Before Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Carol, there was Desert Hearts! Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Donna Deitch’s tender, ground-breaking directorial debut is a landmark of queer cinema and a triumph of independent filmmaking. Based on Jane Rule’s novel, the film follows Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), an uptight professor who travels to Reno for divorce; her world is changed however when she is thrown into the orbit of Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), a confident, free-spirited younger woman. With luminous desert landscapes and Robert Elswit’s striking cinematography, Desert Hearts remains a radical classic of LGBTQ+ cinema.
Entirely self-financed and made with just $800,000, Desert Hearts broke new ground as one of the first American features to centre lesbian love without tragedy or sensationalism. 40 years later, the film is celebrated as both a cult classic and a landmark in queer cinema. The film has enduring power as an example of a sensual romance that remains as vital and radical today as it was upon release.
This film has been selected by Hope Bhargava a student from BA Creative Arts and Humanities.
UCL East Community Cinema
This screening is part of the UCL East Community Cinema, a series of free screenings on Wednesday evenings with films specially selected by our students, academics and community partners.
Donations
This screening is supporting AKT, the national LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity. To this day, 24% of young homeless people aged 16-25 identify as being LGBTQ+, emphasising the crucial need for AKT's services. If you'd like to donate, you can do so here: https://donate.supportedgiving.com/akt?qrCode=Lj9gif7l0sRF&visitor=99d54bf1-cf3d-408d-9d8f-ac70ecd41def There will also be posters in the cinema where you can donate on the night. Thank you for your support.
