On the 21st March 1996
underneath a railway in Vauxhall, London, the UK’s first men-only rubber &
leather fetish bar opened its doors.
Inspired by some of the more niche clubs in Berlin, The Hoist was to be a space where men could meet and explore their
sexuality in a safe and kinky environment.
The documentary by Charles Lum & Todd Verow
is a fiercely proud celebration of individual freedoms and consensual sex. Combining interviews about the history of
legislation and homosexuality with images of explicit gay sex and a tour of the
bar – the film is clearly made for gay audiences.
Interviews with Peter Tatchell, Joseph Sonnabend and Brian Robinson provide an interesting historical context for famous
injustices such as section 28, differing ages of consent and the spanner
case. The most shocking fact being
that the law that sent Oscar Wilde to prison (established in 1533) was only
repealed in 2003!
The title of the film is a double
entendre alluding to the age of sexual consent as well as the era of increased
tolerance that we are living through.
But the characters in the film are openly hostile to full assimilation
into the political mainstream, clearly enjoying their queer status at the
periphery of mainstream sexualities.
Another interesting insight that the
film highlights is the tension between generations that visit the club. The older men who wear leather and talk
face-to-face are in opposition to the younger men who wear sportwear and use
Grindr and other apps to meet partners.
This conflict suggests that even the most peripheries of subcultures can
appear ‘traditional’ given enough time…
The film is likely to become an
immediate cult classic, as it definitely won’t get much attention through the
normal distribution channels. As a
document of a time in history, it is a very interesting one.
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