The Stonewall riots occurred in 1969, but the first trailer for Roland Emmerich’s new film begins with the words of President Obama: “Our nation was founded on a bedrock principle: that we are all created equal”.
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The story recounts the lead up to the Stonewall riots and the reasons why they happened.
In quite the departure for Emmerich, the powerful first trailer for Stonewall has arrived, well known as the highly regarded LGBT rights charity of the same name which only celebrated its 25th anniversary past year. Kicked out of his own home, young Danny Winters (Irvine) flees to New York, leaving behind his beloved sister (King).
Old black and white video footage of civil rights and votes for women marches play as the voice of President Barack Obama intones his famous phrase: ‘Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.
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‘Today, thanks to the events set in motion by the Stonewall riots, the gay rights movement continues to make incredible strides towards equality, ‘ Emmerich said last month. However, this shady, mafia-run club is far from a safe-haven. Their frustration and anger builds in Danny and his friends until one day, early in the morning on June 28, 1969, tensions spontaneously erupted into what is considered by many the most definitive moment in the modern gay liberation movement. “With the toss of a single brick”, the film’s plot description explains, “a riot ensues and a crusade for equality is born”. The other is a fictionalized take on history from the guy who made Independence Day and the Shakespeare truther drama Anonymous.
