While pornography today is as easy as a click and a streaming video, in the 1970s, gay porn played a significant role in validating gay identity. In fact, it was about the only accessible filmic representation of gay men available. The Erotic Films Of Peter De Rome (1973) is a classic example of the intersection of artistry and eroticism in early gay pornography, and has returned to the big screen thanks to Chicago’s Bijou Video.

Peter De Rome first started shooting 8mm sex films in 1965, producing 30 private films over several years. Pioneering producer Jack Deveau saw one of these shorts at a festival and convinced the filmmaker to collect them in one feature, The Erotic Films of Peter De Rome.

De Rome viewed eroticism as involving more than just sex. He often cited as a major influence Jean Genet’s Un Chant D’Amour, a dreamy, surreal, highly visual work that depicts several prisoners in adjacent cells struggling with sexual longing and privation. Sexual consummation is rarely the centerpiece of a De Rome piece. He is far more interested in the full experience of intimacy – the longing, the pursuit, the passion, the afterglow, and in some cases, the aftermath.

The eight short films in the series take the viewer on a lurid sexual expedition designed to do more than elicit an orgasm. From humorous to sardonic, De Rome truly pushes the edge of filmmaking as his characters find themselves in surreal scenarios ranging from a wondrous garden setting to London’s underground subway.

ADMISSION:  $10 non-member / $8 members