| I made this about six months after my uncle died of cancer. I'm the oldest of the cousins, and he was always a big influence in my life. My cousin Saul had to read his appreciation of his father in front of a huge church of people, and I just wondered how you prepared for something like that.
Hence the film. It was another Straight 8 film - shot in sequence, editing in camera. So I ended up growing my beard and shaving it again about three times. In hindsight I think I should have cast someone else - not that I'm not a fantastic actor (!), but the pressures of directing a single perfect shot are enough to deal with without the added anxiety of nailing the right performance in one take too.
Shirley Brodie did an incredible job of shooting camera, and although the finished film looks quite overexposed, there are moments where it really suits the story. And Sid did a beautiful job with the soundtrack - I think that this is one of the most perfect pieces he's composed.
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