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The Rows of Cherry Trees (1957) by Takahashi Makoto

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Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992), Dir. David Lynch

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Mink Stole as "the Religious Whore" giving Divine a rosary-job in Multiple Maniacs (1970), Dir. John Waters.

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A kiss between Charlie Chaplin (in drag) and Edna Purviance, from A Woman (1915)

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Alison Bechdel, 1984

"Twyla is appalled to learn that Irene is a morning person."

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Pandora's Box, 1973, art and story by Lyn Chevely

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Found Lesbian Erotica from the 50s/60s.

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Fanny and Julia or The Friends by Johann Georg Penzel, circa 1801

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Lavender Vision - Volume 1, Issue 2 - May 1971

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Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972), Dir. Chor Yuen

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Bettie Page lesbian bondage pin-ups, photographed by Irving Klaw, 1950s

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Photos of leatherdykes, a lesbian contingent of the leather S/M subculture that emerged in the 1980's

I believe that the world’s problems can be solved in the bedroom. … S&M is a liberating game; it liberates both man and woman, butch and femme without necessarily taking their chosen roles away from they (if they still want to keep them once they understand the game). S&M teaches you that both sides have the power and how they can use it to their best advantage. —Rosenjoy, in GCN, 1976

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A Comprehensive List of Pre-21st Century Lesbian Films

There seems to be a lot of interest in older/more niche films with lesbian themes so I've been putting together this list. I'm going to keep adding to it as I find more films so feel free to let me know if I'm missing anything! Enjoy!

Quick disclaimer: Some of these films contain problematic elements such as racism, homophobia, sexism and so on. This list is not an endorsement of all these films, it is only for archival purposes. As I have not seen all these films I cannot provide accurate content warnings, so please do your own research before watching.

1880 - 1919

The Kiss (1882), Dir. Eadweard Muybridge [SHORT, SILENT, ZOOPRAXISCOPE]

Pierrette’s Escapades (1900), Dir. Alice Guy [SHORT, SILENT, HAND TINTED]

At the Floral Ball (1900), Dir. Alice Guy [SHORT, SILENT, HAND TINTED]

Midwife to the Upper Class (1902), Dir. Alice Guy [SHORT, SILENT, COMEDY]

The Jester’s Joke (1910), Dir. Walter R. Booth [SHORT, SILENT, COMEDY]

Zapata’s Gang (1914), Dir. Urban Gad [SILENT, CRIME, COMEDY]

Filibus (1915), Dir. Mario Roncoroni [SILENT, HEIST, ACTION]

1920-1939

Manslaughter (1922), Dir. Cecil B. Demil [SILENT, DRAMA]

The Girl in Tails (1926), Dir. Karin Swanstrom [SILENT, COMEDY]

Wings (1927), Dir. William A. Wellman [SILENT, WAR, ACTION]

Pandora’s Box (1929), Dir. G.W. Pabst [SILENT, DRAMA]

Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), Dir. G.W. Pabst [SILENT, DRAMA]

Morocco (1930), Dir. Josef von Sternberg [DRAMA, ROMANCE]

Mädchen in Uniform (1931), Dir. Leontine Sagan [DRAMA, COMING OF AGE]

Queen Christina (1933), Dir. Rouben Mamoulian [DRAMA, PERIOD]

Dragnet Girl (1933), Dir. Yasujirō Ozu [CRIME]

Fukujuso (1935), Dir. Jiro Kawate [SILENT, DRAMA]

The Tomboy (1936), Dir. Jean de Limur [DRAMA]

Girls’ Club (1936), Dir. Jacques Deval [COMEDY, CRIME]

1940-1959

Jenny Lamour (1947), Dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot [CRIME, DRAMA]

Thirst (1949), Dir. Ingmar Bergman [DRAMA]

Caged (1950), Dir. John Cromwell [DRAMA]

Girl with Hyacinths (1950), Dir. Hasse Ekman [MYSTERY, NOIR]

Olivia (1951), Dir. Jacqueline Audry [DRAMA]

No Exit (1954), Dir. Jacqueline Audry [DRAMA]

La Garçonne (1957), Dir. Jacqueline Audry [DRAMA]

The Twilight Girls (1957), Dir. Andre Hunebelle [COMEDY, DRAMA]

Mädchen in Uniform (1958), Dir. Geza von Radvanyi [DRAMA, COMING OF AGE, REMAKE]

1960-1969

Blood and Roses (1960), Dir. Roger Vadim [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EROTIC]

