Fringe! is delighted to present this fabulous cruise down the memory lane, celebrating the life and times of a true Dalston landmark. Hosted by London's Punk-Horror-Drag SUPERSTAR Baby Lame, the night looks set to be full of surprises and treats. Join us as two of our favourite queer East London cinephiles will guides us through a multimedia trip of the Rio in the 1980s, where we hope to open both your eyes and minds to a history not so seen...
What do Calamity Jane, Greenham Common, Kathy Acker, The Mint Juleps, Lesbian Strength and the Women’s Media Resource Project have in common? They were all part of the Rio’s radical dyke constellation in the 1980s. This cultural history needs to be told! How the Rio played host to some incredible queer and feminist political work and many sweaty all night parties. Join Selina Robertson (Club des Femmes) as she does a show and tell of her PhD research that sets out to keep this dyke history in the present.
With Selina will be Andrew Woodyatt of the Rio, taking us on a cine-illiterate troll through the history of the Rio, how it was founded in the mid 70s by a pioneering team of social revolutionaries, misfits and punks, a penniless bunch of dreamers who built the UK's first community run cinema, created from the rotting hulk of a down at heel 70s porn palace, born into a time of protest and homophobia, the impact of the AIDS crisis, the radical queer programming and how it was all nearly ended by Section 28.
We cannot wait to share this history with you on what is sure to be a night not to be missed. So grab a ticket, prepare yourself for the force that is Baby Lame and cum join us on Zoom as we dive deep into East London's queer film history.