Cumbria's trans community praised for bravery in new film
Producer Debbie Sweeney, from Carlisle-based Eden Film, said there was "a lot of prejudice" which made it difficult for some people to "fit in", adding that Cumbria has "a lot of keyboard warriors".Mrs Sweeney, who previously worked as a college lecturer, said she found that LGBTQ+ students would often want to move to bigger cities because they could find a "sense of belonging" there, and not feel so visible."Somewhere like Cumbria, there's a lot of prejudice and they maybe find it hard to fit in, so it's nice that we can produce a film like this," she said.
'Emotional film'
Director Paddy Sweeney said those who took part had been brave to tell their stories on camera so candidly.He said they had filmed with someone who then called to drop out of the project around the time of President Trump's inauguration.Mr Sweeney said the participant was worried about "having their face out there", and the repercussions it may have for his job.The film is part of a heritage lottery-funded project, which was commissioned by Pride in North Cumbria (PINC) LGBT+ Youth.It is being screened for free in venues across Cumbria over July and August, including Rheged cinema in Penrith and Tullie in Carlisle.Producer and project manager at PINC, Pam Eland, said they wanted to take a snapshot of community "to get their voices heard out there".She added they were looking to organise showings of the "emotional" film worldwide.
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I talked to other journalists around him, and we remarked on whether Black Sabbath fans would be shocked by how frail he had become. Seconds after he appeared through the floor of the stage at Villa Park, we were eating our words. Ozzy was brimming with life and his speech, which had been more laboured when I saw him in Cleveland, was clearer than ever. It was the most astonishing turnaround I have witnessed in a long time. I know from those close to Ozzy he had worked tirelessly with a physiotherapist to prepare for the shows - which would not doubt have been painful and tiring. But the effort he put in for his fans more than paid off. His voice was remarkable given his health and he was in the highest of spirits, laughing as he blasted fans with a water cannon. 'It's so good to be on this f***ing stage,' Ozzy said during his first performance - which saw him giving the most emotional version of Mama, I'm Coming Home, that I've ever seen. Ozzy continued: 'I've been laid up for six years. You have no idea how I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.' I got shivers as 40,000 people chanted his name, which left Ozzy looking close to tears. As his set finished, he took a mere 25 minute break before returning with his Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Bill Ward and Geezer Butler to play War Pigs, N.I.B., Iron Man and Paranoid. Fireworks went off as the show finished and I left on an absolute high, blasting Sabbath songs in the car as I drove home. 9 The following day I wrote a special edition of Bizarre dedication to Ozzy and his homecoming - which has gone down in history. In the days that followed, those close to Ozzy sent me excited messages about what he was planning next. One friend told me: 'That audience reaction was always his super power. "He loved fans responding to him at Villa Park and for so many years even cheering him on in the street, simply for his fame as a reality star. 'Ozzy hated the thought of just withering away and stopping altogether.' Yesterday afternoon when I first got the call about Ozzy's death, my initial reaction was shock. How could the man I watched on stage looking so alive just over two weeks ago have passed away? It was a few hours later that I got the call from his representative to say that it was true and that Ozzy had sadly passed away. We agreed that the next time we met we would raise a toast to this brilliant man. Over the coming days and weeks, Ozzy's legacy not only to music, but to charity, will become even more apparent. This was a Birmingham born boy, who did far more than just good. Ozzy was the pioneer of heavy metal and was one of the most famous men in the world. But he never forgot where he came from - hence why the £140 million he raised from his Back To The Beginning concert will be distributed between Birmingham's Acorns Children's Hospice, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Cure Parkinson's. There will never be another man, or musician, like him. There is only one Ozzy Osbourne.
