God's Own Country

God's Own Country starts out with muddy British realism, and develops into what is arguably the most romantic film of the programme. Youngster and Yorkshire farmer-to-be Johnny suppresses his homosexual desires through violent outbursts and binge-drinking. One day his father hires Gheorghe, a Romanian, to help Johnny out on the farm and perhaps keep an eye on him. A taciturn romance evolves between the hunky migrant worker and the seemingly apathetic British slacker. Many have noted the similarities between God’s Own Country and Angh Lee's cowboy-bromance Brokeback Mountain, which is no faulty comparison, but director Francis Lee has other ambitions than to tell us how hard it is to grow up in a homophobic community. Instead, he has crafted a heart-stirring, tear-jerking love story that takes its characters’ sexuality and emotions seriously. He steers awa y from clichés associated with queer cinema and the romantic drama as such, and succeeds exceptionally well. MWV

Francis Lee is born and raised in Yorkshire. He worked for many years as an actor in theatre, television and film, before writing his first screenplay, for the short film Bantam. He made his directional debut with the short The Farmer's Wife in 2012, and followed up with two other shorts. God's Own Country is his first feature, and screened at the Berlinale in February.