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Adam & Yves + extended intro by David McGillivray (18*)

Queer 70s

,Cinema 1
A still from Adam & Yves, showing two men in a close embrace

Peter de Rome’s pornographic film follows the courtship of two men in Paris and features plentiful, artistically shot sex scenes and an unwitting cameo by a Hollywood legend.

Pornography had a boom period in the 1970s. As queer liberation movements thrived, gay men were no longer just shown as victims and villains on film. Finally, they got to have an unapologetically great time, in sex films shot by gay men. Peter de Rome's romantic, poetic Adam & Yves is one of the most interesting erotic films of the era. This film has it all - filthy jokes, intense sex scenes and even brief documentary footage of Greta Garbo walking across Fifth Avenue. 

By the 1980s, the outbreak of AIDS and the advent of home video meant many porn cinemas were shut down and gay erotica became more commercial. De Rome’s films belong to another era. We’re showing this rarely screened film alongside Trouser Bar (2016), shot in the style of De Rome and produced by David McGillivray, who will introduce this screening. 

Tagged with: Cinema Queer 70s

Please note Adam & Yves contains several scenes of real sex. In addition, a scene near the end of the film contains outdated representations of race. 

 

Trouser Bar 

UK 2016 dir Kristen Bjorn 20 min 

Two men enter Sir John's Trouser Bar but little do they know the adventure that awaits them...

Film information
  • Release year   1974
  • Country   USA
  • Director   Peter De Rome
  • Runtime   1 hour 12 min
‘Peter de Rome’s work offers everyone a window into another world, when modern notions of the possibilities of a gay life without shame were just beginning‘
Brian Robinson, former programmer of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

Biography

David McGillivray has enjoyed a colourful career in many areas of lowbrow entertainment. He is best known as a scriptwriter who has worked in the entertainment media for more than 50 years, including House of Whipcord (1974), Frightmare (1974) and Satan's Slave (1976).

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.