Saturday Church - Schools Screening

Teenager Ulysses is in a difficult place. Following the death of his father, conservative church warden Aunt Rose has just moved into the household to help his overworked mother with family responsibilities. These include keeping Ulysses and his younger brother firmly in line – which causes particular friction as Ulysses takes his first tentative steps towards exploring his sexuality, struggling with gender confusion. Secretly crossdressing, bullied at school and with no understanding at home, he creates for himself a musical fantasy world in which he dreams of tolerance and acceptance. Driven from the house, Ulysses meets a glittering community of gay and transgender teens and their welcoming ‘Saturday Church’, who encourage him to be who he wants to be. However, his homelessness also means he has to fend for himself on the streets of Manhattan, where some harsh lessons are about to be learned. 

This is a soulful and ultimately life-affirming exploration of teenage gay and transgender identity, presented in musical form. With gay and trans characters of colour centre-stage throughout, this examination of the intolerance many young people face as they struggle to find their place in the world gives a new and important face to representations of teenage development. At times poignant, at times defiant, this is a vibrant call for compassion and acceptance that perfectly captures one positive experience in the ongoing battle for social change. 

Our Young Ambassadors said: 
“Beautiful … moving … awesome … I wanted more … loved the found family aspect … feels like all the films I’ve see about gender expression are about white people so to see a film about a community of people of colour was great … the musical and dance sequences keep everything fresh … Moonlight meets The Greatest Showman”

Dir: Damon Cardasis
USA 2017 / 1h23m / Age 15+

We are open for school bookings from 11:00 on Thu 23 August until Fri 2 November (with priority booking at our Teachers Preview).

Please book early as many films sell out. To be certain of our assistance with your travel arrangements please book before Wed 26 September.

To book, please call DCA Box Office on 01382 432 444.