Summaries

U.K. gay activists work to help miners during their lengthy strike of the National Union of Mineworkers in the summer of 1984.

In 1984, 20-year-old closet gay Joe hesitantly arrives in London from Bromley for his first Gay Pride march and is taken under the collective wing of a group of gay men and Lesbian Steph, who meet at the Soho bookshop of flamboyant Jonathan and his Welsh partner Gethin. Not only are gays being threatened by Thatcher, but also the miners are on strike in response to her pit closures, and Northern Irish activist Mark Ashton believes that gays and miners should show solidarity. Almost by accident, a minibus-load of gays find themselves in the Welsh village of Onllwyn in the Dulais valley, and through their sincere fundraising and Jonathan's nifty disco moves persuade most of the community that they are on the same side. When a bigot tries to sabotage the partnership with a tabloid smear Mark turns it back on her with a hugely-successful benefit concert to which most of the villagers, now thoroughly in tune with their gay friends, turn up. The miners are defeated and return to work, but at the Pride march the following year a vast contingent of miners show up to repay their comrades with their show of support.—don @ minifie-1

In the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem: the Union seems to be embarrassed to receive their support.—yusufpiskin

Details

Keywords
  • miner
  • gay love
  • gay pride
  • gay activist
  • gay acceptance
Genres
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • History
  • Biography
Release date Sep 11, 2014
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) R
Countries of origin United States United Kingdom France
Language English Welsh
Filming locations Onllwyn, Powys, Wales
Production companies Pathé CBS Films Pathe UK

Box office

Gross US & Canada $1446634
Opening weekend US & Canada $100040
Gross worldwide $19014619

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 59m
Color Color
Sound mix Dolby Digital
Aspect ratio 2.35 : 1

Synopsis

Its the summer of 1984 Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem. The Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.

But the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the Union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village in deepest Wales and set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

All Filters