In 1991, Irish cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, who later became known for the likes of Atonement, The Hours, Nocturnal Animals and The Greatest Showman, was invited by the legendary Derek Jarman to shoot behind the scenes on the set of his film Edward II, his gay love story with a bloody ending.
After 30 hours of footage remained unseen for decades, British creative Theo Rollason looked through them and assembled them into their directorial feature debut, Queer Edward II, which will world-premiere in an out-of-competition slot of the Venice Open section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 4.
Queer Edward II is a Lightborn Films production in association with March 13th and John Gore Studios.
The documentary provides intimate access to Jarman and his collaborators, including Tilda Swinton and costume designer Sandy Powell, who are both executive producers on the new film. And it puts a spotlight on how Jarman, back then fairly newly diagnosed with HIV, refused to separate art from politics and the harsh political climate that queer people in Britain were facing at the time. Also featured are a controversy surrounding Ian McKellen accepting a knighthood and an incident involving queer rights activists and a British pop star, who was rehearsing for a tour on the same studio lot where the film shoot was taking place, which snowballed into a tabloid scandal and threatened to derail the production.
Plus, the film shows a pack of beagles let loose, drag nuns taking a smoke break – and much more. 20After Hours and Cinephil are handling sales on Queer Edward II.
“When I was first approached to look through unseen rushes shot on the set of Edward II – which had been sitting in a cupboard for over 30 years – I hoped there might be enough material for a short,” Rollason shares in a director’s statement. “Instead, I was astonished to find a comprehensive record of Jarman’s idiosyncratic filmmaking practice, capturing everything from rehearsals to intimate conversations to production office dramas. What really struck me, however, was the set’s embrace of the 1990s political climate, particularly regarding gay rights,” they added.
And the director recalls learning how Jarman became the first public figure in the U.K. to disclose his HIV status and his association with activist group OutRage! “As a queer filmmaker born just after Jarman’s death, I saw a clear opportunity to use the Edward II set as a springboard to discuss what I wish I’d known: just how high the stakes were for the community at this historical moment, and Jarman’s centrality to the struggle that followed,” Rollason concludes. “My perspective is shaped by a belief that queer history is too often depoliticized and reduced to respectable narratives of progress, rather than the messy, confrontational movements that made that progress possible.”
That also makes Queer Edward II very timely. “With anti-trans rhetoric and attacks on queer rights again intensifying, I hope the film can function not simply as a snapshot of a historical moment, but as a reminder of what collective resistance can look like – and what role art has to play,” Rollason highlights.
THR can now exclusively premiere a clip from Queer Edward II. It shows Jarman discussing how to best shoot a scene in a bed, including the number of people fitting into it, as well as the necessary choice of clothing, or lack thereof.
