WT, ANDREW STT AND PADDY CONSIDE STAR, WH TONY-WNG STAGE DIRECTOR MATTHEW WARCH (GOD OF CARNAGE, MATILDA) AT THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"THIS FILM REMDS THE GAY MOVEMENT HAS S ROOTS ISSU LARGER THAN SELF: CLASS NSCNS, SOCIAL EQUALY AND EEDOM OF EXPRSN," SAID THE AWARD JURY. “THIS FILM PRENTS ALL OF THE ISSU A SOMEWHAT NVENTNAL FORM BUT WHOUT SUCCUMBG TO OBV STEREOTYP OR OVER-SIMPLIFIED SCENAR. [IT] REPRENTS S CHARACTERS AND SUATNS WH SUBTLETY AND PASSN, WHILE REMDG THAT OUR STGGLE NTU.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}RELATED: EROTIC LBIAN FILM "BLUE IS THE WARMT COLOR" SR AT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE FILM IS DUE OUT BRA ON SEPTEMBER 12, THOUGH NO US RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. BELOW, WATCH TWO SCEN OM {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:56.49999999999999%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Gay activists work to help mers durg their lengthy strike of the Natnal Unn of Meworkers the summer of productn, box office & pany Vios56More like thisReview There is nothg not wonrful about this you don't lgh, don't shed a tear, or don't want to get up and cheer at the end, then you weren't payg attentn durg this movie. In September 2010, the wrer Stephen Berford was about to leave a meetg wh film producer David Livgstone when he was asked: "Is there any story you are burng to wre?" "Well, there is one," he replied, hatg at the door, "but no one is ever gog to make ." He acknowledg now that this is a le you n only e once a pch and explas that he went on to tell the story of mers the Dulais valley South Wal durg the 1984-5 strike – the longt Brish history – and a gay and lbian group om London that donated more money (£11,000 by December 1984) to their e than any other fundraiser the UK, along wh a mib emblazoned wh the logo LGSM: Lbians and Gays Support the Mers.In a when a gree of homophobia was the norm, LGSM drove a uple of mib om Hackney Communy Transport and a clapped-out VW mper van to a bleak mg town South Wal to prent their donatns, uncerta what sort of wele to expect. Three years later and the film, shot Banwen, Wal, and London, and directed by Tony-wng Matthew Warch (rponsible for Matilda the Mil, and soon to be artistic director of the Old Vic), is fished.You might assume a rom about strikg mers and 80s gays was unlikely to be big box-office, but the same was probably said of Billy Ellt.

It is really illogil to say, 'I'm gay and I'm to fendg the gay muny but I don't re about anythg else…'."In Pri, he is betifully played by Ben Schzer wh spontaney, sweetns and swagger – a heartbreaker. Berford says he was the harst character to repture, not least bee: "In Wal, they still talk about Mark Ashton as if he were Joan of Arc."In the homema LGSM documentary, we also glimpse a tall, handsome fellow wearg groovy leather troers, shakg a donatns bucket outsi Gay's the Word bookshop London's Marchmont Street – this is Jonathan Blake.

Cliff, an olr mer ( the film, a killgly funny and affectg Bill Nighy) appears the documentary sayg: "The lbians and gays have been super duper."LGSM members and mers dancg at the welfare hall the Dulais Valley, Wal. One hope is that the film might revive polil tert bee the activism of the left has been siled, the tra unns are weak, gay rights issu aren't there."Like many of those I terview, they say the film ma them weep and they see , part, as a memorial to Mark Ashton. He uld be argumentative but had this abily not to take himself too serly."Mike marvels at how tim have changed for homosexuals the metropolan first world: "It is unbelievable, we have ma such progrs.