Léon Morin, Priest (1961), Dir. Jean-Pierre Melville [DRAMA]

The Girl with the Golden Eyes (1961) Dir. Jean-Gabriel Albicocco [DRAMA]

The Children’s Hour (1961), Dir. WIlliam Wyler [DRAMA]

Walk on the Wild Side (1962), Dir. Edward Dymitrik [DRAMA]

Manji (1964), Dir. Yasuzo Masumura [DRAMA]

With Beauty and Sorrow (1965), Dir. Masahiro Shinoda [DRAMA]

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Dir. Russ Meyer [EXPLOITATION]

Daisies (1966), Dir. Věra Chytilová [AVANT GARDE, COMEDY, DRAMA]

The Group (1966), Dir. Sidney Lumet [DRAMA]

La Religieuse (1966), Dir. Jacques Rivette [DRAMA]

Persona (1966), Dir. Ingmar Bergman [AVANT GARDE, PSYCHOLOGICAL, DRAMA]

Belle De Jour (1967), Dir. Luis Bunuel [DRAMA]

The Fox (1967), Dir. Mark Rydell [DRAMA]

Les Biches (1968), Dir. Clauthde Chabrol [DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Killing of Sister George (1968), Dir. Robert Aldrich [DRAMA, EXPLOITATION]

Therese and Isabelle (1968), Dir. Radley Metzger [ROMANCE, DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Girl from Pussycat (1969), Dir. Smythe David [SEXPLOITATION]

Check to the Queen (1969), Dir. Pasquale Festa Campanile [DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Others (1969), Dir. Renzo Maietto [DRAMA]

1970-1979

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970), Dir. Jaromil Jires [AVANT GARDE, DRAMA, COMING OF AGE]

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), Dir. Russ Meyer [COMEDY, MUSICAL, MELODRAMA]

Midnight Virgin (1970), Dir. Shogoro Nishimura [DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Conformist (1970), Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci [POLITICAL DRAMA]

Multiple Maniacs (1970), Dir. John Waters [COMEDY]

The Dark Side of Tomorrow (1970), Dir. Jack Deerson, Barbara Peeters [DRAMA]

Nightmares Come at Night (1970), Dir. Jesús Franco [DRAMA]

The Vampire Lovers (1970), Dir. Roy Ward Baker [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EROTIC]

The Shiver of the Vampires (1971), Dir. Jean Rollin [VAMPIRE, EROTIC]

Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay (1971), Dir. Bruno Gantillon [EROTIC]

Daughters of Darkness (1971), Dir. Harry Kumel [VAMPIRE, EROTIC]

Vampyros Lesbos (1971), Dir. Jesús Franco [VAMPIRE, EXPLOITATION, EROTIC]

Daughter of Dracula (1972), Dir. Jesús Franco [VAMPIRE, EROTIC]

Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972), Dir. Chor Yuen [MARTIAL ARTS, DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder [DRAMA]

The Beguines (1972), Dir. Guy Casaril [DRAMA, EROTIC]

Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973), Dir. Roger Vadim [DRAMA, EROTIC]

Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural (1974), Dir. Richard Blackburn [HORROR, COMING OF AGE]

Vampyres (1974), Dir. Jose Ramon Larraz [VAMPIRE, EXPLOITATION, EROTIC]

Foxy Brown (1974), Dir. Jack Hill [BLAXPLOITATION, ACTION]

Je Tu Il Elle (1974), Dir. Chantal Ackerman [DRAMA]

Black Emanuelle (1975), Dir. Bitto Albertini [SEXPLOITATION]

Successive Slidings of Pleasure (1974), Dir. Alain Robbe-Grillet [HORROR, AVANT GARDE, EROTIC]

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975), Dir. Peter Weir [MYSTERY, DRAMA]

Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977), Dir. Mariposa Film Group, et. al [DOCUMENTARY]

Bilitis (1977), Dir. David Hamilton [EROTIC]

Alucarda (1977), Dir. Juan López Moctezuma [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EXPLOITATION]

Fascination (1979), Dir. Jean Rollin [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EROTIC]

See Here My Love (1979), Dir. Hugo Santiago [MYSTERY, DRAMA]

1980-1989

Simone Barbes or Virtue (1980), Dir. Marie-Claude Treilhou [DRAMA]

Personal Best (1982), Dir. Robert Towne [SPORTS, DRAMA]

Scrubbers (1982), Dir. Mai Zetterling [DRAMA]

