PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Georgia Oakley and Rosy McEwen, director and actress of the film Blue Jean.

To listen to the interview, click on the ► icon on the right, just above the picture

Director Georgia Oakley and actress Rosy McEwen talk about Blue Jean, a film presented in the program of the Giornate degli Autori, the parallel and independent strand of the 79th Venice Film Festival. Together, they talk about revisiting the late ’80s, during which Thatcher’s government passed a law stereotyping lesbians and gays as paedophiles. They also talk about the intimacy of the story, drawing inspiration from movies of the past and whether they believe that cinema and art can still counter lawful oppression.

Blue Jean: It’s 1988. Thatcher’s government have just passed a law that stereotypes lesbians and gays as paedophiles, recruiting children for their ‘deviant’ lifestyles. Female PE teachers are prime targets for homophobic accusations, and as a result, Jean is forced to lead a double life. During the week she’s a respected member of staff; on the weekend she slips surreptitiously into Newcastle’s gay scene with her girlfriend Viv. But when she’s confronted by one of her students in a lesbian bar, Jean is pushed to extreme lengths to save her job and her sanity.