The filmmakers Gillian Hrankowski and April Butler discuss their new documentary, Father Figures, which looks at Butler’s father’s relationship with a much younger woman, with Joseph Planta. It premieres Saturday, 11 May 2013 at DOXA: The Documentary Film Festival [1].
Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:
I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.
There’s a terrific new documentary having its world premiere at DOXA: the Documentary Film Festival this weekend. It’s called Father Figures and its filmmakers, Gillian Hrankowski and April Butler join me now. What makes this film really good, really compelling, is that it’s a personal story for Ms. Butler. Her father, Dale, 73, has met someone significantly younger in an online chat room. He goes to the Philippines to meet her, and soon enough we find out that his girlfriend, named Girlie is half April’s age, and some fifty years younger than Dale. The filmmakers go to the Philippines to make a movie about this relationship that’s not unique what with older white males going over to Asia for younger women. The drama gets ramped up, and I’ll get the directors to tell us as much about the movie as is possible before seeing it. It’s really remarkable, raw and emotional stuff. It’s brutal at times, but life’s like that I suppose. Visit www.doxafestival.ca [1] for information on the screening this Saturday; I believe it’s sold out, but there are standby tickets. The website for the movie is at www.fatherfiguresdocumentary.com [2]. It’ll air on the Knowledge Network here and TVO later in the year. April Butler and Gillian Hrankowski had worked in television production for many years, and made their first documentary, The Brothel Project in 2008. They produced, directed and photographed Father Figures. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program today, in Vancouver Gillian Hrankowski; and in Victoria, April Butler; Ms. Butler good morning. And Ms. Hrankowski, good morning.
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