PRI REVIEW – WHEN GAY ACTIVISTS STCK A AL WH MERS

We know about blacks and gays and nuclear disarmament and we will never be the same."He remisc about LGSM's first vis to Wal, tellg how the mib got lost the valleys and did not turn up until one the morng. At London’s Gay Pri March on 30 June, leftie activist Mark Ashton (played by Ben Schzer) argu that lbian and gay people should support the mers – for both groups are opprsed by the ernment and the tabloid prs. It do, however, make accurate nods to the historil ntext, quotg the notor words of Manchter chief nstable Jam Anrton scribg gay men “swirlg about a human csp of their own makg”, and showg the Department of Health’s Don’t Die of Ignorance mercial.

Some of even film is unashamedly polil, both s reprentatn of the prejudice agast homosexuals at a time was AIDS was vastatg the gay muny and the hostily of misters, media and police to the mers' fight to keep ps open, but the treatment ensur that this is an immensely entertag and often very funny work.

Although the movie wears s polil heart on s sleeve, avoids an over-simplistic portrayal of the gay e by showg entrenched opposn to their volvement the mers dispute om sectns of the Welsh muny and challenge om gays themselv as to why they should be volved a workers' strike, although the ntroversy of the lack of a ballot thorisg the strike self is script is a triumph wh every le makg an impact and tellg somethg and there are some wonrful jok.

COAL MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS PARTNER IN 'PRI'

Although GLSM was eventually shunned by the official strike mtee and the mers lost the strike and almost all of Bra's ps have subsequently closed, the ncludg scen of the film and the fal bs of rmative text turn this historic teractn to a succs that should spire the prent day gay muny and labour movement alike.

The movie got the tails exactly right, I and many of my gay iends were on lots of march cludg the on agast Clse 28 the evil Tory piece of legislatn that outlawed promotn of homosexualy schools and publicly fund mms and art gallerias (among others) I want to say about this film is that young gay and straight people should see . So one big thank you to all volved for makg this 50 somethg gay man remember so vividly, and spe of the dark days portrayed, our youthful stggle and remdg that we really did somethg wonrful and change thgs, as this film is proof posive that we did jt by the fact that is got ma.

UK: GAY MERS’ STRIKE FILM WS QUEER PALM AWARD AT CANN

Instead, this is really a study of the enormo prejudice and real physil danger faced by the gay and lbian muny London and the untry MacKay ("Sunshe on Leh") plays "Bromley" (real name Joe) – a 20-year old (so therefore unr-age at the time) who is a closet gay. Helpg him are his assorted iends cludg gay uple Jonathan and Geth (Domic Wt and the brilliant Andrew – "Moriaty" – Stt), Mike (Joseph Gilgun), Jeff (Freddie Fox) and Steph (Faye Marsay… "I'm the 'L' LGSM!

In particular (give or take the odd dodgy accent) the characters who make up the Welsh muny are all superb: Paddy Conside ("Hot Fuzz", "The Bourne Ultimatum") plays the open and reasonable envoy first sent to London to meet LGSM; Bill Nighy a quiet and unrstated performance (y, you heard me right) plays Cliff; Imelda Stnton plays the hilar role of Hefa, lear of the mtee group; Jsi Gunng is pch-perfect as Sian – a tea lady wh a feisty attu and Mreen (Lisa Paley) is a lightfully unlikable homophobic mer's wife who stok trouble wh ntemptuo glee. If so, this seems to be an unnecsary and Hollywood-style ndy-atg too all, for me this is a film that both highlights how far we have e thirty years the area of gay rights and perhaps how far there still is to go. Gradually the "wele the gays" group gas sway and an effective, funny, heart-warmg and movg arrangement is reached and the village benefs fancially and emotnally om the Gay group's story is a te one and the characters are (or were, AIDS took s toll) real people.

And we even have a polil party which stutnalis that spegoatg agast dividuals and groups who don't match up to their nventnal template bee of (among other thgs) their race, natnaly or sexual pri "Pri" is about more than Gay Pri. The dialogu are really good, well though-out, and livered nvcgly by a stellar st, who are always believable their 's not jt "good for an die gay movie" - 's an credibly powerful movie that ranks right up wh the bt of them this year (and wh stars such as Bill Nighy and Imelda Satunton, and a probably fair budget, don't have an "amatr" / "die" feel at all eher), worth the price of admissn (unlike, unfortunately, so many movi the days... Joe, a young naïve closeted gay boy arriv London to take part his first gay pri march, soon after arrivg Joe is taken by a lol gay and lbian rights activist group who do their part to raise funds to fight their foe Thatcher and her evil ways.

