Double-bill: Heart of The Beholder and Latter Days

Friday 8 and Saturday 9 July 2005
Screening Room, The Covent Garden Hotel,
10 Monmouth Street, London W1

Heart of the Beholder will be at 7pm on Friday and 3pm on Saturday.
Latter Days will be shown at 1pm and 5pm on Saturday only

For full details and booking please see  http://www.galha.org/events/film.html

Coinciding with ‘Pride Fortnight’, the Gay & Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) will be hosting a mini-film festival showcasing two films highlighting issues around religious fundamentalism in the United States.

The festival will feature the UK premiere of the anticipated humanist film 'Heart of the Beholder'. The director, Darlene Lieblich will be attending.

Heart of the Beholder tells the true story of the Howard family, who ran a video store in St Louis in the early 1980s. During the growth of the company, the Howards were visited many times by a group of religious people called the Citizens For Decency. The CFD insisted the Howards remove movies from their stores that they felt were "...obscene or a detriment to the community and its children." Films such as Taxi Driver, Agnes of God, Blazing Saddles, Animal House, Mr. Mom, and many more were targeted. The CFD also asked for the removal of the movie Splash, claiming the movie promoted sex with animals (bestiality) because Tom Hanks makes love to a mermaid.

The situation worsened when the couple received death threats to their little daughter saying she would be "... sent back to God to be reborn to parents who worship the Lord."

The film will be showing with Latter Days - a charming, heart-warming, sexy tale about a 19- year-old Mormon evangelist who finds himself living in the apartment next door to a gay man who likes to party - and who wants them to party together. Soon there is confusion over sexuality and priorities, but by the end, the film will have you believing in the transforming power of love.

GALHA spokesperson, Terry Sanderson, said: "This is a fascinating double bill that couldn't be more topical. The dominance of religion in the United States is becoming a huge concern not only to gay people, but to anyone who considers themselves 'liberal'."

Also showing before the main features will be the short film 'He Came With Wheels', which is the first short film by a new independent film company, Freshly Starched Shorts. The film revolves around a gay escort, a besotted client and a wheelchair. The company aims to dispel the myths and stereotyping around disability and sexuality in an upbeat way.

Tickets are £6.00 for one feature or £10.00 for both.

For more about the films, see:
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415838/
 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345551/

For full details and booking please see:
 http://www.galha.org/events/film.html

Ends