From Hollyoaks to Hollywood
BAD BOY
Guardians of the Galaxy’s Emmett Scanlan is literally In The Flesh EXCLUSIVE Courtney Love on why she’s one for boys who love boys
BEING GAY AND HOW TO FIX IT YOUR GUIDE TO ABSURD GAY CURES
THE ORIGINAL GAY MAGAZINE MAY 2014 UK £4.30
aleyw D Tomhis ne ss) on edo-le w e (SpTV sho
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH ALL 14 QUEENS!
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OF RS S YEAYTIME GA
You can’t sit with us! The rise of the Mean Gays Blonde ambition Debbie Harry on Beth Ditto, Gaga and Warhol
Lesley Joseph / Kristian Nairn / Dana International / Xavier Bettel / Panti Bliss
IMAGES MATHU ANDERSEN
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gaytimes magazine number 432 May 2014
[digital special]
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Editor DARREN SCOTT Assistant Editor LEE DALLOWAY Staff Writer RYAN BUTCHER Editorial Assistant BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH Design & Art Direction MARK KING Style and Grooming LLOYD-SCOTT TYLER Music BOB HENDERSON Editor-at-large JOHN MARRS Columnists PJ BRENNAN, BENJAMIN COHEN, THE GUYLINER, EDD KIMBER, ALAN ROSENTHAL, PAUL THORN, MICHELLE VISAGE, MIKEY WALSH Contributors JOE MCCORMICK, JAMIE TABBERER, DANIEL MARTIN, MATT PEAKE, LUKE SMITH, TIM MITCHELL, MIKE HIRD, MILO WAKELIN, JUSTIN MYERS, TOM JONES, PERRY JUBY, ZAZZ WALKER, AARON GOLIGHTLY, NICK VERRELL, JOSHUA HAMMOND, LIAM LESLIE, DARRELL LARKIN, MOLLY PAGEANT Pug-at-large TOBY
Thanks to LUIS VENEGAS (EY Magateen), SHAY KEREM (Dana Music), JENNY BROWN (BBC), CLAIRE WILSON and LUKE MORRISON (Sky), JAKE SLANE (VH!) JAKE LEMMENES (Producer Entertainment), SHEILA MUNGUIA, LAUREN KENYON, JENNA HUDSON (Rogers & Cowan), BRITISH REECE and KELLEY KIRKPATRICK (PMK BNC), LUCY BARWELL and MICHAEL FORD (DAA Management), FIONA SWANSON (Live Nation), CHRISTINA GUGGENBERGER and STINA BENGTSSON (Visitstockholm.com), DEBBIE BENNETT (Bennett Public Relations) TINA BISCUIT (Drag PR) Production & Distribution Manager ALEXANDER SMITH Marketing & Advertising Designer LUKE BENJAMIN IT & Digital Management FERNANDO SAFONT Magazine Marketing Executive LLOYD PHILLIPS Management Accountant ARNAUD SEGUIN GT Advertising Sales KEITH MCDONNELL 020 7424 7406
[email protected] &ODVVLÀHG$GYHUWLVLQJ6DOHV ASH ALLIBHAI 020 7424 7451
[email protected] Escort Advertising Sales RAJ VALENTINO 020 7424 7457
[email protected] Editorial 020 7424 7400 Fax 020 7424 7401 Sales/Distribution 020 7424 7400 Fax 020 7424 7401 Editorial e-mail
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[email protected] Website gaytimes.co.uk Postal address GT, Spectrum House, Unit M, 32-34 Gordon House Road, London, NW5 1LP Newstrade distribution: Conde Nast and National Magazine Distributors Limited, Unit 3, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE Tel: 01895 433 600 Newstrade enquiries:
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[email protected] Subscriptions Overseas 01795 414 896 Printed in the UK by: Wyndeham Group Disclaimer: All copyrights and trademarks are recognised PUBLISHED BY MILLIVRES PROWLER LTD Non-executive Chairman CHRIS GRAHAM-BELL Managing Director SIMON TOPHAM Media & Marketing Director KIM WATSON Operations Director ROBERT HANWELL Financial Director ANTHONY MARTIN
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© 2014 GAY TIMES All rights reserved ISSN: 0950-6101 The mention or appearance or likeness of any person or organisation in articles or advertising in GAY TIMES is not to be taken as any indication of the sexual, social or political orientation of such persons or organisations. “Unless they paying your bills, pay them bitches no mind.” No responsibility can be assumed for any unsolicited materials, and submission is construed as permission to publish without further correspondence and the fee payable (if any) at our usual rates. Advertisers are advised that all copy is their sole responsibility under the Trades Protections Act and must comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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features
08 12 16 20 22 26
40 In The Flesh: Emmett Scanlan 52 Debbie Harry 56 Game of Thrones: Kristian Nairn 60 Courtney Love 64 5X3DXO·V'UDJ5DFH
Fitty at the front Tom Daley Mikey Walsh Panti Bliss Michelle Visage Sweetie, Darling?
