The British Council is proud to support the Asian premiere of Against the Law as the closing film at the 7th Human Rights Documentary Film Festival(22 to 28 September) this year.
Director: Fergus O'Brien
Duration: 83 mins
Language: English with Chinese accessible captions
Screening at 14.00 on 23 September 2017 (Saturday) and at 19.50 on 28 September 2017* (Thursday) at Broadway Cinematheque.
*Discussion after screening
Against the Law presents “the love that dare not speak its name” of Peter Wildeblood, and a valuable piece of history in England.
The United Kingdom is launching the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in its domestic law. As a contribution, the BBC produced this documentary. In 1954, Peter Wildeblood, a journalist from the Daily Mail, was charged with having sex with a handsome young man, later imprisoned. The case opened up the discussion among the public on gay love and eventually pushed forward the law reform in the UK in 1967 decriminalising sexual behavior between consenting males. This piece of history had profound influence to Hong Kong. The judgment delivered by the Coroner’s Court on the death of British police officer John MacLennan in 1980, requested that HK should follow UK in terms of decriminalising the sexual behavior between consenting males. The law reform thus came into effect in 1991.