Lesbian Lines

Original title: Lesbian Lines
Year: 2026
Language: English
Available Subtitles: English
Genre: Documentary
Country: Ireland
Runtime: 77 min
Status: Released

An intimate portrait of a network of underground telephone helplines established by a small community of Irish lesbians in 1979. At a time when homosexuality faced intense social and legal hostility in Ireland, a group of women created a lifeline for those experiencing isolation, abuse and profound loneliness. Every call was logged as handwritten notes, kept through decades of constitutional change as women fought for their rights in an oppressive and conservative society. Lesbian Lines brings together an ensemble cast of original helpline volunteers and actors to breathe life into this rich, undocumented history, weaving collective memories into a moving and joyful new archive. Blending dramatised sequences with archival material, it is a story of community, connection and the transformative power of listening.

Director: Cara Holmes
Screenplay: Cara Holmes
Cinematography: Aidan Gault
Editing: Colin Campbell, Cara Holmes
Music: DIE HEXEN
Sound Design: Jim Latimer
Production Design: Ika Avaliani
Producers:  Evan Horan
Co-Producers:  Lisa Kelly
Production Companies: Keeper Pictures (Ireland)

Festivals

Sheffield DocFest - World Premiere / DOC NYC / Docs Ireland (Pull Focus Award for Best Irish Feature Documentary) / GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival (Best Feature Film, Audience Award) / PRIOSMA Queer Film Film Festival Cork / Queer Porto / Cinema Queer International Film Festival / Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival