Private Project

Lehendarni Dity [Usi Kvir] Solidarnist' Ukrayina versiya

“We've had a bully in The White House. You have your own bullies here in the UK...” - STUART MILK

Human Rights documentary Lehendarni Dity [Usi Kvir] / Legendary Children [All Of Them Queer] follows many of the original Gay Liberation Front pioneers of the 1972 and first European Pride March during events over the summer of Pride 50 when the UK marked its 50th anniversary in spectacular style.

"Brutality cannot defeat us" - PRIDE 50 DEMONSTRATOR

The headline cast encompasses genuinely influential figures in LGBTQIA+ rights activism and its history, there at the very start when Pride took its first steps in Europe.

Titled after Holly Johnson’s iconic song (and with his personal and full support) the film is not a history lesson, but a lively, first-hand recollection of many stages along the way of 50 years of LGBT+ Human Rights protest, from the mouths of those who were there.

"So Dance, f**k, every night you can
And if they come for you..." - ROZ KAVENEY

Unusually intergenerational and visibly intersectional, the film also reflects the powerful, diverse community we are today, showing how Pride continues to put its strength behind issues of extreme current concern like the treatment of LGBTQIA+ refugees and attempts to undermine trans identities and rights.

Made very much in association with the now re-formed Gay Liberation Front, the film was made with no funding or financial assistance of any kind. Much in the spirit of the 1972 Pride, only superhuman cooperation and goodwill, and the willingness to get involved, made it possible.

Solidarnist'.

“Back then, most LGBT+ people were closeted. They believed that we should be ashamed. They felt guilty. They felt we didn’t deserve equal rights.” - PETER TATCHELL

UK distributor/Sales Agent Peccadillo Pictures

STILLS
Wide collection of high resolution stills available.

Onscreen text in ENGLISH and UKRAINIAN
SUBTITLES: screener has burnt-in subtitles
partially ENGLISH captioned partially UKRAINIAN captioned
(LANGUAGE TRANSLATION STRICTLY ONLY WORK IN PROGRESS AT PRESENT!)

It should be very clearly noted that the presence of the pink triangle in artwork (a theme of the film) in no way references Russian propaganda statements. Its historical significance as a reversed, reclaimed and empowering resistance symbol adopted by LGBT+ people worldwide is clearly explained in the film.

