If there’s one thing we’ve learned as queer people, it’s that history can often be as much of a nightmare as it is a source of pride. It’s this balance of beauty and brutality that Will Seefried’s Lilies Not For Me seeks to explore. The romantic drama, which will debut at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival, is more than just a historical tale. It’s a sobering reminder of how far we’ve come, and a call to remember just how much we’ve survived.
The first-look clip, which you can check out right here, is a haunting glimpse into 1920s England, where queer relationships were anything but “proper.” Centering on a gay novelist and his psychiatric nurse, the film tracks their unlikely bond forged through a series of doctor-prescribed “dates” — an arrangement that sounds like it’s straight out of a dystopian fever dream. Through these encounters, the novelist shares his tragic tale of a friendship-turned-romance with a fellow man, one that went terribly wrong when they decided to undergo a controversial and highly questionable procedure in an attempt to “cure” their feelings for each other.
It sounds like a plot pulled from some dark corner of our collective LGBTQ+ history, and frankly, it’s one that doesn’t get enough attention. But this film is doing just that. It’s unearthing the ugly truth behind the so-called “conversion therapies” of the past, which are tragically not just relics of a distant, regressive time but still echo in the lives of too many LGBTQ+ people today.
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What makes Lilies Not For Me hit differently is the people involved. The film stars Fionn O’Shea (who brought us Normal People and stole our hearts in the process), alongside Robert Aramayo (our favorite elf from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), Erin Kellyman (yes, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s own Enfys Nest), and Jodi Balfour (best known for her role in Quarry). These actors bring depth, vulnerability, and humanity to a script that treads on fragile emotional ground.
As if that wasn’t enough, Seefried — the man behind the lens — isn’t new to gripping narratives. His short film Homesick (2022) won the coveted Short of the Year Audience Award at SXSW, so you know he’s no stranger to touching on themes that make us feel something deep in our chests. His latest feature is no different, blending a chilling piece of queer history with a narrative that’s not just about survival, but about love in all its forms. It’s about understanding that queerness isn’t some “modern fad” but something that has been a part of the human experience for far longer than many might care to acknowledge.
Seefried’s choice to tackle the history of a “shocking procedure from the 1920s which claimed to ‘cure’ homosexuality” comes from a personal place, as he himself explains. “This history struck me as a chilling expression of the violence that queer people still endure to this day,” he said, adding that it’s inspired by books and films that shaped his worldview, including James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room, Todd Haynes’ Carol, and the exquisite Maurice by Merchant Ivory. All three of these works are a testament to the enduring power of queer love in the face of oppressive social structures. And it seems Seefried is following in their footsteps, using a historical lens to reveal the truth of our past while exploring how that informs the present.
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As a community, we have always celebrated our resilience, but it’s important to keep shining a light on those moments in history that sought to erase us. Lilies Not For Me is here to ensure that we don’t forget — and maybe, just maybe, to help us all feel a little less alone in a world that often wants us to stay invisible.
The film is shaping up to be not only an emotional rollercoaster but also a necessary reminder that, though we’ve made strides, the battle for queer rights and recognition is ongoing. Lilies Not For Me won’t just be another period drama. It’ll be a time capsule, one that connects us to our shared past, honors our collective pain, and reminds us to never take the freedom we have now for granted.
So grab your tissues, your friends, and a good bottle of wine, because this is one film that’s sure to hit right in the heart. And trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
‘Lilies Not For Me’ Brings Gay History to Life with a Heartbreaking Romance
Source: Deadline