QX film critic Jack Leger asks filmmakers and actors who all contribute to Boys On Film 11: We Are Animals, the latest film collection from Peccadillo Pictures, a simple question…
Carlos Oliveira
writer-director, Three Summers
The two main characters are based on friends of mine, so it is quite a personal film. I started imagining what could have happened if those two men got together. I was smitten by the concept of this young, innocent looking boy being the seducer, using all the tricks he knew to bed the straight guy. I tried to work with topics I believe are not dealt with so often: the young gay man who is not confused about his sexuality, and the idea that being gay is much more than just going to bed with another man.
Ben Lerman
actor, Spooners
Even though I’m completely out, there are certain places and certain times when I don’t want to hold hands with my partner or display any affection or attachment. I know a lot of people feel this way. Sometimes those feelings are valid, as there are still very real dangers for gay people in this world. At other times it’s just a silly, neurotic notion. Spooners shows how sometimes this feeling of wanting to remain closeted in certain situations isn’t borne of any real danger, but a product of our own personal baggage.
Shaz Bennett
writer-director, Alaska Is a Drag
This story has been in my head for years. I worked in a fish cannery in Alaska and I also used to perform in a “sister” drag act. So, it’s very personal to me. I know this kid! He is me in so many ways. Especially how he wants to be so much more than his environment.
Eldar Rapaport
writer-director, Little Man
I was always intrigued by double identity: what we show and what we are. This story touches the core of the split that is created by relationships. And in that, the story brings out the frustration I feel – and everyone else does too. Friends have told me it’s the most personal film I’ve ever made.
Walter Replogle
actor, Spooners
To me this film is a simple viewpoint of a larger issue. Without making some huge political stance or screaming about civil injustice, it just shows the truth of two men who love each other. It’s their normality that I love.
Magnus Mork
writer-director, Burger
The film depicts a very common experience: drunk and noisy people of all kinds mix in a tiny burger bar, and alcohol lifts the barrier between them into something lively and unpredictable. It’s a fascinating, exaggerated version of real-life society. The shoot was a hilarious one-night experience in Cardiff.
Bryan Horch
writer-director, Spooners
My film is a satire of how corporate America is suddenly becoming open-minded about former social taboos in order to keep up with the quickly changing gay marriage laws sweeping the country. Making a comedy based on an awkward real-life experience of being self-conscious about my sexual orientation in public was cathartic for me. Hopefully it’s making audiences think more about the issue of data-mining while they laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.
Nick Verso
writer-director, The Last Time I Saw Richard
When I was 15, five of my friends were put in mental health clinics for different reasons. I made this film as a love letter to them. The two lead actors were both incredibly brave and committed. And working with a group of 8-year-old gymnasts to make the “darklings” was hilarious. They were so excited to be using their skills on film and creeped out the whole crew.
• Boys on Film 11: We Are Animals is available on DVD/VOD from Peccadillo
