Written and directed by Cara Holmes, in a silenced Ireland, a community of lesbians builds an underground network of helplines – offering connection, survival, and defiance through the simple act of answering the phone.
As soon as you enter the world of Lesbian Lines, it’s clear how Cara Holmes set out to do justice to this topic and the women behind it, because it’s immediately charming and thoughtful. The atmosphere sets the perfect tone for what is at the heart of Lesbian Lines, community and compassion. It’s emotionally driven but it exists not purely to explore those heart-warming and heart-breaking stories, but to also capture a meaningful moment in queer history.
Ther’s a very purposeful nature to Holmes’ directorial style, straying into creative and poetic territory, with an activist edge. Trying to truly build the feel of the time and the emotions, not to simply recount them. You undeniably get that sense that it comes from a heartfelt place, to respect that Lesbian Lines was built entirely out of empathy and generosity.
Especially in the choices made in the latter scenes of the film, opening up that conversation between the women who ran the helpline, and those portraying them in the recreations. It’s a lovely moment which really drives home the legacy of the helpline, and the importance of preserving queer history.
The blend between talking heads, recreation, audio, archive imagery, and the establishing shots of the city is really well done. It flows with confidence and consideration, it’s easily compelling and endearing. It’s great to see a bit of the wider history of queer people in Ireland mixed in, Galway probably wouldn’t be the first place that comes to mind with Lesbian history, but it has its part to play.
With Lesbian Lines, Cara Holmes makes it very clear that what these women did truly mattered, and it deserves to be honoured and remembered. The cinematography from Aidan Gault is excellent, as is the score from Die Hexen. Holmes adds an immersive element to the documentary, making a genuine attempt to draw you back to that time. It’s thoughtful, moving and charming.
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