Blue Jean

A closeted PE teacher reckons with her identity during Thatcherite Britain in Georgia Oakley’s delicate yet gripping BAFTA-nominated debut.

Tyneside. 1988. Jean is a woman living a double life: by day, she’s a PE teacher, putting secondary school students through their paces. At night, she frequents a local lesbian bar with her friends and long-term partner. The looming Section 28 ruling encourages her to keep her life compartmentalised, until the arrival of a new student threatens to shake her world apart.

Earning a BAFTA 2023 nomination for Best Outstanding Debut, this astonishing debut feature from Georgia Oakley is a delicate yet gripping character study of a woman unsure of how she wants to be – or is allowed to be – perceived in her own life. Powered by a hypnotic performance from Rosy McEwen in the title role, the film feels like a precious time capsule thanks to the attention to period detail, precise music choices and beautiful, evocative 16mm photography, all the while serving as a vital reminder of the lasting ramifications of Thatcherism. Blue Jean was made with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding.