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A lonely gay man discovers friends, love and activism in this rediscovered educational film made by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality
Drama-documentary 1976 38 mins
This is an important rediscovery in Britain's LGBT history, made on a shoestring on Super8 over the hot summer of 1976 by members of the Lewisham branch of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE). The film follows lonely, isolated office clerk David as he discovers CHE, makes new friends and blossoms into a happy, out gay man. Intended as an educational tool, the film was shown around the country to straight and gay audiences. It features rare footage of the 1976 Gay Pride rally in Hyde Park, where Tom Robinson debuted his hit anthem 'Glad to be Gay'.
David is Homosexual was written and directed by the late Wilfred Avery and filmed by David Belton; the pair were supported by many gay men and lesbians from CHE and the wider community. The edited film, along with many reels of rushes and outtakes, was donated to the BFI National Archive in 2016. The soundtrack, which features music donated by Paul South of the band Handbag, has sadly deteriorated, though the narration is audible.
Documentary 1969 52 mins Location: Vauxhall
Scintillating look at the 1960s drag renaissance, with a visit to London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Magazine and Review show 1983 25 mins Location: Bloomsbury
The Gay Black Group - reasserting culture and identity on two levels.
Current affairs 1980 26 mins Location: Hay-on-Wye/Y Gelli Gandryll
Transgender pioneer April Ashley appears in this moving look at the challenges faced by the trans community in 1980s Britain
Drama 2016 9 mins
Struggling with the pressures of homophobia when her partner is taken away by a hateful mother, a young gay woman struggles to cope with the traumas and anxieties of her life.
Drama 1980 54 mins
Sao Paulo-set love triangle drama, featuring a rare TV depiction of bisexuality.
Factual TV 1974 50 mins Location: Westminster
The Campaign for Homosexual Equality is given airtime in the first ever community access series on British TV
Amateur film 1952 10 mins Silent Location: Lewisham
Stopping at numerous locations across London, an amateur filmmaker records the last days of trams in 1952 and trolleybuses in 1962.
Industry sponsored film 1978 4 mins Silent Location: Crystal Palace
Take a trip down memory lane to a time when a fleet of the popular RT buses serves the capital and congestion is still a thing of the future.
School programme and Educational film 1975 17 mins Location: Lewisham
Changing streets and school playgrounds – plus children’s paintings – all feature in this final episode of a 1970s children series.
Amateur film 1933 6 mins Silent Location: Lewisham
Precious pre-war film of Lewisham town centre, shot on the opening day of Tower House, the huge Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society store, in 1933.
Travelogue 1922 5 mins Silent Location: Lewisham
Journey into a lost London with this exquisitely detailed tour of the shops and street life of 1920s Lewisham.
Drama 2020 21 mins
A young Palestinian woman crosses the Israeli border illegally to find her long-lost brother, who she hopes will be her ticket to a new life.
Charity appeal 2020 2 mins
Beautiful NHS fundraiser, setting Michael Rosen’s poem to powerful archive images.
Non-Fiction 1924 1 mins Silent Location: Woking
The UK's first purpose-built mosque welcomes a huge crowd of worshippers - and newsreel cameras!
Comedy 1914 9 mins Silent
A vicar is caught flirting with an improperly-dressed chorus girl in this saucy silent comedy.
Non-Fiction 1901 4 mins Silent Location: Manchester
A volunteer cavalry regiment is enthusiastically welcomed home after active service in South Africa.
Non-Fiction 1901 2 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
All ashore! Passengers disembark and crew offload after a long Atlantic crossing.
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