Lesbians and gays support the miners!

Prepare your eyes for an unlikely alliance between the police, the Conservative press and London-based gay and lesbian activists, who come together united by their common foe, Margaret Thatcher, to lend their support to striking miners in 1984 Wales.

Inspired by actual events, director Matthew Warchus’ 2014 historical comedy-drama film, Pride, features Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Paddy Considine.

It’s the summer of 1984. Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem. The Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.

But the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the Union and go direct to the miners, to the Welsh village of Onllwyn in the Dulais valley Wales, and set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

Pride was screened as part of the Directors’ Fortnight of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Queer Palm award. The film was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and for the BAFTA for Best British Film, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Imelda Staunton and for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Pride
Screening of the 2014 drama.
From July 21. Constantia Open-air Cinema, 15 Solonos Michaelides Street, Nicosia. 9pm. €5. With Greek subtitles. Tel: 22-349085

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.