23Jul 24
Desert Hearts
Doors: 19:00
Time: 19:30
Date: 23 Jul 2024
Location:
Hebden Bridge Picture House, New Road, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8AD
Cost: £7.50-£8.50
A must-see landmark in lesbian cinema
In a rare screening on a new print, this 1950s-set love story remains one of the most sensual and beautifully shot lesbian films of all time, with an introduction by the BFI’s Emma Smart and a Q&A afterwards.
Event Information
Donna Deitch’s luscious romantic drama follows the uptight professor Vivian (Helen Shaver) who arrives in Reno, Nevada in 1959 to legalise her divorce. There she meets the free- spirited Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) who works in the casinos where she fends off the advances of men and seduces women.
Based on the Jane Rule novel Desert of the Heart and drawing on campy tropes from mid-century lesbian pulp novels, Donna Deitch’s pioneering film was the first to grant its lesbians a happy ending. Nearly forty years later, Desert Hearts remains a beloved gem of queer filmmaking.
Shot beautifully by cinematographer Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood) and accompanied by a nostalgic jukebox soundtrack, Desert Hearts is a must-see landmark in lesbian cinema.
Emma Smart, Director of Collections, Learning & Engagement at the BFI, will introduce the film and take part in a Q&A afterwards with Happy Valley Pride's Chair Jenn Wilson.
Access information
Seating: booked seating
Vibe: this is likely to be a quiet and respectful audience of people who want to enjoy the film
Wheelchair access: Fully accessible - see link below
Induction Loop: Available - see link below
Toilets: Accessible
Food and Drink: Popcorn, sweets and cakes available plus tea, coffee, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
For full access information, please visit: https://hebdenbridgepicturehouse.co.uk/access
Walk-round video to follow. Please check back closer to the event.
