Escaping his floundering marriage in London, Gerry (Aidan Gillen) goes to Singapore to sort out the estate of his brother John, who owned a hostess bar there and has just died in mysterious circumstances. Increasingly drawn toward John’s Chinese widow, while learning more and more about the ins and outs of John’s business, Gerry realises he has the opportunity to start a new life by slipping into his brother’s identity.

Mister John is an atmospheric, alluring and incisive character study, in the style we have come to expect from directing duo Desperate Optimists, otherwise known as Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor. Their work spans video art and independent film, and in both forms their superbly controlled shots treat characters and situations as vulnerable still life.

In this Q&A Christine Molloy, Co-Director of the film, speaks to Gabriella Apicella, co-founder of UnderWire Festival, about working multiple roles as part of a filmmaking duo, relinquishing control, and how Mister John compares with the pair's back catalogue including their 2008 debut feature Helen. Questions from the audience address whether Molloy and Lawlor storyboard, and why they still love to work with film in a growing digital age.

The Shorts2Features series showcases filmmakers making the leap between shorts and feature film, as part of Encounters Film and Animation Festival 2013. Watershed also hosted a screening of Molloy and Lawlor's collection of shorts Civic Life in 2011. Watch a Q&A with Lawlor that was held alongside the screening. You can also watch a Shorts2Features panel discussion from 2010 which features both Christine and Molloy discussing the release of Helen.

Mister John is screening at Watershed from Friday 27 September 2013 for at least two weeks. For more information and tickets check our listings.

Related Links:
Desperate Optimists
Civic Life Q&A on DShed
Shorts2Features Panel Discussion on DShed
Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival

Posted on Wed 18 Sept 2013.

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