This film is part of Rentals
A Boy Called Mary
The fabulous life and times of queer writer Kris Kirk, who became one of the UK’s most influential music journalists.
Director: Paul Oremland
Overview
Self-proclaimed ‘Catholic faggot’ Kris Kirk, born Christopher Pius Mary Kirk, became a pioneering music journalist in the 1980s. In this exhilarating waltz through his life, Kirk takes us from a working-class childhood in Carlisle to interviewing the stars of the 80s pop scene, accompanied by a marvellously eclectic soundtrack written especially for the film.
A Boy Called Mary was made for Channel 4’s landmark series Six of Hearts, exploring gay and lesbian lives in the 1980s through a mix of documentary interviews and re-enacted scenes. Kirk is a refreshingly candid guide through the gay scene of the 70s and 80s, not holding back on his loathing of Thatcher and his dislike of working at Gay News. In the years following the broadcast of A Boy Called Mary, Kirk continued to write, including the landmark essay A Descent into Darkness in 1992, about the blindness that resulted from his AIDS diagnosis. He died the following year.
Related
Orlando Orlando
Fantasy 1993 93 mins Director: Sally Potter
Tilda Swinton stars in Sally Potter's dazzling interpretation of Virginia Woolf's novel.
The Crying Game The Crying Game
Drama 1992 112 mins Director: Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan's acclaimed 1992 drama-mystery tells the story of Fergus (Stephen Rea), who looks after the lover (Jaye Davidson) of a British soldier he once knew. But what is Dil hiding?
Pride Pride
Comedy 2014 120 mins Director: Matthew Warchus
The smash culture-clash comedy tells the incredible true story of how miners and a Gay Pride support group come together to fight a common cause.
50 Years Legal 50 Years Legal
Documentary 2017 77 mins Director: Simon Napier-Bell
Five decades on from the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, a range of LGBTQ+ stars (including Sir Elton John and Stephen Fry) reflect on Britain's history of prejudice, persecution and liberation.
Rebel Dykes Rebel Dykes
Documentary 2021 91 mins Director: Harri Shanahan and Sîan Williams
A brilliant and refreshing story of UK post-punk dyke culture, told by those who lived it.
Ammonite Ammonite
Biopic 2021 118 mins Director: Francis Lee
Francis Lee follows up God’s Own Country with a film that is every bit as immersive, tactile and emotionally powerful, aided by the devastatingly good Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan.
Tides of Laughter Tides of Laughter
1986 49 mins Director: Paul Oremland
A female ‘end-of-the-pier’ double act find out a surprising secret about their landlady - and about each other.
Andy the Furniture Maker Andy the Furniture Maker
1986 53 mins Director: Paul Oremland
How did a cute, gay Essex boy go from oyster fishing to becoming the toast of the London arts scene?
Tall Dark Stranger Tall Dark Stranger
1986 48 mins Director: Paul Oremland
Are you ready to strut your stuff? Take a bracing, sexy cruise around the diverse 1980s gay scene.
Robot Dreams Robot Dreams
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 103 mins Director: Pablo Berger
Spanish director Pablo Berger delivers a rich and emotionally engaging dialogue-free animation about friendship, set in a bustling 1980s New York City.
Stephen Stephen
Drama-documentary 2023 78 mins Director: Melanie Manchot
Artist Melanie Manchot’s debut feature is a visually striking film-within-a-film, exploring mental health and addiction.
Red Island Red Island
Drama 2023 117 mins Director: Robin Campillo
French writer-director Robin Campillo offers a searching exploration of memory and politics, in this boldly conceived story of boyhood in 1970s Madagascar.
Drift Drift
Drama 2023 93 mins Director: Anthony Chen
Cynthia Erivo delivers a captivating performance as a young refugee, who after fleeing war-torn Liberia finds hope when she meets a fellow lost soul.
Late Night with the Devil Late Night with the Devil
Horror 2023 93 mins Director: Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes
Like Ghostwatch reimagined as a cheesy 1970s chat show, this deviously clever found-footage horror has scares to spare.
Drifter Drifter
Drama 2023 79 mins Director: Hannes Hirsch
A scintillating portrait of a young man coming to terms with life, love, sex and relationships in contemporary Berlin.