Hello friends, today I'm bringing you a film that was revolutionary for its time: Desert Hearts (1985), directed by Donna Deitch. It was an independent film that depicted lesbian love set in the late 1950s.
At the time, this film stood out for breaking with the stereotypes and conventions of commercial cinema, and I think it also broke with the norms of the era, where lesbian love was rarely explored.
Desert Heart was a pioneer in LGBTQ+ cinema: and one of the first independent productions directed by a woman that approached a love story between two women in a positive, open, respectful, and sincere way, moving away, according to my research, from the tragic clichés or sensationalism that Hollywood productions of the time often imposed.
Another characteristic of this film was its independent financing, something unprecedented at the time. According to its producers, this was done to maintain creative control and avoid reprisals or censorship from the major studios. Donna Deitch raised funds entirely independently by selling shares to private investors, a revolutionary approach for a lesbian-themed film in the 1980s.
It was a critically acclaimed film at several festivals. It achieved considerable success in independent cinema, winning awards at various festivals, and has since become a cult classic of Queer cinema. Even today it remains a global reference.*
Half an Hour More with You (Desert Hearts, 1985), as I mentioned before, is set in 1959.
The plot follows Vivian Bell, a university professor who travels to Reno, Nevada, to finalize her quick divorce and ends up having an unexpected romance with a young woman named Cay Rivlin.
Together they embark on a journey of discovery and acceptance. What I liked most about the film is that in the end, these two women teach us a lesson about true love and how, despite social conventions, they were able to solidify their relationship.
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Rating: 85/100