Drown follows the story of lifesaving champion Len in Australia. Bold and eye-catching, the film explores the male body, sexuality and the consequences of same-sex attraction in a masculine environment.
QX magazine caught up with director Dean Francis.
When you set out to start making the film, what did you want to get across to the audience?
I read Stephen Davis’ play Drown in the context of an epidemic of drunk male violence in Sydney which culminated in numerous senseless killings. The play vividly dramatises some of the factors underlying Australia’s violent masculine culture – the idea that “mate-ship” leads to a pack mentality where being different can be fatal. The characters in the play use violence to fortify themselves against perceptions of weakness and to banish uncomfortable feelings of same-sex attraction. I felt that there were many uncomfortable truths in Drown and as a film it could be provocative and feed into the emerging discussion about the nature of masculinity.
Masculinity is a hot topic right now with social media trends like #masculinityisfragile getting national attention in the press. How does the film address the theme of masculinity?
Drown looks at the chasm that exists for many guys between what they say they are and how they actually feel. For our lead character, Len, fitting into expectations handed down over generations is a matter of life and death. In a culture where intimacy between men is absolutely taboo, the attraction between Len and Phil becomes toxic and can only be expressed is through violence. Yet there’s something really interesting about guys “proving” their heterosexuality by inflicting sexual violence on other guys. It’s sad and shocking to watch but it’s the closest our characters will ever get to the sexual relationship they both long for. Its a complex psychology and fascinating to explore in the story.
How much of masculinity do you think is tied up in the male physique and is this something that’s explored in the film?
In many places where beach culture is prevalent, identity becomes very tied up with the body as status symbol. You see guys obsessed with sculpting themselves into a perceived state of perfection, preening, wanting to be wanted. It’s the same at the beach, on the footy field or in the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Yet the body has a different meaning in these different contexts and there are subtle rules around acceptable behaviour. When you juxtapose these different contexts, like in Drown, you realise it’s often a very thin line, but the consequences of stepping over it can be dangerous.
What message were you hoping to get across with the film?
Identity, like gender and sexuality, is fluid and labels are often destructive.
“Fitting into expectations handed down over generations is a matter of life and death.”
What other themes does the film explore?
The film also looks at the homogenisation of “gay culture”. Just as our protagonist Len feels forced to live a certain way by the culture of athleticism, the openly gay Tom is also forced into an identity. Because he’s gay he feels he has to act a certain way and do certain things. His closeted boyfriend Phil is not completely comfortable in either gay or straight worlds and he doesn’t feel he should have to fit in to either. Phil is our “post-Queer” icon and he’s a very inspiring character because ultimately he never stops being who he is, even if that challenges the world around him.
What were some of the challenges you faced when making the film?
So many challenges making Drown! Shooting on the beach sounds like fun but its actually hell. We had cast too terrified of sharks to get in the ocean, other cast who were attacked by swarms of jellyfish as we were shooting, and some overcome with exhaustion because of all the running and swimming. The main cast had to bulk up very quickly for the shoot and then stay on a strict training regime throughout. We had one of the rainiest summers in years so filming just seemed to stretch on forever. It really was an incredibly challenging shoot and I’m looking forward to doing a “two people in a room” type film next.
• Drown is out on DVD and On-Demand from October 12th. For more info visit www.peccapics.com
