And the British Andrew Haigh knows what he is talking about, because he himself is part of that generation. – Even though we have moved on in life, many people carry with them bad memories from childhood and adolescence, says Haigh in an interview with news. For the personal film he is currently working on, “All of Us Strangers”, he has brought in big stars such as Paul Mescal (“Normal people”), Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”), Claire Foy (“The Crown”) and Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot”). Haigh’s previous film “45 Years” garnered Oscar nominations. “All of Us Strangers” has received a total of 6 Bafta nominations, Britain’s answer to the Oscars. IN THE ELEVATOR: Harry (Paul Mescal) and Adam (Andrew Scott) bump into each other in the elevator. The two are alone in living in the block of flats in “All of Us Strangers”. Photo: Chris Harris In the film, the lonely gay man Adam, played by Andrew Scott, lives in an almost empty block of flats in London. One evening he meets Harry, played by Paul Mescal, who also lives in the empty block. As the love relationship between the two develops, Adam becomes preoccupied with memories from the past. He returned to the town he grew up in and found his parents living in their childhood home, just as they did before they died suddenly 30 years earlier when Adam was only 12. Adam gets the opportunity to have the difficult conversations with his parents that he never had or dared to have before they died in a car accident. UK PREMIERE: Paul Mescal, Andrew Scott, Claire Foy and director Andrew Scott pose at the premiere of ‘All of Us Strangers’ in London in January. Photo: Scott A Garfitt / AP – I would be stupid if I said no to this role In contrast to Adam, Harry stands out as a confident gay man who is confident in his own orientation. But that’s only on the outside. – I have a deep interest in the form of masculinity, the modern man who on the surface looks like everything is fine. Harry is similar to something I have experienced, and I see him in my veins and in people I know. He was a character I felt I could add weight to, Paul Mescal told news. STAR SHOT: Paul Mescal made his debut in the successful series “Normal People” in 2020. Later this year he will be seen in the blockbuster “Gladiator 2” together with, among others, Denzel Washington. Photo: Chris Harris For Claire Foy, known to many as the young Queen Elizabeth II in “The Crown”, there was no doubt that she would say yes to the role. – I think that the older I get and the more I work in this profession, I will do things I care about, and which I hope others will care about. I would be very stupid if I said no to this role, says The Crown star to news. Director Andrew Haigh is himself part of the generation of queers who grew up in the 80s, and wanted to make a personal story about growing up queer at that time. DEEP CONVERSATIONS: The characters in the film find it difficult to put into words what they really feel. Photo: CHRIS HARRIS The film “All of US Strangers” is partly based on the 1987 book “Strangers” by the Japanese author Taichi Yamada and partly on the director’s own story. – Things are so much better now for most of us, but we still harbor feelings and trauma from growing up. These feelings are with us in the decisions we make in life, and can lead to us setting boundaries for ourselves, says Haigh, who believes it is important to cultivate that feeling a few times. LOVE: Adam (Andrew Scott) and Harry (Paul Mescal) find the tone in “All of Us Strangers.” Photo: Parisa Taghizadeh – Missing this film as a teenager Director Andrew Haigh has a wish that not only adults, but also 13-, 14- and 15-year-olds should see the film. He thinks it would have made a big difference if he himself had seen this film as a teenager. – Sometimes a film can have the ability to convey the difficulty of an experience, whether it is grief, a strange upbringing or whatever it may be. As a teenager, through a film like this, you can gain an understanding of what is challenging about being gay, while also seeing that it is possible to work through the difficulties. GHOST: Adam’s father (Jamie Bell) and mother (Claire Foy) appear 30 years after they died in a car accident. Photo: Chris Harris Paul Mescal received a Bafta nomination for his role in the film. So did Claire Foy. She is happy about the nomination, although the real barometer of success for her is people’s reaction to the film. – Nominations and awards are absolutely fantastic, and especially for independent films like this that stand out and attract attention to get people to go and see them. At the same time, I quite sincerely believe that if people come up to you in the street and say that what you do means something, then it doesn’t get any better than that, says Foy. Director Andrew Haigh told news that he has experienced an absolutely enormous response to the film. People of all ages, both queer and straight, get in touch to tell stories from their own lives, about the loss of parents, loved ones and the like. – The film seems to have resonated with them on a kind of universal level, and that means a lot, says Haigh. Read Filmpolitiet’s review of the film:
ttn-69
Will highlight the forgotten queer generation – news Culture and entertainment
