Desert Hearts (1986)
(Donna Deitch, US 1986, 96 min., DCP)
UCLA Festival of Preservation Tour | ImageOut. Based on Jane Rule’s novel Desert of the Heart (1964), Donna Deitch’s narrative feature debut centers on a burgeoning romance between libertine casino worker Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau) and repressed university professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) in Reno, Nevada, in the late 1950s, a climate wherein being queer was . . . complicated. A landmark for its positive, nuanced portrayal of lesbian romance and celebrated for its passionate, sensual bedroom scenes that nearly fog the camera’s lens, Deitch’s film explores the tension inherent in a sheltered woman accepting her newfound sexual self. Digitally restored by the Criterion Collection/Janus Films and UCLA Film & Television Archive in conjunction with Outfest UCLA Legacy Project and Sundance Institute.
Presented in partnership with ImageOut: Rochester LGBTQ Film Festival.