Rebel Dykes

Rebel Dykes chronicles the lesbian movement in Britain since the 1980s. Usefully they had archive material in the form of home made video footage. It starts with the Greenham Common peace camp of the early 1980s. The tabloid press were quick to sneer at the time that some of the women were lesbians who had abandoned their husband and kids. It soon becomes clear from the interviews that some of the women went there to meet other lesbians. Protesting against nuclear weapons was not high on the agenda for them. It was about discovering themselves and meeting like minded women. However it did empower these women with activist qualities. Badly needed in an era where homophobia was rife. There was the spectre of Aids. Later the Thatcher government brought in Section 28. Now the lesbian movement had something to unite and fight against. The documentary was not just about activism. I was surprised that a city like London had no clubs for lesbians even in the early 1980s. Maybe a few places that were underground but slowly there were meeting places for other women emerging. Clubs that were a safe pace for them. That led to an explosion of queer fashion and a lesbian post punk scene. Even mainstream pop stars such as Sinead O Connor co-opted their style such as the shaven head. The documentary makes clear that the women were not an homogenous group. Factions emerged over sexual preferences, some women explored the S&M scene. Others were aghast with the associated Nazi imagery and being dominated. An issue for some black women with its links to slavery. It also explores the rise of queer magazines and literature. Having to skirt around the * laws. Others imported sex toys aimed at women from San Francisco. The toys available for women at the time needed to be hacked with a blade. Directed by Harri Shanahan and Sian A Williams. Rebel Dykes is an important documentary charting the history of the lesbian movement in Britain.

Trailer—Rebel Dykes

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source: Rebel Dykes

This film was amazing. The combination of animation and live action interviews with the women involved in the movement was amazing. The story of these women was so unknown to me I found it moving and revelatory. The prejudice they faced was horrendous and their bravery and activism and commitment to hedonism and activism was amazing. Highly recommend.

Rough and ready with a massive heart, the film is not only a fascinating piece of social history but also really great fun to watch. You'll wish you were there in the 1980s with the gals and bois of the Bell, Chain Reaction and the other pre-queer club nights and venues of a lost London. The film is also testament to the power of crowd funding and the resilience and resourcefulness of filmmakers who work independently on tiny budgets across many months and years to turn their grand passion into something which can be shared with audiences around the world. Rebel Dykes has shown at film festivals, won prizes, been in cinemas and now on television. Bravo ladies!

I loved this film. Made me wish I was born 10 years earlier or at least made it to London instead of Manchester in 1990. There is a great use of some gritty footage and some fun funky animation. It's such an important story to tell and it is told very well, in the style of the Rebel Dykes themselves. Punk roots, fierce feminism, S&M versus political anti-* feminists, Greenham Common, raw music, squats, lesbian activism and Clause 28. So many memories of coming out and the sexual politics of the time. It's very heartening for the film to address racism and transphobia and to feature black and trans dykes within the scene. Thanks for making the film and to Rebel Dykes for paving the way.

I was watching Rebel Dykes, a documentary part animated film on Amazon BFI the other day. I really enjoyed it and I improved my knowledge of lesbian 80's culture by about 99%. Directed by Harri with Siân A. Williams, i I loved the way it was put together with all the home footage, warts and all. It gave it a veracity and immediacy that helped fix the period and the way in which lesbians expressed themselves at that particular moment in time. The Rebel Dykes made me think of Marlon Brando's motorcycle gang in The Wild One. I think the word lesbian sounds a little formal, even twee perhaps - like finding a Marks and Spencer label on the back of an unfashionable item of clothing, somehow safe and middle of the road. Dykes i suppose has connotations of abuse, mainly from men, but Rebel Dykes comes across as wild and fierce - an Amazonian image if you like? If we must have labels then that's just my opinion of their aesthetics, so i hope no one takes them to heart, my not being a woman or a dyke. It was interesting to see the differing perspectives from various factions on how they wanted to be perceived back then, and how the influences of both feminism and punk came in to play. I remember the Thatcher clamp down on gay culture and doing an anti Clause 28 cartoon for City Life magazine myself at that time. It helped me understand a history that i didn't really know about, which is always a good thing and how people have struggled for the rights they have won and still have to fight for - it was inspirational, entertaining and had a banging soundtrack to boot. Watch it and educate yourself.

Amazing mix of original footage most from the 80's with interviews, music and animation. Mainly about the people and personalities of the Chain Reaction S&M club in London, but also has an interesting background of the Greenham Common protest and Thatcherism that overlaps with the lesbian lives.

Fierce, feminist and punk film showing the absolute riot that the rebel dykes were living in 80s London. A desperately needed piece of lesbian history and a reminder of how much lesbians have done for the LGBTQ+ community. Its a fun and raunchy documentary, that doesn't shy away from the tougher aspects of being queer.