The Living Dead Girl (1982), Dir. Jean Rollin [ZOMBIE, HORROR]

Audience (1982), Dir. Barbara Hammer [DOCUMENTARY]

The Hunger (1983), Dir. Tony Scott [VAMPIRE]

Lianna (1983), Dir. John Sayles [DRAMA]

La Pirate (1984), Dir. Jacques Doillon [DRAMA]

Desert Hearts (1985), Dir. Donna Deitch [ROMANCE, DRAMA]

Anne Trister (1986), Dir. Lea Pool [DRAMA]

Kamikaze Hearts (1986), Dir. Juliet Bashore [DOCUFICTION]

Working Girls (1986), Dir. Lizzie Borden [DRAMA]

I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987), Dir. Patricia Rozema [COMEDY]

No No Nooky T.V. (1987), Dir. Barbara Hammer [COMEDY, SHORT]

1990-1999

The Company of Strangers (1990) Dir. Cynthia Scott [DOCUFICTION]

Women Like Us (1990), Dir. Suzanne Neild [DOCUMENTARY]

Salmonberries (1991), Dir. Percy Adlon [DRAMA]

Thelma & Louise (1991), Dir. Ridley Scott [CRIME, DRAMA]

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Dir. David Lynch [HORROR, AVANT GARDE]

Nitrate Kisses (1992), Dir. Barbara Hammer [DOCUMENTARY]

Flaming Ears (1992), Dir. A. Hans Scheirl, Dietmar Schipek, and Ursula Pürrer [AVANT GARDE, SCI-FI]

Forbidden Love (1992), Dir. Lynne Fernie, Aerlyn Weismann [DOCUFICTION]

Fresh Kill (1994), Dir. Shu Lea Cheang [SCI-FI, AVANT GARDE]

Heavenly Creatures (1994), Dir. Peter Jackson [CRIME, THRILLER, BIOPIC]

Go Fish (1994), Dir. Rose Troche [COMEDY, DRAMA, ROMANCE]

The Maidens of Heavenly Mountains (1994), Dir. Andy Chin Wing-Keung [WUXIA]

The Celluloid Closet (1995), Dir. Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman [DOCUMENTARY]

The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), Dir. Maria Maggenti [COMEDY, DRAMA]

When Night is Falling (1995), Dir. Patricia Rozema [DRAMA]

Live Nude Girls (1995), Dir. Julianna Lavin [COMEDY]

BloodSisters: Leather, Dykes, and Sadomasochism (1995), Dir. Michelle Handelman [DOCUMENTARY]

Bound (1996), Dir. The Wachowskis [CRIME, THRILLER]

The Watermelon Woman (1996), Dir. Cheryl Dunye [ROMANCE, DRAMA, COMEDY]

Everything Relative (1996), Dir. Sharon Pollack [COMEDY, DRAMA]

Irma Vep (1996), Dir. Olivier Assayas [DRAMA]

Nowhere (1997), Dir. Gregg Araki [BLACK COMEDY, DRAMA]

Gia (1998), Dir. Michael Cristopher [BIOPIC]

High Art (1998), Dir. Lisa Cholodenko [DRAMA]

Election (1999), Dir. Alexander Payne [COMEDY]

Better Than Chocolate (1999), Dir. Anne Wheeler [ROMANCE, COMEDY]

Being John Malkovich (1999), Dir. Spike Jonze [COMEDY, FANTASY]

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999), Dir. Jamie Babbit [ROMANCE, COMEDY]

Adolescence of Utena (1999), Dir. Kunihiko Ikuhara [ANIME, DRAMA, COMING OF AGE]

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Early Lesbian Film: The Jester's Joke (1912), Dir. Walter R. Booth

This 6-minute short film is a lesbian take on classic Commedia dell'arte character dynamics.

Harlequina uses magical cigarette smoke to create Columbina and two Pierrots. The Pierrots attempt to court Columbina unsucessfully, then Harlequina uses her magic to make them vanish. Harlequina then flirts and dances with Columbina, and finally uses her smoke to create a third woman in a gown.

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Strength and Patience, engraving by Hendrik Goltzius, between 1573 and 1617.

Caption: Grandia robusto faciunt in corpore vires, Si Patiens aderit mens, grauiora (graviora) ferent. (The hailstones create strength in a robust body, but if a patient mind is present, they will bear heavier things.)

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Fanny and Julia or The Friends by Johann Georg Penzel, circa 1801

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At the Moulin-Rouge, Two Women Walzing by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1892