Taking place in two alternating time periods – the 1970s and modern day – You Are My Sunshine follows long-term partners Tom and Joe (played as younger men by Steve Salt and Jack Knight and as older men by Ernest Vernon and Charles O’Neill).
Joe, a shy young man living with his conservative father and his sister in Britain, meets the playful and charismatic Tom through work in the 1970s. There is an instant connection between the two young men. Tom’s confident personality helps Joe to come out of his shell. Meanwhile, the sudden visibility of queer rights activists starts to disturb Joe’s family. Even in the present day, though Joe and Tom have been together for decades, Joe’s sister still harbors major resentments when it comes to her brother’s sexuality.
As the younger versions of Joe and Tom worry about their love being discovered, the older versions are dealing with health issues and family strife. Through two powerful characters, writer-director David Hastings offers a message of how love and acceptance can change even the hardest of hearts.
Watch the trailer for You Are My Sunshine below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.