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LGBTQ* Film History You Should Know

WINGS (1927, Academy Award Winning Film)

What is it about?

Two young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman become fighter pilots in World War I.

Why is it important?

This film is the oldest surviving footage of a same-sex onscreen kiss and often believed to be the FIRST same-sex kiss on film. WINGS is an important addition to film and queer history with its honest portrayal of the bond and interaction between two men as watched by an audience via celluloid prior to the “macho - men are men” attitude which would go on to flood mentality and film a decade later.