Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and director Gus Van Sant are reuniting for a miniseries on the history of gay rights.

The duo responsible for the Harvey Milk biopic, ‘Milk’, will be writing and directing an eight hour miniseries that follows the history of the gay rights movement, ‘When We Rise’.

The premiere episode will focus on the 1969 Stonewall Riots of New York City.

Black is heavily involved in contemporary activism, founding the American Foundation for Equal Rights – the organisation that led the successful lawsuit against California’s oppressive Proposition 8.

Van Sant, known for his queer themes in cinema (‘My Own Private Idaho’, ‘Elephant’, ‘I Am Michael’) will be directing the 2-hour premiere episode of ‘When We Rise’.