GAZE: BEAUTIFUL THING Director: Hettie Macdonald 90 mins, UK, 1996, Digital Book cinema tickets From Monday September 6th, in line with government guidelines, all patrons must show proof of vaccination upon entering the cinema screen. 25th Anniversary Screening. 25 years ago, a small film from the UK made a huge impact on a generation of cinema goers and VHS-renters, becoming a defining moment for young gay audiences. Adapted from his own play, writer Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing is the story of Jamie and Ste, two boys from the same council estate, both with troubled home lives, both living in a world of masculine expectation. One night, Jamie’s mother kindly takes Ste in after suffering a familiar bruising from his dad. With no spare bed available, Ste kips with Jamie and, well… you know the rest. There are questions of sexuality, family conflicts, neighbourly feuds, but the heart of Beautiful Thing is the young love story between Jamie and Ste, who are just two teenagers figuring it all out by themselves. Director Hettie Macdonald creates a tender, touching and often comical love story, and whose most recent work many viewers will have seen in Normal People. If you know someone who has the fortune of seeing Beautiful Thing for the first time, now’s your chance to buy them a ticket. Presented in partnership with Daithí & Graham at The Cupcake Bloke. Screening as part of GAZE 2021, September 29th to October 3rd 2021. Director: Hettie Macdonald 90 mins, UK, 1996, Digital