HBO’s adaptation of Larry Kramer’s play will premiere at the 2014 Inside Out LGBT Film Festival.
HBO
Inside Out scored a coup last week when programmers announced they would premiere HBO’s The Normal Heart. Xtra caught up with Andrew Murphy to hear more about the long-awaited film adaptation of Larry Kramer’s 1985 AIDS drama.
Xtra: How do you anticipate audiences responding?
Andrew Murphy: Anyone I know who’s watched the various teasers and trailers out there are speechless and often have tears welling up. I anticipate this night being very special and very personal to those attending. Depending on one’s age, it will be a reminder of a time they’ve experienced themselves. For others, it will be a large teachable moment and a call to action.
The stage version was a hugely successful drama and a seminal piece of gay history. What impact do you think the film will have?
It’s always fascinating to see a director take a story created for a stage and expose it to an audience that wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to experience it. Larry Kramer is one of our gay heroes, and the next generation needs to be schooled on this subject so they can own their history and move forward applying the knowledge that’s been laid out for us.
Having the chance to premiere this film is obviously huge for whichever festival got it. How did Inside Out manage to score this deal? Was there a fight with rival festivals? Money changing hands? Backroom sexual favours?
Ha! I can honestly say there was no shady business in our negotiations. The folks at HBO Canada are pretty fantastic. It was a joy working with them last year on Behind the Candelabra, and I think all sides were aligned to envision Inside Out being the perfect outlet to premiere The Normal Heart.
Check out HBO’s trailer for the film.
The Normal Heart screens Fri, May 23 at 8:30pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St W.
insideout.ca
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