QUEER CINEMA
La Cage aux Folles 12
France/Italy | 1978 97 minutes
DIRECTED BY
Édouard Molinaro
STARRINGUgo Tognazzi | Michel Serrault | Rémi Laurant
La Cage aux Folles (1978), directed by Édouard Molinaro, is a landmark film in the history of LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream cinema. Adapted from Jean Poiret’s 1973 stage play, the film tells the story of Renato, the owner of a drag nightclub in Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, the club’s flamboyant star performer. When Renato’s son announces he is marrying the daughter of a staunchly conservative politician, chaos ensues as the couple must pretend to be a conventional family to impress their future in-laws. What follows is a hilarious, tender, and ultimately subversive comedy about identity, family, and acceptance.
The film was both a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing foreign films ever released in the United States at the time. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. La Cage aux Folles offered audiences a portrait of a same-sex couple that was not only sympathetic but deeply human. Michel Serrault’s performance as Albin, in particular, brought rare dignity and vulnerability to a role that might easily have slipped into stereotype. It paved the way for future representations of LGBTQ+ lives in comedy and drama.
As well as comedy, Molinaro was known for directing thrillers and crime dramas, but La Cage aux Folles stands as his most enduring film. It inspired two sequels, a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, and the 1996 American remake The Birdcage, directed by Mike Nichols.
9 June 2025 MONDAY 19:30
AUDITORIUM
Tickets £8.00|£5.00 (under 26) CONCESSION NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE