Over the past few years, documentary filmmaker Alison Ellwood has dove deep into the sagas of the Eagles, the Go-Go’s, the Osbourne family, and Cyndi Lauper. Her newest project, Boy George & Culture Club, explores the messy saga of one of the most iconic musical acts of the Eighties.

“Culture Club, with frontman, gender-bending Boy George, was a cultural phenomenon when they burst onto the scene, shocking and confusing the tabloids,” Ellwood tells Rolling Stone. “But the fans were not confused, the fans loved them – it was Beatlemania! Their music defined a decade with its upbeat but soulful vibes.”

In this exclusive scene from the film, which premieres this week at the Tribeca Film Festival, Boy George and Culture Club drummer Jon Moss discuss their first meeting, and the passionate affair that followed. “He turned up in this very expensive Golf convertible stinking of beautiful perfume, his earrings in,” says Boy George. “It was love at first sight, basically.”

Moss felt the same way. “I was really attracted to him, like a crush, although I never had a relationship with a man before,” he says. “And I was absolutely smitten.”

Their secret relationship inspired some of Culture Club’s most enduring songs, including “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” and played a role in the band’s dissolution. “The story of George and Jon’s love affair resonates today more than ever given the backlash against the LGBTQ+ community,” Ellwood says. “Culture Club’s music was about their love and it was a strong one that defied the odds.”

Source: Rolling Stone