God’s Own Country ticket giveaway

Billed as the next Brokeback Mountain, God’s Own Country is a British drama directed by up-and-coming Francis Lee. Generating significant buzz at Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, the film depicts the passionate affair between Yorkshire farmer Johnny and Romanian migrant Gheorghe, while set against the backdrop of the stark, frigid yet breath-taking English countryside. 

Johnny Saxby (Josh O’Connor) stoically moves through life: he begrudgingly maintains the family farm, tends to cattle and sheep, and sells livestock – all in brutal isolation that is augmented by the fractured relationships with his paralysed father and elderly grandmother. To numb the frustration of his lonely existence, he resorts to heavy drinking, chain smoking and casual sex. But when migrant worker Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives as help on the farm, for the first time in his life, Johnny is forced to examine his feelings – however reluctant he may be – and learn to how to love another person. Faced with an intense connection, Johnny is forced to make a decision about his future. 

Under Lee’s careful precision, the connection between Johnny and Gheorghe grows organically. Non-verbal dialogue is present in every scene, while physical exchanges build the tension more. Once they succumb to their feelings, the film cleverly peels back the characters’ closed-off exterior to reveal a passionate, honest and open bond. The cinematography is stellar – sweeping meadows and dull countryside perfectly set the moody and isolating tone. A warning for animal lovers: there are several graphic scenes that feature new born lambs that may or may not make you squirm.