On this page: ASK ANY BUDDY | JACK & YAYA | KEYBOARD FANTASIES

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These scenes are shot on grainy film, strikingly well photographed by filmmakers from Joe Gage to Peter de Rome. Dramatic scenes feature men in relationships, but most centre on the nature of attraction, an animal magnetism that's very difficult to resist. Yes, it's all hyper-sexualised, seen through the eyes of men who are looking for something instant. They're mainly young and fit, but vary in age and race, with an added subset of drag queens. And encounters range from mindless body contact to drug-fuelled spontaneity to warmly romantic.

This is edited together to create a loose narrative structure that explores telling details about life in this place and time. In public spaces there are furtive glances, tentative touching and the continuous, exhilarating tension that they might be caught at any moment. There's also the visceral release of partying with like-minded people. The structure follows a range of male experiences to chronicle a period in time that has strong echoes to much deeper human longing. Indeed, the various aspects of the storytelling have a much more serious impact than expected.

With this clever observation of both the free-love 1970s and the history of adult cinema, Purchell has created a vitally important document of a period unlike any time before or since. The editing is inventive and often very cheeky, as it were. In addition to the attitudes and a range of vivid characters, the collection captures on-screen a variety of notorious places, from bars and theatres to pride parades and bathhouses. And of course, since these are actual films from the 70s, they reveal the decade in a way that's much more powerful that any dramatic re-creation.

themes, language, violence, sexuality, drugs

26.Mar.20 flare

Jack and Yaya speak openly about how they teamed up to defend each other from bullies. Jack recalls rejecting girly things as a child, understanding that his life was going to be difficult long before he realised she was trans. Indeed, as children they never had a word for how they felt, but understood that there was a commonality between them, accepting it without question even as they had the sense that something was wrong. These kinds of pointed moments ad depth in between the lighthearted memories.

It's important to hear that Jack's now super-supportive mother Jo Ann was initially disappointed when he came out, while his dad Tony was nonplussed. Yaya remembers her late mother's fear that her life would be impossible, refusing to accept her gender. While John talks openly about different relationships he's had with Yaya as a brother or sister. This extended group of messy people is a vivid reminder that loving each other is what matters. And having a best friend to share life makes a big difference.

themes, language

29.Mar.20 flare

Copeland recounts his story with good humour and the clarity of hindsight. Anecdotes are bracingly vivid, pulling the audience into the story with a strong emotional connection. While he chats to the camera, friends and colleagues share impressions in voiceover, accompanied by vintage snapshots, archive footage and colourfully artful new material. All of this is edited smoothly along with Copeland's velvety music, recounting events chronologically, which makes the story thoroughly engaging.

It's fascinating to hear Copeland narrate how he recorded Keyboard Fantasies on cassette tape using an Atari computer to create electronic variations of instruments. The album was lost for some three decades, then rediscovered by a Japanese collector, leading to a record deal. Dixon follows Copeland as he gains media interest and heads off to meet fans on his first world tour. Working with the band Indigo Rising sparks his creative energies and gives him new life as a performer, singing his gorgeous songs while sharing his story.

Copeland is refreshingly unbothered by his unusual life, still curious and creative, unbothered by how his experiences are a collision of unusual timelines and gender identities. Watching him relax on-stage, letting his music flow out of him and around the room is powerfully healing. His bandmate Nick thinks of him as someone out of time and place; his fans are mainly in their 20s. Perhaps it's because he exudes deep gratitude for the joy in his life and the people around him. This film is a tonic for a toxic time.

some themes

26.Mar.20 flare