BLUE JEAN

England, 1988. Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government has introduced Section 28, a clause of the Local Government Act which seeks to prohibit “the promotion of homosexuality” by local authorities across the United Kingdom. For Jean, a gym teacher whose sexuality is a secret from her colleagues, the threat is immediate and real: if exposed, her love life could cost her her job. At work, every sidelong glance, every whisper, and every query about Jean’s private life is a threat. But sympathy from her girlfriend Viv, also feels limited. Out and proud, and part of a cooperative of similarly assertive lesbian women, Viv regards secrecy as a capitulation to an increasingly oppressive system. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new girl at school catalyses a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core. Anchored by a stunning performance from Rosy McEwen, this poised and penetrating debut of Georgia Oakley grips like a thriller, whilst exploring with intense sensitivity a period in British history the effects of which still resonate in countless lives today.