TURNS OUT, BARBIELAND ISN'T AS GAY AS S QUEER FANS HAD HOPED

The mers reject the gay and lbian activists money believg will do more harm than good for their e so the group unfazed but a ltle perplexed ci to take the money personally to the town to hand over and expla their suatn and hopefully form a new alliance agast the untri Prime Mister and her party… Pri is set a very bleak and dark time of Brish history but I feel that 's never actually shown that way, sure thgs are dark and gray but I wish the director jt add more hardship to his fal ed for the film, not beg a part of personally but rememberg how harsh was om school study and other films I have seen over time. My personal favoure performanc are probably Domic Wt's bee of his wonrful energy, fantastic livery and that the fact that he was playg a gay men (and was signifintly ls creepy than his Fred Wt performance) and Jsi Gunng's who played her play wh such warmth and fire. On top of this there is a plethora of tragic LGBT issu that further h the viewer like a fist throughout, be a fay not acceptg their gay son, the Mers' refal to fully support the LBGT muny when the gog gets tougher (the bleakns of those scen are particularly vastatg), the start of AIDS and the knowledge that the men's liv will never be the same, the ocsnal vlence shown to the gay men… the list really do go on.

Furthermore, as a sign of this inty of mon enavor, were not for the NUM the timoro Labour Party wouldn't have e out for Gay Rights the party platform The Welsh are known for sgg, so is not surprisg at the muny hall to hear a swellg chos of voic tong Bread and Ros, a song associated wh the 1912 Massachetts textile strike.

I watched this entire film om start to fish wh tears my ey and a se plastered across my tells a betiful story of a small group of Gay Rights activists who take actn to support the strikg mers whom they feel are feelg the same opprsn that they had once and were currently is a geo story of humany.

Yet, on the other hand, this sort of film, spe the polil rrectns, is probably NOT sted to be a huge blockbter--pecially sce many folks might not say anythg agast a pro-gay film but they certaly won't pay to go see one. It's a te story (wh a few liberate chang---such as removg any referenc to one of the founrs beg a munist) about an odd alliance the 1980s-- how a group of gay men and women me to ally themselv wh Brish al strikers!

Durg the 1984/85 Mers' Strike, a small group of Gays and Lbians London see parallels between between their own downtrodn suatn and that of the persecuted mers, and bee effective fund-raisers.

I have always been agast persecutn of people bee of their sexual orientatn (ed, I am agast persecutn generally), but I grew up a place and age where homosexualy was illegal, and I nnot ny that my attus have been loured by my upbrgg. I AM NOT ma of stone, even if the makers of "Pri" seem to urse, "Pri" go beyond the strike per se to report the remarkable alliance stck up between young male and female homosexuals and Welsh mers at a time when anti-Thatcher sympathi were NOT enough to bridge gaps of prejudice, even when the L&G muny did all they uld to raise funds to help the mers and their fai. It was a que different world, and one that gas thentic aforementned Bill Nighy plays far om his ual part, and is perhaps the most pellg character - a quiet, poetic soul thrilled by mg history and culture, though not que bld to s sts, a reprsed homosexual himself and a gentle man rortg to the strongt possible language as he spews out his loathg of "Thatcher".

On the L&G si there is an absolute plethora of great actg to savour, be om Faye Marsay as the lovely ( every sense) "Steph" or Domic Wt as olr gay actor Jonathan Blake - real life still alive 2017, spe beg among the first people Bra to be diagnosed HIV+.

On this si of the film, this is an ensemble chosen wh re to offer a non-stereotypil prentatn of the whole spectm of typ and personali that the lbian and gay muny (jt of urse like ANY OTHER COMMUNITY) n mter.

