Sian A. Williams

A heady, energised mash-up of animation, unseen archive footage and interviews, Rebel Dykes provides an intimate insight into the politically charged, artistically radical anarchist subculture in 1980s London, and the individuals who helped shape and change their world. Bringing together BDSM nightclubs, inclusive, sex-positive feminism, DIY zine culture, post-punk musicians and artists, squatters, activists and sex workers, these rebel dykes went out onto the streets to make their voices heard. [Feature length version of 2016 short of the same name.]

An experimental documentary featuring care-led practices of audiovisual archive remix, interviews and collaborative performances. The film features the home movies of Paul Berry, who was an Oscar-nominated animator, whose personal Super 8 collection is a sadly rare example of queer domestic life in film archive collections. Supported by research at the North West Film Archive, these moments of queer joy, chosen family, rural trips, and celebrations are reimagined alongside other regional film collections to a newly composed original score. Five portraits of specially featured artists discuss narratives that reflect how queer and trans creatives understand themselves, their histories, and their representation in relation to environment and landscape. These interventions weave through each artist’s practice in photography, spoken word, performance, sculpture and music, moving towards an expansive language of BODY(s) and LAND(s).