Blue Square Heart
A drag queen is forced to reconsider his shockingly violent art when his estranged, conservative mother makes a surprise appearance at his show in an attempt to reconnect.
Interview with Writer/Director William Means
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’ve always been drawn to stories about the friction between who people naturally are and what society wants them to be, and I think this is rooted in my childhood. The year I decided I wanted to be a filmmaker was the same year I received gay-conversion therapy—when I was just 8 years old (Disclaimer here for my parents' sake: it wasn't their choosing, but rather tactics the therapist used without their awareness). That therapist taught me to hate a lot of the things I loved, and it left me feeling like there wasn’t much room for me in the world. Through film, I realized I could not only escape into other worlds where I felt seen and normal… but I could build them. It helped me find my way back to the things I love, and through filmmaking, I strive to pay that gift forward to all the other moviegoers in need of empathy.
I also love to tell stories with garish and unapologetic characters, and I found my perfect subject when I attended a performance by Sextia N’Eight, a real drag queen and the lead actor in our film. What Sextia does onstage is unbridled lightning—gross, sexy, shockingly confrontational, and fearless. She proved to be the missing ingredient that finally allowed me to tell the story of one of my deepest traumas in a way that felt right. By tracing the story from the small boy who’s taught to hate himself to a grown man who celebrates the truest version of himself on a stage, I realized it could be a story not about experiencing pain... but transcending it.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This is really a film for anyone who's ever felt "other'ed" or who wants to step into the shoes of someone who has. I think there are lots of life factors that can force us into a "box" that's more comfortable than fulfilling--what our parents/friends want for us, where we're raised, how much money is being offered to us, etc. The point of this film was to show someone blowing up that box they're put in--even blowing it up in front of their own mother--and to hopefully inspire audiences to do the same, or to even become more aware of the forces that form their own box.
On a more base level, we also just wanted to make a short that would be a thrilling blast on the big screen and hopefully show people something they've never seen before—Needles going through someone’s face as part of a choreographed dance number felt like a good place to start!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I'd refer to my previous answer, but in addition, I'll add that the type of drag on display in this film is really indebted to "filth culture". The idea behind it is embracing the things most people find disgusting or off-putting about the human experience and proudly putting them on full display. I was so drawn to it because it takes ownership of the things that scare us so that they can't own us. We've grown really accustomed to "blocking" or "unsubscribing" from things that challenge us at the click of a button, but I'm a firm believer that if you hug your worst nightmare, not only will you find it's not so scary, but it's an incredible teacher.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
With BSH, the crew wanted to dream big, but the film almost didn't happen due to the pandemic, as shooting a movie that mostly takes place in a club proved almost impossible. A lot of funding was pulled and some crew were forced to move on rather than wait. But the queer community is used to rallying together in times of rejection, and in turn, we were overwhelmed by volunteers and helping hands that came out of the woodwork to make sure the film got made. It was honestly the most humbling production I've ever worked on for that reason.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Although we're at the beginning of our festival run, the feedback from private screenings has been overwhelmingly positive so far. More so than “enjoying or not enjoying it,” people have said they found it “visceral and effective,” which is always the bigger goal for me. Many of our crew--myself included--come from more conservative backgrounds, and yet our more conservative viewers have been some of the most outspokenly supportive of it, so it feels like the potential is there to build the bridges we were hoping for!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
When I was little, I journaled about my time with the conversion-therapist... but was so mortified of anyone knowing about it that I tore the pages out and burned them, which I think says a lot about how much the experience made me hate myself. So today, words can hardly do justice to the feeling of putting that experience on film and having people relate to it and be so supportive of it. It really affirmed what I think I was trying to prove to myself by making the film, which is that—despite our differences—we humans really are trying our damned best and coming from a place of good intentions more often than not.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Putting myself aside--the crew on this film literally shed blood, sweat, and tears for it and pushed themselves to the edge and I think it shows in every frame. It's a crew of incredible talent, and their work deserves to be seen, so I hope this piece can help put them on blast. Naturally, we’d also just love to build the hype and reach as wide of an audience as possible!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We'd love to make as many film festival directors aware and interested in sharing the story as possible, and in the long term, we'd love to find a streaming home for the film where people can view it with ease. I think our target audience is more likely on a laptop in their bedroom feeling misunderstood and looking for empathy than managing to make it to many of these festivals.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
If there's anything I hope this film conveys to the masses, it's how important freedom of self-expression really is. This film arrives at an unfortunately relevant time with the restrictions being put on the art of drag in our nation right now, but hopefully, this film can pull back the curtain and show audiences what a vital part of the culture it is. The world would be a bitter, sadder place without it!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think the easiest spark for conversation behind the film would be questioning the symbolic meaning behind the type of performance our lead drag queen, Sextia, puts on. The performance in the film is molded from the shows Sextia puts on in real life, and since she's a seasoned pro... she did it for real in the movie. Every stunt, piercing of skin, and drop of blood shed on the stage is really her and not special effects! So…a lot to mentally unpack there, haha.
Would you like to add anything else?
Drag is NOT a threat!!!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm actually gearing up to shoot my first feature this year with much of the same crew, so hopefully this film serves as a springboard to bring even more support to it! All of us are still working in and around the Los Angeles area. And our fierce lead, Sextia N'eight is still performing drag in her native Baltimore, so if you have a chance to catch one of her shows on the east coast... you're likely to never forget it!
Interview: April 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Blue Square Heart
A drag queen is forced to reconsider his shockingly violent art when his estranged, conservative mother makes a surprise appearance at his show in an attempt to reconnect.
Length: 31:03
Director: William Means
Producer: Olia Zimarova, Yulia Safonova
Writer: William Means
About the writer, director and producer:
WILLIAM MEANS is a Los Angeles-based director and writer. He graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory as a Directing Fellow in 2021. Prior to AFI, William completed his undergrad at the University of Georgia ('14), he directed two award-winning shorts, then set off for several years of international backpacking to engage with new perspectives and expand his storytelling palette. He is currently developing his first feature.
OLIA ZIMAROVA is an Eastern-European filmmaker. Working for various production companies, she gained experience in development, distribution, and international sales. She worked with Red Wagon (alongside Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher) and Millennium Films. She graduated as a Producing Fellow from the AFI Conservatory in 2021 and now works full-time as a freelance indie producer trying to make a difference.
YULIA SAFONOVA is a film producer and Directors Guild of America member in the UPM category. Yulia has produced and/or line-produced numerous projects, including award-winning short and feature films, such as the drama Slipaway, the biggest box office hits of 2018 and 2020 in Kazakstan, as well as music videos with combined views of over 750 million, including Red Room for Offset and a lot for 21 Savage and J Cole.
Key cast: Sextia N'eight (Feryl Crowe/ Jake), Jessica Lea Risco (Diane/ Mom), Benjamin Lee Widner (Young Jake), Kian Morr (Salacia), Shaw Purnell (Mrs. Porter), Gia Banks ("Mother")
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, film festival directors and buyers
Facebook: Will Means
Instagram: @rill.means
Hashtags used: #BSH, #BlueSquareHeart, #SextiaNeight
Website: willmeans.com
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-funded, Indiegogo for post-production.
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Out On Film in September 2023 (specific date is TBD).
Other festivals TBA.