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form y separately published work icon Holding the Man single work   film/TV  
Adaptation of Holding the Man Timothy Conigrave , 1995 single work autobiography
Issue Details: First known date: 2015... 2015 Holding the Man
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'In the 1970s, a young Australian boy, Timothy, finds himself confused. He falls for the captain of the football team. What follows shows all aspects of a relationship, regardless of gender or sexual preference. Conflict, temptation, and a huge burden which will affect every aspect of their lives.' (Production summary: IMDB)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Holding the Man : Love Beyond Conventions – A Cinematic Tribute to Queer Resilience and Enduring Love. Drew Baker , 2024 single work criticism
— Appears in: Senses of Cinema , January no. 108 2024;

It’s been six years since the passing of the marriage equality act, and 43 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality in Victoria (1980). With the teaching of Queer sexual education, with programs like Safe Schools, and national access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure), it is hard for today’s Queer youth to imagine the dangerous, devasting HIV/AIDS epidemic that faced gay men in Australia, and around the world in the 1980s and ‘90s. Neil Armfield’s Australian Drama Holding the Man (2015) is based on Timothy Conigrave’s memoir of the same title. Conigrave completed the memoir on his death bed, and it was published just months after his 1994 AIDs-related death. The Queer-romance film authentically portrays Australia’s 1970s and the navigation of a schoolboy romance and homosexual relationship, disrupted by the 1980s HIV crisis. The movie not only embraces gay identity but also captures the warmth amidst the frightening challenges faced by the gay community, including widespread gay bashings, public outings, and family disownments. By blending biographical and romance genre conventions, Holding the Man goes beyond storytelling; it becomes a powerful tribute to the resilience of Queer Australia during a tumultuous era, shedding light on impactful civil rights movements such as the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP Inc). Most importantly, it stands as a testament to the enduring strength of same-sex love, defiantly flourishing amidst Australia’s authoritarian oppression.' (Introduction)           

Film Genre Now : RMIT University Student Dossier Djoymi Baker , Lucie McMahon , 2024 single work essay
— Appears in: Senses of Cinema , January no. 108 2024;

'This dossier represents emerging writers from RMIT University’s undergraduate Film Genre course, as they explore ways that an individual film may use, knowingly play with or revise genre tropes, in the midst of other artistic, industrial and socio-historical factors. The ubiquity with which the idea of genre circulates in popular culture may potentially present a somewhat misleading picture of consensus that the course then problematises and unpacks over a semester. As Steve Neale points out, genre does not merely consist of a set of “conventions” used within films, but also “systems of expectation and hypothesis” among audience members. In turn, these genre expectations can be influenced by marketing materials and reviews. Films that were first marketed as one genre can be subsequently re-labelled as another genre by scholars and critics, or by the industry itself. In the contemporary era, streaming services frequently use multiple and sometimes “oddly specific” genre labels, in ways that challenge a dominant idea expressed by Rick Altman that “if it is not defined by the industry and recognized by the mass audience, then it cannot be a genre.  As such, while the repetition of recognisable codes and labels may be central to our understanding of genre, so too variation in how genre is used – by filmmakers, the film industry, and audiences – is also key to the genre system.' (Introduction)          

Backwards to Bourke : Bulldust about Gays in the Bush Michael Burge , 2022 single work criticism
— Appears in: Journal of Australian Studies , vol. 46 no. 3 2022; (p. 307-320)

'In his 2006 thesis, “‘Staying Bush’ – A Study of Gay Men Living in Rural Areas”, author Edward Green described his subject as the “largely hidden and untold story of gay men living in rural areas”. That was a pivotal year for gay men living in the bush, with Australian television broadcasters platforming two of their stories. In the space of one 12-month period, this cohort went from “hidden and untold” to prime time. From as early as 1989, rural politician Bob Katter had been declaring that he would “walk to Bourke backwards if the poof population of North Queensland is any more than 0.001 per cent”. Analysing media and popular culture, this article explores the visibility and portrayal of rural gay men in Australia prior to and after 2006. In spite of Katter’s minuscule population estimates, the rural gay cohort continues to defy assumptions.' (Publication abstract)

Look i "i met fin in year nine when i moved to his school of boys, and of laptops. in", D’arcy Noonan , 2020 single work poetry
— Appears in: Australian Poetry Anthology 2020-2021; (p. 32)
From Stage to Screen : Why Australian Cinema Is so in Love with the Theatre Luke Buckmaster , 2016 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 10 March 2016;
'Recently there have been more Australian screen adaptations of plays than ever been before – but how much is too much?'
Chemistry Defines the Perfect Pair Matthew Westwood , 2014 single work review
— Appears in: The Australian , 8 October 2014; (p. 12)

— Review of Holding the Man Tommy Murphy , 2015 single work film/TV
Press Play Garry Maddox , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 15 May 2015; (p. 4)

— Review of Last Cab to Darwin Reg Cribb , 2002 single work drama ; Ruben Guthrie Brendan Cowell , 2015 single work film/TV ; Holding the Man Tommy Murphy , 2015 single work film/TV ; The Daughter Simon Stone , 2015 single work film/TV
Humour and Drama Collide in Love Story Garry Maddox , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 16 June 2015; (p. 11)

— Review of Holding the Man Tommy Murphy , 2015 single work film/TV
Holding the Man Review – Memorable Performances but a Little Wobbly Luke Buckmaster , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 15 June 2015;

— Review of Holding the Man Tommy Murphy , 2015 single work film/TV
Holding on to Love Landmark Tale of Love Garry Maddox , 2015 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 8-9 August 2015; (p. 12) The Saturday Age , 8-9 August 2015; (p. 14)

— Review of Holding the Man Tommy Murphy , 2015 single work film/TV
Star Cast for 'Remarkable Gay Love Story' Jil Hogan , 2014 single work column
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 6 September 2014; (p. 3)
The Banned and the Bold to Behold Garry Maddox , 2015 single work column
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 7 May 2015;
Australian Talent Leads Sydney Film Festival 2015 Alexandra Spring , 2015 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 6 May 2015;
Tessa's Back on Home Turf Again Antimo Iannella , Matt Gilbertson , 2015 single work column
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 20 April 2015; (p. 20)
Sam Holding Aussie Book Antimo Iannella , Anna Vlach , Matt Gilbertson , 2015 single work column
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 8 May 2015; (p. 30)
Last amended 6 Feb 2020 13:13:36
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