Exclusive: Check out the first poster for critically-acclaimed gay drama ‘God’s Own Country’
By Will Stroude
A captivating new drama charting the relationship between a Yorkshire sheep farmer and migrant worker looks set to be one of the gay films of the year – and we’ve got an exclusive first look at the official poster.
Directed by Francis Lee in his first debut feature, God’s Own Country opened to rave reviews when it made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, with critics hailing it as Britain’s answer to Brokeback Mountain; the Oscar-winning 2005 cowboy drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger.
With compelling lead performances from Josh O’Connor and Alec Secareanu, the film – set for release in the UK later this year – follows the story of Johnny (O’Connor), a young, unhappy Yorkshire sheep farmer, and Gheorghe (Secareanu), a migrant worker from Romania who comes to work with him.
Co-starring beloved British actors Ian Hart (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) Gemma Jones (Bridget Jones’s Diary), God’s Own Country has already picked up awards at both Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival, and opens at the Edinburgh International Film Festival next Wednesday (21 June).
An official synopsis for the movie reads: “Johnny Saxby works long hours in brutal isolation on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex.
“When a handsome Romanian migrant worker arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself having to deal with emotions he has never felt before.
“An intense relationship forms between the two which could change Johnny’s life forever.”
Based in part on writer and director Lee’s own life, the movie looks set for plenty more accolades when it hits UK cinemas this September. Attitude has been lucky enough to see an early screening and believe us when we say, it’s one not to miss…
God’s Own Country opens Edinburgh International Film Festival next Wednesday 21 June (you can book yourself a ticket here) and opens in cinemas nationwide on 1 September.
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