Brit filmmaker and photographer Rob Crosse  has a thing about men, but then so do a vast majority of queerguru’s readers. Crosse however documents the private behavior that takes place in social groups made up predominantly of men, and for his latest project he has been studying a group of American gay seniors called ‘Prime Timers’.  The regularly get together to go on excursions to re-new acquaintances and bold as members of an aging supportive community,  and in this instance they took a trip on a cruise ship around the Caribbean.

Crosse very observantly captures images of very distinctively elderly men entering the final stages of their lives juxtapositioned with the sleek ultra-modern lines of the sparkling new cruise ship that is their temporary home. Contrasting these two elements of age which gives him his title of the piece Prime Time and it  begs the basic question he is asking of when are we properly in the time of our lives.

Crosse’s well researched film is a sheer delight and is an affectionate study of these men’s hopes and relationships whilst at the same time it challenges the assumed desirability of youth and the societal exclusion of older people. 

The Exhibition of Prime Time runs at The Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool until 3 June 2017, and is also another part of the celebration of 50th anniversary of the (partial) decriminalization of homosexuality in the U.K. which is yet another reason to go visit in 2017.  Whilst we cannot bring you the film itself, you can view video of Crosse talking about the project and showing some clips at http://www.fvu.co.uk/projects/prime-time