Bronski Beat share Why? (40th Anniversary Doc Short)
By Classic Pop | October 16, 2024
Bronski Beat share Why? (40th Anniversary Doc Short), a new short film directed by Matt Lambert.
The documentary tells a story of resilience, power, community and solidarity using Bronski Beat’s enduring anthem Why? as its thematic spark point.
The short film honours those who speak up and put themselves on the line for the sake of love – those in the frontlines often being the most at risk.
Watch Why? (40th Anniversary Doc Short) below:
Driven Sensibility
Bronski Beat’s Why?, the follow up to their groundbreaking debut Smalltown Boy, railed against homophobic violence. Opening with a cry, the sound of breaking glass and the defiant proclamation “Contempt in his eyes as I turn to kiss his lips…” Why? was angry in both its intent and driven sensibility.
The original 1984 music video commissioned for the song, however, never truly aligned with the song’s (and the band’s) intentions. Forty years later, singer Jimmy Somerville wanted to change this.
“Jimmy wanted to commission me to make a project that spoke to the climate of LGBTQ+ rights today,” explains Matt. “I ended up exploring archives from past and present, material from my phone and friends — self shot material from the community — which became a documentary short film. We had access to Bronski Beat original stems to sculpt the timeless and still timely score to this film.”
Fight For Equality
With a tapestry of material from protests, news reports of violence toward the LGBTQ+ community and self-shot material, Lambert presents voices from across the Queer spectrum as well as those who mock, dehumanise, fear and hate the community. While the film makes for unflinching viewing, it’s also balanced with moments of spirited joy and passionate resilience as the Queer community hits the streets in solidarity as a family.
Within the LGBTQ+ community, Matt’s new film also functions as a tool for education and a clarion call for action. Somerville said: “I never thought a song that we wrote in 1984 would resonate even more powerfully in 2024.”
“It was such a dream to look into the past and future with Jimmy,” adds Matt. “This project was born out of an ongoing dialogue about the past and our ongoing responsibilities to protect what we’ve fought so hard for.”
Bronski Beat’s The Age of Consent (40th Anniversary Editions) is released on London Records on Friday 18 October on deluxe 4CD/DVD, 2CD and 2LP and available to pre-order from the official Bronski Beat store here.
Read More: Make It Big – The Story Of 1984
