By Hook or By Crook + Intro (18)

Join us for the UK premiere of By Hook or By Crook’s restoration, introduced by Emily Simmons from Crip Cinema Archive. This is the last August screening in the cinema’s new strand, Fruits on Film.

After his father’s death, and down to his last dollar, trans man Shy leaves his small town for the big city, hoping crime will earn him some cash. There he enlists Valentine, a quirky adoptee, into planning a bank heist. Amid their chaotic capers and close scrapes with the law, the two form a deep and loyal friendship, as Valentine repeatedly tries to contact his birth mother and avoid being committed to a mental asylum.

A note from the Fruits on Film curators:

Groundbreaking by the standards of any time period, By Hook or By Crook is a true hidden gem from the turn of the millennium for most. But in the trans community, the film has earned its reputation as a cult classic in the 25 years since it was made. The brilliance of director/co-stars Dodge and Howard is in their handling of intense subjects, done with care as well as levity. There is a hilarious and ongoing self-satire at play, told with the boldness borne out of experience; meanwhile, on-screen stories are dignified with individuality and specificity, a foil to Hollywood stereotypes and transphobic clichés. What shines most is the bond between the central characters Shy and Valentine, their commitment to each other’s humanity, and how they strive to co-create a world in which they can be safe. Their co-writer Stanya Kahn also stars as Val’s partner Billie, a relationship which models, with granular imperfections, how care and queerness interweave with disability allyship and solidarity.

Content warnings: Substance abuse & addiction, mild violence & crime, coarse language.

About Emily Simmons:

Emily Simmons is a programmer and researcher based in London. They are the creator and curator of Crip Cinema Archive, documenting disability on screen.

About Crip Cinema Archive:

Crip Cinema Archive is documenting disability on screen. The archive defines ‘crip cinema’ as films that speak to something about the crip experience, speak to crip audiences, or that have a crip writer, director, or lead actor. Crip cinema has a fraught history - one of stereotypes, omissions, and repression. This project intends to create a resource for disabled filmmakers and film lovers seeking out crip cinema; to be a launching pad for further discussions about how to define crip cinema; what it is, what it isn’t, and what it could be; and to imagine better crip film futures - in front of and behind the lens - and make them a reality.

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