Queerious at Showroom Cinema

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor
Deepa Mehta

7 July 2022 Tickets from £7.10 — Book now

Coming to Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema is Queerious, a series of film exploring stories of sexual awakenings, re-awakenings and queer love through a feminist lens. A touring programme from feminist film initiatives Reclaim The Frame and Birds Eye View, each screening comes with curated live or participatory activities designed for curious audiences.

The films themselves explore a multitude of desires, working through perspectives that are not always well represented in mainstream cinema. First up is I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (Thu 7 July), a 1987 comedy from Toronto New Wave director Patricia Rozema that takes a playful approach to its story of a secretary named Polly and her voyeuristic fascination for her boss Gabrielle, the well-to-do owner of an up-market art gallery.

exploring stories of sexual awakenings, re-awakenings and queer love through a feminist lens

There’s also a showing of Sally Potter’s 1983 debut film The Gold Diggers (Wed 13 July) with a post screening discussion by a panel of experts. Written and produced by Lindsay Cooper, Rose English and Sally Potter, and made with an all-women crew all working for equal pay, the film subverts Hollywood narratives as Julie Christie and Colette Laffont play star crossed lovers on a comic, musical adventure.

Next is 1996’s Fire (Wed 20 July), the first film of Deepa Mehta’s celebrated ‘Elements’ trilogy and one of the first mainstream Bollywood titles to explicitly depict homosexual relations. The film had a controversial reception in India, sparking protests and counter-protests, but contributed to lasting conversations around lesbian and gay rights in the country.

Finally, Queerious treats audiences to a preview of Maja Borg’s Passion (Thu 28 July), a deeply personal documentary in which the filmmaker explores intersecting worlds of queer BDSM and Christianity. An artist and filmmaker based in Sweden, the film sees Borg chronicle the aftermath of her toxic relationship, finding stories of healing and spiritual discovery in LGBTQI+ kink communities from across Berlin, Stockholm and Barcelona.

7 July 2022 Tickets from £7.10 Book now

Where to go near Queerious at Showroom Cinema

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Launching in spring 2024, Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter.

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

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