{"id":53465,"date":"2022-05-31T08:48:24","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T05:48:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=53465"},"modified":"2022-05-31T18:01:57","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T15:01:57","slug":"rebel-dykes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=53465","title":{"rendered":"Rebel Dykes"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Rebel Dykes – screen shot\/Photo courtesy of Rebel Dykes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rebel Dykes<\/em>, Harri Shanahan and S\u00eean Williams debut feature, is a fun, fast-paced, sex-positive, exhilarating look at a community of dykes who challenged the oppressive norms of 1980s England. Outspoken and honest, contemporary interviews with members of the community are interwoven with archival footage and animation by Harri Shanahan, augmented by a terrific score with original music by Ellyott. As guitarist Debbie Smith, (Mouth Almighty, Curve, Echobelly) commented: \u201cIt was a great time and a terrible time to be young and queer in London.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israeli musician\/DJ\/composer Ellyott was part of the original group and will be present at the special screening of Rebel Dykes<\/em> at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque on Thursday, June 9, 2022. Following the screening, there will be a Q & A with Ellyott, moderated by Ruth Elbaz.<\/p>\n

The film captures the punk vibe of the era in its visuals, soundscape, and the powerful energy of the women sharing their memories and experiences. Fisch (aka King Frankie Sinatra) tempers her recollections with humor, saying, \u201cI came to London in the mid-70s, and I didn\u2019t know any other lesbians, there weren\u2019t any other lesbians as far as I was aware. I was actually the only one. So it was very difficult, there was nowhere to go\u2026it was really isolated.\u201d Many of the women found a feminist-lesbian haven at Greenham Common Women\u2019s Peace Camps, and the connections they made there branched out into expressions of art, music, nightlife and activism.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Rebel Dykes – screen shot\/Photo courtesy of Rebel Dykes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The documentary explores the exploits of these amazing individuals as they performed in punk bands (Mouth Almighty, Sleeze Sisters, Sluts from Outer Space), opened the legendary lesbian S&M club Chain Reaction, rode in the lesbian motor group The Black Widows, and created Quim, a sex-positive lesbian magazine.\u00a0 They protested Section 28, a law passed in 1988 that prohibited councils and schools from \u201cpromoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.\u201d The most spectacular protests were the abseiling into the House of Lords and the infiltration of BBC studios during the six o\u2019clock news as protesters padlocked themselves to desks. Yet the law remained in effect for 15 years. The documentary also touches on the conflicts and divisions within the feminist-lesbian community. Historian Lisa Power talks about the \u201crules\u201d of the \u201clesbian sex police\u201d that dictated \u201cwhat you had to do to be a lesbian\u201d which author and activist Raz Kaveny amusingly describes as \u201cholding hands in 20 intimate positions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rebel Dykes<\/em> will be shown at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 21:00. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Ellyott, who composed the music for the film and was one of the original members of the group. The talk will be moderated by Ruth Elbaz.<\/p>\n

Tickets may be ordered online from the Tel Aviv Cinematheque<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rebel Dykes<\/em><\/p>\n

UK\/120 min\/English with Hebrew subtitles<\/p>\n

Directed and edited by Harri Shanahan and S\u00eean Williams; Production: Siobhan Fahey; Music: Ellyott<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n