Queer Edward II
A Lightborn Films Production in association with March 13th and John Gore Studios
Spring 1991: queer life is under renewed attack in Britain, and filmmaker Derek Jarman is adapting Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II into a radical protest film. Drawing on extraordinary never-before-seen footage shot by Seamus McGarvey on Jarman’s set, Queer Edward II is about the refusal to separate art from life, politics from pleasure.
“ The films are of no consequence, and no interest.
What is of interest is law reform, and to give solidarity to other people. That’s the only reason for making them in this way. But it’s a very good reason. It leaves my peers with no good reason except their vanity in their attempt to make a good film.
I have another agenda. ”
Synopsis
In 1991, Derek Jarman sets out to adapt Edward II — a gay love story with a bloody ending — into a film that will speak directly to the homophobia of the era. New legislation threatens to criminalise consenting gay behaviour, and the tabloids are baying for blood.
Recently diagnosed with HIV and unwilling to play nice, Jarman throws his lot in with the radicals. He casts fellow activists from OutRage! as extras and channels the energy of injustice and protest into his film.
Young cameraman Seamus McGarvey captures a buzzing, joyful set: a pack of beagles let loose, drag nuns on a smoke break, an impromptu naked rugby scrum. Meanwhile, Jarman courts controversy from all sides, chastising fellow activists in print and getting himself arrested at OutRage! demos.
What begins as a low-budget period drama spirals into scandal as protesters from Outrage! cause a ruckus on a neighbouring sound stage. The tabloids quickly catch wind, sending the production into panic.
At the centre of the ensuing debate on privacy and protest is Jarman, mischievous and uncompromising as ever.
Director statement
When I was first approached to look through unseen rushes shot on the set of Edward II – which had been sat in a cupboard for over thirty years – I hoped there might be enough material for a short. Instead, I was astonished to find a comprehensive record of Jarman’s idiosyncratic filmmaking practice, capturing everything from rehearsals to intimate conversations to production office dramas. What really struck me, however, was the set’s embrace of the 1990s political climate, particularly regarding gay rights.
That Derek Jarman was a political artist is immediately apparent from the films themselves. Less clear to me was his active involvement with the movement: his decision to become the first public figure in the UK to disclose his HIV status, and his association with OutRage! in particular. As a queer filmmaker born just after Jarman’s death, I saw a clear opportunity to use the Edward II set as a springboard to discuss what I wish I’d known: just how high the stakes were for the community at this historical moment, and Jarman’s centrality to the struggle that followed.
My perspective is shaped by a belief that queer history is too often depoliticised and reduced to respectable narratives of progress, rather than the messy, confrontational movements that made that progress possible. With anti-trans rhetoric and attacks on queer rights again intensifying, I hope the film can function not simply as a snapshot of a historical moment, but as a reminder of what collective resistance can look like – and what role art has to play.
Interviews
“A Wondrous Documentary”
Leslie Felperin
"A Terrific doc that captures — and liberates — Derek Jarman’s trailblazing spirit"
Jessican Kiang
"The real breakout of this year’s Venice"
Douglas Greenwod
“A- ... Captures what made Jarman special [...] a feat of storytelling in its own right”
Sophie Monks Kaufman
“An absorbing and affecting portrait of a dedicated artist at work.”
★★★★
Peter Bradshaw
"Remarkable found-footage documentary examines the wider political context that shaped Derek Jarman’s creation of his 1991 drama Edward II"
Travis Jeppessen
“Intimate, joyful and politically-edged [...] If you love a movie about the movies, this one is a gem”
★★★★
Phil de Semlyen
"Rollason focuses on Jarman’s political activism at the height of the AIDS crisis when gay rights were being rolled back, bringing his spirit of defiance to audiences as the struggle repeats today."
Carmen Gray
"A stirring and genius film that feels like a rock music doc for a rebellious gay filmmaker, and an ode to an era of powerful, life-changing activism."
Douglas Greenwood
"A glorious celebration of Jarman and a moving snapshot of a divisive time in sexual politics."
Donal Clark
“Theo Rollason’s debut feature is a spirited, jubilant portrait of a filmmaking legend at the height of his powers.”
Luke Hicks
(one of ... )"The 10 best movies we saw at Venice this year"
Frank Jones
"Rollason’s archival documentary draws from jaw-dropping BTS footage that captures how Jarman reinvented queer cinema while living in – and fighting against – Thatcher’s Britain"
Nick Chen
"Fascinating time capsule that showcases both the filmmaking process and the political movement from decades ago
Josh Parnham
"A must-watch"
★★★★★ Daniel Allen
"An intimate, absorbing, timely portrait of radical gay film-maker Derek Jarman"
Stephen Dalton
"Rollason’s film is charged with the invigorating spark of artistic creation and political action."
★★★★
Chris Cassingham
"Intimate and entertaining doc links the making of Derek Jarman’s 1991 feature Edward II and wider LGBTQ+ activism"
Dave Calhoun
"Derek Jarman Refuses to Become a Museum Piece"
★★★★
Marcus Thorne
"A must-see for anyone interested in British and/or queer history"
★★★★
Selina Sonderman
"Rollason’s wholly enveloping doc rightly roots Derek Jarman as a gay rights hero"
Frank J Avella
"A story of art as resistance"
Adrea Vergari
reviews
London Film Festival
Sun
Oct
11
Vue West End, EPIC 1
6:00pm
Tue
Oct
13
Prince Charles Cinema
8:45pm
Sun
Oct
18
BFI Southbank
7:00pm
Venice film festival
Fri
sep
4
Sala Grande (World Premiere!)
2:30pm
Sat
Sep
5
Sala Volpi
5:00pm
Sat
Sep
5
Astra 2
7:00pm
Sat
Sep
5
Astra 2
9:30pm
Screenings
More screenings announced soon!
The team
Director
Theo Rollason
Theo is a London-based filmmaker with a background in editing. They have also worked as a film critic, programmer, and archivist for the estate of the artist Paula Rego. They recently co-directed the BFI-funded short film “Out of the Peat” with Tabby Carless-Frost. Queer Edward II is their debut feature.
Produced by
Ben Fowlie
Sebastien Rabas
Producers
Michael Sherman
John Gore
Editors
Nicole Hálová
Theo Rollason
Supervising Editor
Joe Bini
Cinematographer
Seamus McGarvey BSC, ASC
Composer
Simon Fisher Turner
Executive Producers
Ahmad Ahmadzadeh
Jamie Anderson
Joe Bini
Christine D'Souza
Francis Hopkinson
Jonathan Lack
Nevine Mabro
Seamus McGarvey
Luke W. Moody
Julia Nelson
Sandy Powell
Tilda Swinton
Russell Tovey
Christine Vachon
co-executive producer
Satinder Chhokar
Associate Producer
Sarah Swords
Claire Edelman
archive producer
Dora Ash Sakula
Neo Michael
Sound Design
Siim Skepast
Production Assistant
Tabby Carless-Frost
