As Valentine’s Day approaches, join us as we take a journey throughout the history of gay, lesbian, and queer love in cinema. Though considered taboo and banned in the United States’ Hays Code until the late 60s, explicit depictions of same sex relationships still managed to make their way onto the big screen in earlier years of cinema. This representation has changed and shifted throughout the years, leading up to revolutions within the genre in the 70s with “queer camp” and New Queer Cinema flourishing in the 90s. LGBTQ+ filmmakers and allies continue to push against harmful stereotypes and tropes that have affected the community since the birth of film. Beginning with one of the earliest onscreen examples of a lesbian relationship. MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM (1931) is a German feature film centered around an affair between a student and teacher at an all girls boarding school. The film was almost banned in the U.S. due to this portrayal. During the 60s, towards the end of the Hays Code, Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine starred in THE CHILDREN’S HOUR (1961), another suggestive film taking place at an all girl’s boarding school. In the 70s, filmmakers and artists began to experience more freedom in giving same sex relationships the spotlight without having to worry about censorship from various governments. General public opinion was still a hurdle to get over. Audiences slowly became more receptive to seeing these love stories in the arthouse film scene and at acclaimed film festivals. THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT (1972) features the protagonist caught in a love triangle, experimenting with portrayals of sadism and masochism. This film is regarded as one of Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s best films in his emotional, bordering on camp approach. The gay plot line of Egyptian director Youssef Chahine’s ALEXANDRIA… WHY? (1979) is subtle but substantial in its position of being an early depiction of gay love in the Arab world. Another aspect to queer representation onscreen as it progresses throughout time is the evolution of the relationships we see. Beginning as mere suggestions and seemingly unhealthy one time affairs between characters before and during the Hays Code, then transforming into longer, tenser, and sometimes abusive engagements in the 70s, the 80s and 90s bring about representation that humanizes the queer experience, placing it adjacent to heteronormative stories in the mainstream. Films such as MAURICE (1987) and HAPPY TOGETHER (1997) find us following gay couples from beginning to end, without intensely melodramatic endings or outlandish violent behavior. In a more modern portrayal of a lesbian relationship, SAVING FACE (2004) has been praised as a positive representation, “being one of the few lesbian movies with a happy ending” said an actor in a reunion panel. Please enjoy this selection of films as it moves through time, showing the evolution of queer love onscreen. Series compiled by guest programmer Imani Davis. This program was made possible by a generous grant from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association