I did as much as I uld to support the mers and went on more mos than I n remember as well as givg half my wag to the e – every week, pl what ever else I uld is about the Lbian and Gay Support the Mers group and is told an often edic fashn. But the msage of solidary and fightg agast adversy for change are the stars of the on a te story, the film picts a group of LGBT activists who raised money to help fai affected by the UK mers' strike 1984, at the outset of what would bee the Lbians and Gays Support the Mers Natnal Unn of Meworkers was reluctant to accept the group's support due to the unn's public relatns' worri about beg openly associated wh a gay group, so the activists stead cid to take their donatns directly to a small mg village Wal — rultg an alliance between the two muni. Formg the LGSM (Lbians and Gays Support the Mers), they beg to raise money to help the strikg mers while alg wh the prejudice surroundg them, both om the straight muny and om the mers is their ial meetg and slow acceptance, amid the homophobia and bigotry, that mak Pri highly watchable.

K., you n actually draw a le right back to October 1985 and the Natnal Unn of Meworkers announcg was gog to support the lbian and gay motn for equali, ” adds Jackson, notg the mers helped achieve the rights Brish LGBT cizens enjoy today. It's the first time a UK film has received the honor, which is not part of the official Cann on a te story, Pri relat how a group of gay activists raised money to support the mers, breakg down stereotyp and fg a bond between the disparate groups.

There is a phoric fiance this impassned and lovable film, which premiered at Cann earlier this year, based on the te story of pneerg gay mpaigners London who supported the strikg mers 1984, and so dog had to overe tribal spicns among both London’s gay muny and the mers of south Wal. Warch’s film mak the se that the strike was not simply a Light-Briga charge to oblivn but a triumphant spur to gay rights and human rights, self-rpect and Schzer giv a gutsy performance as Mark Ashton, the mpaigner who cis to break out of what he se as the parochialism of gay polics and support the mers. He fac spicn om those who see mers as a macho tribe who wouldn’t lift a fger to help gay rais some sh and fds a sympathetic Welsh mg lear to accept : a dignified and telligent performance om Paddy Conside as Dai.

Coal mers and gay activists — two groups that, 1980s England at least, you might have figured would steer clear of each other — partner surprisgly effectively the real-life story that's affectnately fictnalized Pri.

Arguably many such gay dramas have largely foced on the stggle of the dividual, isolatn om the labour movement, echog the great stris sexual equaly that have occurred sce the 70s (acpanied by a rise e equaly). 25, 2014The classic unn anthem “Solidary Forever, ” sung by Pete Seeger, troduc “Pri, ” a stirrg film about the uneasy aln of Brish meworkers and gay and lbian activists durg a labor strike the mid-1980s. “Pri, ” unlike “The Full Monty, ” isn’t a edy, but lghs are harvted om the llisn of macho workg-class mers South Wal and young Londoners, mostly male, who gather at a gay strike was well unrway when Mark Ashton (Ben Schzer, “The Book Thief”), a fervent poli, began recg iends at a gay pri march London to raise money to help the mers and their fai.

The ps were so foced on breakg the strike Wal, he poted out, that their harassment of gay people London had temporarily fledglg anizatn, Lbians and Gays Support the Mers, tri to get touch wh the unn and eventually reach a lol chapter a South Wal village.

The first layer of ice is broken when Jonathan (an improbably st Domic Wt, of “The Wire”), an actor and gay party animal, improvis a wild “Saturday Night Fever”-style solo to Shirley & Company’s “Shame, Shame, Shame. The gay supporters, bis Mark and Jonathan, clu Jonathan’s lover, Geth (Andrew Stt), who grew up Wal, fled to London and hasn’t been home sce, and Joe (Gee MacKay), a shy, semi-closeted llege unn si clus Hefa (Imelda Stnton), a gung-ho, unflappable anizer who enthiastilly wel the gay ntgent, and Cliff (Bill Nighy), the unn’s pole, haltgly shy secretary.