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Today, Bronski Beat and London Records have released the short documentary “Why? (40th Anniversary Doc Short)”, directed by Matt Lambert. The documentary revisits Bronski Beat’s iconic 1984 anthem “Why?” exploring the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights.

Upon its release in 1984, Jimmy Somerville told Record Mirror that ‘Why?’ was “about constantly having to fight for love because that’s what we have to do, to try to change the law, people’s attitudes. It’s a constant fight for your right to love and that’s a right everybody should have – to love who they want.” Forty years later Jimmy adds: “I never thought a song that we wrote in 1984 would resonate even more powerfully in 2024.”

The film, commissioned by Bronski Beat frontman Jimmy Somerville, is a tribute to those on the frontlines of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. As Lambert explains, the film is not just a historical retrospective but a tool to educate and empower a new generation of queer youth while reminding older generations that the fight for equality is far from over.

Bronski Beat’s “Why?” originally challenged homophobic violence with raw emotion. The song’s unmistakable cry against bigotry and fear made it a defining voice for LGBTQ+ activism in the 1980s. However, the original 1984 music video commissioned for the song, never truly aligned with the song’s (and the band’s) intentions. Forty years later, singer Jimmy Somerville wanted to change this.

“Jimmy wanted to commission me to make a project that spoke to the climate of LGBTQ+ rights today,” explains Matt. “I ended up exploring archives from past and present, material from my phone and friends — self shot material from the community — which became a documentary short film. We had access to Bronski Beat original stems to sculpt the timeless and still timely score to this film.”

The film premiere is an extra teaser for the release of “The Age of Consent (40th Anniversary Editions)” on October 18, and available in deluxe 4CD/DVD, 2CD, and 2LP formats.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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