Lost Reels presents Lianna (1983) from 35mm + online Q&A with John Sayles and Maggie Renzi.

Written, directed and edited by John Sayles, Lianna concerns the unhappily married Lianna (Linda Griffiths) who, after developing a crush on her female teacher Ruth (Jane Hallaren), embarks on an affair causing her to reassess her sexuality. This is complicated by her pompous unfaithful college professor husband Dick (Jon DeVries), Ruth’s uncertainty about the durability of their relationship, the rejection of her best friend Sandy (Jo Henderson), and the stress placed on her relationships with her children.

The screenplay by Sayles is smart, illuminating and true. Lianna enjoys the liberation of her new life but also experiences a lack of confidence and fear of rejection. The less progressive attitudes to same-sex relationships in the 1980s are explored through her experiences of lesbian bars, hook-ups, and the changing dynamics with her friends. Lianna broke new ground with its realistic depiction of an ordinary woman in mid-life discovering her sexuality and making the necessary, often painful changes. 

Both a queer classic and a deeply felt chronicle of a woman’s personal journey, Lianna has been virtually unseen in the UK since its limited release in 1984 and is currently unavailable on any domestic home media or streaming platform. Lost Reels is proud to bring this pioneering film back to UK audiences from an original 35mm print together with an online Q&A discussion with filmmaking legend John Sayles and his producer and partner Maggie Renzi.

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