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Trailer

Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives

1992Movie1 h 25 min

DocumentaryHistory
76
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.3Rotten Tomatoes80%75%

A moving, nostalgic documentary movie about a real life story and history.

Good for friends night · teens · drop-in friendly

Where to watch

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Not for laughs or scares.

Movies with

Story

Ten women in Canada talk about being lesbian in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: discovering the pulp fiction of the day about women in love, their own first affairs, the pain of breaking up, frequenting gay bars, facing police raids, men's responses, and the etiquette of butch and femme roles. Interspersed among the interviews and archival footage are four dramatized chapters from a pulp novel, "Forbidden Love".

Feels like

  • Lesbian History
  • LGBTQ+ Documentary
  • Canadian History
  • Pulp Fiction
  • Butch and Femme
  • 1940s-1960s
  • Social History
  • Archival Footage
  • Personal Stories

Cast

4 of 4

Crew

Directed by
Aerlyn Weissman, Lynne Fernie
Written by
Aerlyn Weissman, Lynne Fernie
Produced by
Ginny Stikeman, Margaret Pettigrew
Music by
Kathryn Moses

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

September 17, 1992 · 1 h 25 min · Sexual Content

Released
September 17, 1992
Runtime
1 h 25 min
Content
Sexual Content
Genres
Documentary, History
Original language
English
Made in
Canada
Available in
96 countries

Tropes

Butch Lesbian, Ambiguously Gay, Domestic Abuse +9

  • Butch Lesbian
  • Ambiguously Gay
  • Domestic Abuse
  • Where Everybody Knows Your Flame
  • Closet Gay
  • The Ken Burns Effect
  • Hereditary Homosexuality
  • Tomboyish Name
  • Audible Gleam
  • Coming-Out Story
  • Police Brutality
  • Homophobic Hate Crime

12 of 22 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives?"

Questions about Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives?

IndieFlixPlexFilmzieFawesome

In the United States, Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives streams on IndieFlix, and it is free with ads on Plex, Filmzie, and Fawesome. It also streams in 95 other countries.

Is Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives worth watching?

76
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 76 (IMDb 7.3 and Rotten Tomatoes 80%).

Is Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives good for date night?

AdultsFriends NightSolo WatchTeens

Not really: romance is 7 of 10, but the viewing guide doesn't list it for date night.

Is Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (8 of 10) and pathos (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

What tropes does Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives use?

Butch LesbianAmbiguously GayDomestic AbuseWhere Everybody Knows Your FlameCloset GayThe Ken Burns EffectHereditary HomosexualityTomboyish NameAudible GleamComing-Out StoryPolice BrutalityHomophobic Hate Crimeand 10 more

TV Tropes lists 22 tropes for it, including Butch Lesbian, Ambiguously Gay, and Domestic Abuse.