PRIDE was made in the tradition of the great working-class British comedies of the early 1990s. Like BILLY ELLIOTT, BRASSED OFF or THE FULL MONTY, Matthew Warchus’ film is cheerful, well-written, fast-paced, a little sentimental and of course takes the side of the underdog. The year is 1984: the great UK miners strike is being carried out with bitterness, and the AIDS crisis has just been named. Joe (George MacKay), a student, just turned 20 and, according to the law at the time, isn’t of age yet. He goes to a gay pride march in London and there he meets a colourful bunch of activists. The group just formed a new political initiative they call LGSM: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Solidarity with the oppressed – sounds like a good plan, but in this case the idea is hard to implement. Many gays and lesbians have just fled the homophobic rural areas of the UK to the city and many macho miners view the queer supporters with extreme suspicion. Led by the charismatic Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) the London chapter of the group finds a community in Wales that is open to their initiative. The group travels to Wales to bring money and moral support. The meeting of the ultra-hip activists (it’s the 80s after all) and the reserved miners and their determined wives in the boring community hall is daunting, comical, and touching at the same time. It's the beginning of an unusual friendship and what is even better: it’s based on a true story.

Hendrike Bake