A biographical comedy drama about an unlikely alliance between a group of LGBTQIA+ activists and miners, Pride (2014) is a gender studies, history, and socioeconomics class all rolled into one.

As Pride Month draws to a close it’s a fitting moment to pause and celebrate the remarkable strides made in LGBTQIA+ cinema. Today, a vibrant spectrum of the community’s experiences flourishes across genres, from the chilling horror-drama of ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ and the fast-paced crime thriller ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ to the fantastical romance of ‘All of Us Strangers” and the side-splitting hysterics of ‘Drive Away Dolls’ — LGBTQIA+ voices are weaving fascinating stories.

The movie starts off with a montage of news reports about a National Union of Mineworkers strike in 1984 and then United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s harsh reaction to it, with the Ralph Chaplin 1915 labour anthem “Solidarity Forever” playing in the background. Right after, Joe, a young man is seen sneaking into a pride parade in London. It’s his “first anything” so he doesn’t “want to be too visible”. But as it happens, he finds himself in the lead, holding a large banner that says “Queers! Better blatant than latent”.

Just as impermanence does not mean insignificance, light-heartedness does not necessarily mean lack of sincerity. Pride’s greatest strength is its ability to balance humour with poignant storytelling. The heart of the film comes from its focus on its characters – the miners and the queer activists. Pride takes the conscious decision to not directly address the issues that plague the lives of the LGBTQIA+ community. Issues of identity, family, carefully manufactured hatred, and of the commoditization of pride itself. Rather, it narrates their struggles through the story of their support for the miners. In doing so it radiates warmth and a genuine sense of hope while bringing us face to face with some gut-wrenching, heart-melting truths.

As the film celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, the perfect way to learn more about intersectional consciousness would be to read acclaimed author filmmaker Tim Tate’s book (titled Pride: The Unlikely Story of the True Heroes of the Miner’s Strike) that came to be after the film. For those who have seen the film but not read the book, it will be a delightful reunion with familiar characters and a deeper, more nuanced exploration of their journeys. For those who are yet to see the film, get ready for an emotional experience, filled with laughter, tears, and a profound sense of camaraderie that transcends time and space.