A powerful short film has been released exploring a little-known but vital chapter in Manx history.

‘No Man Is An Island’ looks at when, in 1992, the Isle of Man became one of the last places in western Europe to decriminalise homosexuality.

The 22-minute film has been put together by Manx filmmaker John Craine, and includes reconstructed debates, rare archive footage and radio audio recordings.

Speaking about the film to Manx.news, John said: ‘I was born and raised on the island, and as a gay man, I knew fragments of this history.

‘But the deeper I researched, the more shocking it became. This wasn’t just political – it destroyed real people’s lives.’

The film features Alan Shea’s famous Tynwald Day protest, where he arrived at Tynwald wearing uniform similar to that worn by prisoners in concentration camps during World War Two.

John said: ‘Alan is definitely the lightning rod for people objecting and I think it’s easy to underestimate the bravery required to be that person.’

The film also recreates Tynwald debates about the topic during the 90s, including the then-MHK Hazel Hannan’s passionate stand against homophobia.

Some island politicians have also not been named in the film, which was done to ‘avoid public shaming’.

No Man Is An Island was funded by the Isle of Man Arts Council Film Fund, with a spokesperson from the Arts Council commenting: ‘This is an important, moving, and necessary piece of filmmaking.

‘The Isle of Man Arts Council is incredibly proud to have supported it.’

The film has also been publicly endorsed by openly gay Manx actor Joe Locke on his Instagram story.

If you wish to watch the film or find out more, you can do so by visiting https://tinyurl.com/38jmsheu