Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Matthew Warchus, Pride (released in 2014) tells the true story of Mark Ashton and a group of lesbian and gay activists who started a group to raise money for British miners who were affected by the British Miners' Strike in 1984 in an unprecedented act of political solidarity. This group was called LGSM (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners), and while the miners' strike was ultimately crushed by Margaret Thatcher, the solidarity between the mining community and the gay community made huge strides for working-class as well as gay rights.
The film stars British newcomers Ben Schnetzer and George MacKay as well as familiar faces like Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, and Bill Nighy in supporting roles. While it deals with heavy issues around political disenfranchisement, economic precarity, human rights struggles, and the AIDS crisis, the film is an upbeat, uplifting, and humorous comedy that aims to show the power of human connection and political solidarity.
When it was released, Pride was lauded by critics and audiences. Joe McGovern of Entertainment Weekly loved the film, writing that "In its total inspirational sweep, it earns comparison to the movement it chronicles - as an organized, well-calculated piece of political theater." It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Queer Palm Award.
