Rebel Dykes (2021): Bohemia Media
This year’s BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival is yet another festival which despite the current circumstances has pulled together an impeccable programme of features, short films, and discussions, all of which highlight, explore, and celebrate LGBTIQ+ voices and experiences. If you are unsure where to begin with the festival’s sumptuous programme which is available online until the 28th of March, then Rebel Dykes is an excellent place to start.
Harri Shanahan and Siân Williams’ documentary, which they have adapted into this feature from their 2016 short of the same name, is a radical telling of the rebellious post-punk lesbian culture(s) of 1980s London. The patchwork of archival footage, animation, and interviews with the trailblazing radicals themselves gives the documentary a homegrown, zine-like aesthetic which is a delight to watch. While the talking head approach gives viewers an oral history from a widely overlooked perspective, the inclusion of archival footage and images is a reminder of the importance of the documentation of LGBTIQ+ experiences.
Rebel Dykes is told from the perspective of those who lived in a “dirtier” and “meaner” London in the 80s. The urgent need to reclaim space is just one of the resonant subjects at hand. “Everything seemed to be owned by the patriarchy” one woman recalls near the beginning of the film while others recount the dangers presented from being a lesbian and being visible. The absence of safe spaces for young queer women to gather in at the time prompted the establishment of Chain Reaction – a sex-positive and trans-inclusive S&M nightclub which became a core space for rebel dyke culture. As Rebel Dykes demonstrates, the nightclub wasn’t to everybody’s taste, but recollections of late nights spent there watching cabaret and mud wrestling provide a strong framework for discussing nuances and divisions within the community itself, particularly around sex, S&M, and censorship.
Most significantly, Rebel Dykes reminds us how important it is to hear and learn from the trailblazers who came before us – those who unapologetically owned their identities, rebelled against the norm that was stifling them and created their own communities equipped with a spectrum of fashion, art, music, and literature. Furthermore, it is not only a privilege but a necessity to hear from those who battled Thatcher-era oppression, the AIDS crisis, and Section 28.
It is apparent when watching the film that very little space has been created to tell this specific story thusfar. The perspectives and voices of lesbians have historically been overlooked and/or silenced and archives are no exception. The archive footage and images shown in Rebel Dykes are an absolute joy to behold; unlocking a world previously unseen by those who were born after this monumental time in queer history and therefore the film emphasises the necessity for intergenerational community and communication for LGBTIQ+ people.
Rebel Dykes is currently being screened as part of BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival 2021 until 28th March. The film is due to be released in the UK later this year. A post-viewing discussion with the directors is available to watch on the BFI Flare YouTube channel here.
Words by Rosie Beattie.
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