In Search Of Meaning

The film paints quite a bizarre stereotypical world. Is there any element of fact in it?

After seeing the film a lot of people accuse me of being weird and sick. I, however, blame my friends. The film is really all of their stories added together. There's certainly a good deal of fact in it.

You've managed to cast a wealth of talent into the film. How?

THe film is embarassingly eighties, but this really played in my favour; it was a film people WANTED to be in. A lot of the actors we knew already, but some we were just really lucky with. Sadly one of the people we really wanted to be in the film , Julian Clary, was unable to be in it due to contractual obligations.

You seem to have kept the sexuality of the main characters sexually ambiguous, was this deliberate?

It's not a n intellectual film by any means, but I guess a lot of gay guys find their sexuality quite fluid. The same seems to be true for some straight men, they never really consider their sexuality until something happens to make them do so. I'm a straight man myself; perhaps I might enjoy it!

You said before the film that your agent hates the film, and indeed that she didn't speak to you for three years when you made it. What does she think now?

A lot of people, including my agent, hated the rough cut. But, thanks to new funding, we've now added music and colour and other improvements. Most people who hated the rough cut have a different view on the final version. My agent hasn't seen in yet, but I think she'd be pleased.

How has the audience response been? It was reported that at Cannes almost your entire audience walked out. Any truth in this?

As always seems to be the way with journalists and PRs everyone has their own mission. The Cannes reports were grossly exaggerated. Maybe a dozen people walked out, as they do at most films at Cannes, but the rest of the audience seemed pretty happy.

Besides that I've won a number of awards, so they film must be pleasing someone. I won Best Film at the Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival - that makes me Ireland's best gay film maker! I also go the Audience aWard at Montreal.

Any plans for the film to go on general release or will it be staying with the festivals?

The film comes out shortly in New York and Los Angeles, it's on release in New Zealand next month, and you should see it around the UK later this year.

Where did the funding for the film come from?

Originally the film was an Independent (the money came from private investors). We then agreed a completion deal (we had big debts and needed someone to help us make the film a reality) with Littlewing Films.

What was the timescale for the film? How long did it take you to get from inception to now?

The film took about a year to write. We then spent about six months preparing, casting and researching, followed by five weeks of filming. We then spent a little over a year in post-production with the film. I guess in total the film took a little over three years to bring to fruition.

Is there any message in the film or is it really as "unrewarding" as you claim?

Maybe there is a message in the film. A lot of people have tried to read a variety of different and occasionally bizarre meanings into the film, but I'm not sure - are you?

What will your next project be? Will it be another gay film?

My next film is about sex again, but this time it's not a gay film. Its set in Thailand and has a taxi driver fall-in-love with a masseur. I guess it'll be as dysfunctional as this one.

Colm OutUK

9 Dead Gay Guys website is http://www.ninedeadgayguys.com/
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