BLUE JEAN

Jean, a lesbian PE teacher in the time of Section 28, leads a double life. When a new student arrives, Jean is pushed to extreme lengths to keep her job and her integrity.
Saturday 25 March Picture House Doors 1:00 PM | Session 1:30 | PM End 3:42 PM
                                         Director: Georgia Oakley | 2022 | UK | 97 mins | 15 | TRIPLE F-RATED
                                    Q&A with Kerrie Hayes (actor), Hélène Sifre (producer)
                                         and Catherine Lee & Sarah Squires (the women who inspired the story)
In 1988, Jean, a closeted lesbian PE teacher, is forced to live a double life when Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government passes Section 28, a law stigmatising gays and lesbians. A new student threatens to expose Jean's sexuality, creating a crisis and bringing about betrayals and heartbreak that will challenge her to her core. The film explores the ramifications of homophobic laws like Section 28 on an individual and personal level, and is a beautiful, complicated and affecting drama with brilliant performances by Rosy McEwen and Kerrie Hayes.

FILMMAKER: GEORGIA OAKLEY

Nominee:
BAFTA - Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer
Sutherland Award (First Feature Competition) - BFI London Film Festival

Winner:
BIFA, Best Lead Performance (Rosy McEwen)
BIFA, Best Supporting Performance (Kerrie Hayes)
BIFA, Debut Screenwriter (Georgia Oakley)
Audience Award - Giornate Degli Autori, Venice Film Festival
Breakthrough Performance (Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes) - Belfast Film Festival
'My motivation for telling Jean's story stems from a personal understanding of internalised homophobia, as well as a desire to give voice to those forgotten teachers who battled stigma and defamation under Section 28.

It was always the plan to make a portrait piece about one woman grappling with her identity, as opposed to a big political drama about the law itself. As a storyteller, I want to hold a microscope up to the small things that keep Jean awake at night, in an attempt to reframe the discussion on bigger issues such as homophobia, patriarchy and class that plagued the UK in the 80s, as they do now.
 
We always intended to shoot Blue Jean on 16mm, and with a slightly heightened aesthetic. We wanted to create a visual language inspired by classics from the time, rather than an 80s throwback. Inspired by filmmakers such as Kelly Reichardt and Chantal Akerman, I seek to present a protagonist without glamorisation or misrepresentation. Jean is no hero - and that’s precisely why I’ve loved digging into her story these past four years.'

PRAISE FOR BLUE JEAN

"A slam-dunk masterpiece" ★★★★★ - THE TELEGRAPH
 
"A knockout performance from Rosy McEwen" - SCREEN DAILY
 
"Deeply human" ★★★★★ - ATTITUDE MAGAZINE
 
“A quietly searing British debut” - VARIETY
 
“A vital film in the current British climate” - ALTERNATIVE LENS
 
“Rosy McEwen puts in a calling card performance for the ages” - THE PLAYLIST
 
“A film teeming with compassion and nuance” - THE UPCOMING
 
“Timeless… Georgia Oakley’s outstanding debut is a must-watch” ★★★★★ - LOUD AND CLEAR
 
“Poignant and impactful” - LITTLE WHITE LIES
 
“Rosy McEwen is phenomenal” ★★★★★ - ONE ROOM WITH A VIEW