BLUE JEAN
BLUE JEAN
A PE teacher in Thatcher’s England hides her sexual orientation. Living a double life becomes increasingly difficult when she recognises one of her students facing an oppressive school environment.
Banning the promotion of homosexuality - a slogan that, unfortunately, we are all too familiar with and continues to carry in polarised Polish society. It was just as catchy and, worse still, present in law in Thatcher's England of the late 1980s, as depicted in BLUE JEAN. Debutant Georgia Oakley portrays the clash between women fighting for sexual freedom and Britain's homophobic policies.
Jean (played by Rosy McEwen) is a PE teacher who cannot safely come out. In the staff room, she regularly encounters homophobic comments from her colleagues, who applaud the conservative politicians denouncing homosexuality on TV. Jean sees how these dehumanising attitudes seep into the students, particularly when outsider Lois (Lucy Halliday) joins her class. She faces a choice: continue conforming to the heteronormative pressures and keep up appearances or support a student discovering her sexuality. This dilemma also affects her relationship with her partner, Vivian (Kerrie Hayes), who seeks clarity on the future of their relationship.
Oakley’s film holds Margaret Thatcher’s government accountable for its oppressive legislation, which fuelled societal hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community. At the same time, BLUE JEAN gives voice to the lesbian women caught in this struggle, approaching their challenges with empathy rather than judgement and emphasising the solidarity within queer communities.
Michał Sołtysek
