This film was proposed by members Sally O'Neill, Kitty Robertson, Stephen Burns, and Molly Thomas. Molly writes: 'For LGBT+ History Month, I’d love to see a screening of the iconic Desert Hearts. It is a queer film made by queer creatives – directed by out lesbian Donna Deitch and based on out lesbian Jane Rule’s novel – and features really lovely performances by Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau in what were some of the first positive and non-sensationalised depictions of queer women in cinema.'
A landmark of queer and independent filmmaking, Desert Hearts blazed a trail for lesbian representation on screen. Arriving in the Reno desert to finalise her divorce, uptight New York academic Vivian’s heart is hijacked by unruly tomboy Cay, who she is introduced to in one of cinema’s most rip-roaring ‘meet cute’ sequences. Shot with a languorous, sensual cinematography that Deitch achieved on a small budget, the film is ahead of its time in its unapologetic celebration of lesbian sexuality.
