Beautiful Things

"I defy you to do your worst. It can hardly be my worst. Mine has already and often happened to me. You cannot touch me now. I am one of the stately homos of England." Quentin Crisp, The Naked Civil Servant (1975)

On 27 July 1967 the Sexual Offences Act became law, finally decriminalising consensual sex between two men in private. Launched to mark the 40th anniversary of this step towards greater equality, Beautiful Things is a major collection of over 100 films and television programmes that chronicle and explore queer representation and identities over the last century, a large number of which have been unavailable since their first release or broadcast.

The collection encompasses Victorian cross-dressers in Women's Rights (1899) and bisexual time travellers in Torchwood (2007). Classics such as Victim (1961) and Oranges are Not the Only Fruit (1990) show alongside rarely seen dramas and archive discoveries. Look out for new additions including Bill Douglas' startling early short Come Dancing (1969) and the hugely controversial Channel 4 drama Clapham Junction (2007).

Robin Baker
Head Curator, BFI National Archive

In association with:
The BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival - www.bfi.org.uk/llgff
The House of Homosexual Culture - www.myspace.com/homoculture
Club des Femmes - www.clubdesfemmes.blogspot.com

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