  • Rob Falconer
    Director
    27000@25: When We Were Boys (World AIDS Day worldwide with Erasure and Jimmy Somerville), Gay Man's Guide To Safer Sex, #ReclaimPride, Gilded Vectors Of Disease (radio series), Being At Home With Claude (radio drama), Freedom: 50 Years of Pride (excerpts)
  • Rob Falconer
    Writer
    27000@25: When We Were Boys (World AIDS Day worldwide with Erasure and Jimmy Somerville), Gay Man's Guide To Safer Sex, #ReclaimPride, Gilded Vectors Of Disease (radio series)
  • Rob Falconer
    Producer
    27000@25: When We Were Boys, Gay Man's Guide To Safer Sex (sequel, 7 countries, Virgin Retail Number 1), #ReclaimPride, Speaking In Riddles, The Gilded Vectors Of Disease (radio factual series and retail CD release), The Tailor-Made Man (radio drama with Hollywood and Broadway star Judd Hirsch)
  • Peter Tatchell
    Key Cast
    Hating Peter Tatchell (Netflix), international human rights activist and campaigner
  • Tom Robinson
    Key Cast
    Internationally acclaimed rock musician and broadcaster, Worldwide hits include War Baby, Glad To Be Gay
  • Angela Mason, CBE, OBE
    Key Cast
    Former director of Stonewall, politician and activist, Freedom: 50 Years of Pride (BBC/C4)
  • Roz Kaveney
    Key Cast
    Pioneering trans activist, author, critic and award-winning poet
  • Ted Brown
    Key Cast
    US-born award winning international human rights, BAME and LGBTQIA+ rights campaigner, Freedom: 50 Years of Pride (BBC/C4), Good Morning Britain, BBC World Service
  • Lanah Pillay
    Key Cast
    Breakthrough agendered actor, comic and musician, worldwide music hits with Stock Aitken Waterman and Gary Clail, TV/film includes Eat The Rich, The Comic Strip, theatre and cabaret in London, Edinburgh and US including Torsten co-starring with Andy Bell.
  • Stuart Milk
    Key Cast
    US and international political activist and speaker, the co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, nephew of the late Harvey Milk
  • Neil Bartlett, OBE
    Key Cast
    Internationally acclaimed theatre maker, director, actor, novelist. Work includes A Vision of Love Revealed in Sleep, Sarrasine. Latest production Orlando, Garrick Theatre, London West End, Derek Jarman's BLUE Live (stage version).
  • Stuart Feather
    Key Cast
    Actor and company member of the former Bloolips Theatre, author of Blowing The Lid, GLF activist
  • Nathaniel J Hall
    Key Cast
    Actor and award-winning playwright of First Time. HIV rights activist. It's A Sin (Donald Bassett), playwright Toxic (2023)
  • Nettie Pollard
    Key Cast
    National Council For Civil Liberties (now Liberty), the former Greater London Council, GLF activist
  • Rainer Schulze
    Key Cast
    Professor Emeritus Modern European History University of Essex. Member of the International Experts’ Commission for the Redevelopment of the Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen.
  • Bruce Bayley
    Key Cast
    Dramatherapist. 1972 Pride pioneer. Camden GLF and Come Together magazine.
  • John Lloyd
    Key Cast
    Lifelong LGBQTIA+ and GLF activist, key figure in Brixton’s groundbreaking LGBT+ Railton Road housing and community collective, and continues to inspire young LGBTQIA+ people.
  • Julian Hows
    Key Cast
    Longstanding LGBT activist, D.R.A.G: Development Research Advocacy Governance, famously challenged London Underground's gender/uniform policies.
  • George Hodson
    Key Cast
    Writer, collage artist, photographer and the UK’s second longest HIV survivor, George lived and worked in the UK, San Francisco and SE Asia. George won the prestigious PD James New Writer’s Bursary at age 74. His book And The Sissy Lives will be published in 2024. A huge supporter of Legendary Children. George did not quite live to see the film open in his beloved India. 1949-2023.
  • Tom Robinson
    Music
    World-famous rock musician with 14 albums. Notable worldwide hits include War Baby, Glad To Be Gay, 2-4-6-8 Motorway.
  • Erasure Andy Bell Vince Clarke
    Music
    Worldwide multi-million selling synth-pop combo Erasure, Yazoo (initially renamed Yaz in North America) Depeche Mode
  • Lanah Pillay
    Music
    Breakthrough agendered recording artist with Stock, Aitken, Waterman, live and recorded music and cabaret artist. Elevate Me (Lanah's Get Lesbianated Dub) is a new track created especially for the film with SRJ.
  • SRJ
    Music
    UK DJ/composer. musician and producer. Elevate, Gonna Lose Control (featuring Zalvn), When You Call My Name (Craig Bryce), Give Me One More Chance (Leanne P)
  • Matt Mahmood-Ogston
    Colourist
    Prolific film/tv colourist with his company CG, IRIS Prize alumni as writer/director My God, I'm Queer! and Discoveing Kali (2023), founder Naz and Matt Foundation.
  • Rainer Schulze
    Historical Consultant
    Professor Emeritus of Modern European History at Essex University, curated/presented the LGBTQ+ film programme “Tales from the Margins” for Latest TV, established the Dora Love Prize for schools.
  • Rob Falconer
    Editor
  • Peccadillo Pictures
    DISTRIBUTOR / SALES
    Award-winning UK film distributor of Art House, LGBTQ+ and International Cinema from with an impressive collection of films from across the world and one of the UK's most recognised distributors of LGBT & World Cinema titles.
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    34 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 8, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35 Scope
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Official selection 14th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2023
    Mumbai
    India
    July 23, 2023
    World
    Official Selection
  • Cinema Diverse: 16th Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Palm Springs, California
    United States
    September 17, 2023
    North American premiere
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Peccadillo Pictures
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Internet, Video on Demand, Pay Per View, Theatrical, Free TV, Paid TV
Director Biography - Rob Falconer

Starting 25 years back, LGBTQIA+ work includes producer Speaking In Riddles (LLGFF National Film Theatre London, Frameline San Francisco, Turin, Netherlands art house tour, UK retail release), director/producer 27000 with CRUSAID (to 160,000 on Clapham Common for Pride), director/producer Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex ‘97, (LLGFF National Film Theatre London, Europe, USA and Australia theatrical, UK/USA commercial release, Virgin retail No.1). On returning to filmmaking in the 2020s, director/producer #ReclaimPride, director/producer 27000@25: When We Were Boys with Jimmy Somerville and Erasure through the World AIDS 2021 Day Rock The Ribbon period, which traversed the world in 7 languages exclusively across Erasure's official online channels (despite YouTube's unsuccessful attempts to ban it to U18s), and work broadcast in the Stephen Daldry/Joe Robertson produced Freedom: 50 Years of Pride.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Lehendarni Dity [Usi Kvir] demonstrates how the collective power of ordinary people, in number and shared objectives, can bring about global change. For me, these legendary individuals will never be “ordinary”.
This special version means to send solidarity to LGBT+ - and to all Ukrainians - at a time of critical humanitarian crisis. We hope it can join the discussion of the war's complex human rights questions.
Quite clearly the Pride movement worldwide is a famously pacifist one, repeatedly proving change can be brought about by non-violent action. But there neither were nor are any easy or comfortable arguments when it comes to Ukraine's perilous situation. 17 million people displaced, Ukrainian deaths now approaching 100,00 with many more casualties, over US$400billion of damage to the country's infrastructure...
We all have to ask ourselves, "So how would we respond..?" It's unexpected and inspiring to see LGBT+ rights issues in Ukraine find their way prominently and positively into the public arena during Russia's brutal bombardment. What is certain is that many formerly civilian LGBT+ Ukrainians have joined Ukraine's forces to defend their nation with extraordinary valour and resilience.
History shows freedom will out but sometimes at a terrible human cost."