Work Type:screening
Date of work:1993
Style Period:contemporary art
Subject:gay politics, gender, identity
Technique:curating
Collection:Video Postive Archive 1989 - 2000
Description:
People must sometimes be protected from themselves', Judge Rant, the Spanner Trials.


In 1990, sixteen gay men were convicted of consensual sex practice (eleven of whom were charged with 'assault' and given prison sentences) as a result of an investigation by the Obscene Publications Squad named 'Operation Spanner'. All of the 'offences' occurred with the full consent of the participants and in private. In December 1992, the Spanner case went before the House of Lords on appeal and the results are imminent.


This international programme of videos questions the role of the body and sexual freedom in contemporary culture. These are videos that enquire into issues of gender, identity, sexuality, state control of our desires, dread of sex and AIDS.


Featuring:
Pars Pro Toto 13 mins Veit-Lup (GERMANY) 1991
A Spy (Hester Reeves Does the Doors) 5 mins Suzie Silver (USA) 1992
My Body is a Metaphor 8 mins Stacey Friedrich (CANADA) 1991
Anthem 10 mins Marlon Riggs (USA)
When I Grow Up I Want To Be Beautiful 8 mins FrankoB. (ITALY) 1993 - British Premiere
[MORE]
Source:"Video Positive 93", festival catalogue
Date of source:1993