Will You Dance with Me?

Mar 22 2014 Not Rated 1h 18m
Documentary, Music

Derek Jarman’s Will You Dance with Me? is an essential document of LGBTQ London that was unseen until 2014, 30 years after it was originally shot. In September 1984, Jarman was invited by director Ron Peck and writer Mark Ayres to record improvisations at Benjy’s, a gay club in East London’s Mile End district, as part of the early experimental work for their feature film Empire State, a neo-noir that would be released in 1987. The coed, racially diverse crowd of roughly 100 people at Benjiy’s that night included club regulars, bar staff, and potential players in Empire State. Every single detail captured in Jarman’s on-location assignment abounds with era-specific riches: from the New Romantic cutie journaling while nestled in a corner booth to the DJ’s cheerful exhortations and the songs he spins (“Let the Music Play,” “Planet Rock,” “Relax").

Plot

Twenty years after the death of Derek Jarman, a heretofore unknown Jarman film comes to light. Found by friend Ron Peck, Jarman shot inside Benjy's, a now closed gay nightclub in east London. The film is shown in it's 78 minute unedited glory, meant to be experimental footage to assist friend Peck for the future filming of Peck's Empire State (1987), and set to Frankie Goes to Hollywood, among others.

Written by

N/A

Directed by

Derek Jarman

Cast

Phillip Williamson

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom

Production Companies

British Film Institute (BFI)

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Scores
# of Votes
58
Average Rating
6.2 out of 10
Metascore
71
Popularity
NA