news 28 30 32 35 36
The Gay Prime Minister News debate 30 Things: Eurovision Ben Cohen Heroes: Dana International
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style 75 Spring/Summer 82 Home style
entertainment 86 Music 92 Print: Trevor Kleinhans 95 Stage 96 Screen 99 Geek 100 Tech
real life 1035HDGHU·VOLYHV 104 The Guyliner 107 PJ Brennan 110 Mean Gays 114 Gay cures 119 Parenting 120 Edd Kimber 121 Alan Rosenthal 122 Fitness 125 HIV
travel 127 Letter from... 128 Stockholm 132 Gran Canaria
Big gay telly shows used to come with a fanfare. And not a flashy trumpet proclaiming their arrival, but usually some bigot and a red top or two telling us why it was the end of civilisation. That era thankfully now seems to be (mostly) gone. But funnily enough, the end of civilisation is the theme of one of the most important gay dramas in the last decade. Blink and you might have missed In The Flesh last year. To describe the BBC Three show as a ‘gay zombie drama’ is to do it a massive disservice. But that’s the easy way out, and I have limited space. Space that would be better spent telling you how Dominic Mitchell’s programme broke my heart, made me cry and cheer at its sheer brilliance. It’s not a programme where being gay *is* the drama for once, but it’s right at the core and is utterly, utterly wonderful. And that’s why we welcome the extremely handsome Emmett Scanlan back to our pages. Just watch the show. Spoilers! But if gay drama is what you’re after, then look no further than RuPaul’s Drag Race. Hands down the best programme on television (that isn’t In The Flesh), we’ve been telling you how amazing it is for six years. We’re serving fish again this issue, with exclusive interviews with all 14 season six contestants. And if it’s gay drama starring someone gay – bear with me, it’s all linking up here – then by now you’ll have been screaming at your gogglebox for Game of Thrones season four. We chat with Hodor himself, Kristian Nairn, who recently came out. Except he didn’t, he just didn’t realise people didn’t already know. Changing gay times - no big fanfare required. Q Darren Scott @darren_scott
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Teen Titans Our very favourite magazine in the world (after GT) is back, and this time the hot young models of Luis Venegas’ EY! Magateen are waking up in the city that never sleeps – New York. Photographed by Steven Klein, it’s too hot even for us. Pass the smelling salts! Or just the stripper kit that comes with this limited edition – which includes Diesel underwear and EY dollars. Oh yes. EY! Magateen issue nine is available (without our strategically-placed logo) in May from byluisvenegas.com. Q gaytimes.co.uk
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WorldMags.net This might well be our most anticipated movie of 2014 – though we’re not sure which side of the debate we fall under: ‘don’t make the live action movie about Sleeping Beauty’s protagonist Maleficent too much like Wicked’ or ‘please make the live action movie about Sleeping Beauty’s protagonist Maleficent like Wicked’. Either way, we’re rocking horns this summer. Q
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Dragged out We love a bit of trashy telly as much as the next gay, but Drag Queens of London is set to make TOWIE and Geordie Shore look like an episode of Question Time. Brought to you by the brand new London Live TV station, the eight-part fly-on-the-wall documentary series stars some of the capital’s biggest stars – from Baga Chipz to Rosie Beaver. Following their lives on and off the stage, this is a London look like you’ve never seen before. But trust us, it’s going to be anything but a drag... Q 'UDJ4XHHQVRI/RQGRQVWDUWV$SULODWSPRQ/RQGRQ/LYH)UHHYLHZ6N\DQG 9LUJLQ DQGRQOLQHDWORQGRQOLYHFRXN#'UDJ4XHHQV
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WorldMags.net[first] IMAGES COURTEDY OF THE BARBICAN / COPYRIGHT JEAN PAUL GAULTIER / PIERRE ET GILES / PATRICE STABLE / RAINER TORRADO / EMIL LARSSON / HERB RITTS FOUNDATION
From the sidewalk to the catwalk Iconic couturier Jean Paul Gaultier has dressed everyone from queens of pop Madonna and Kylie and collaborated with the likes of Warhol, Aldridge and LaChapelle – oh my! The legendary designer truly had an extraordinary vision, and now you’re welcomed into it for the very first time with The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at London’s Barbican – an exhibition made up of more than 140 of his boundary-pushing designs. It’s open to the public until 25 August, so there’s no excuse not to celebrate a true artist. From theatre and performance to dramatic displays of androgyny, this has it all. What’re you waiting for? Q barbican.org.uk
SPEED DATE
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From 17 April Soon-to-be super mega star Kristin Hoffmann comes to the UK for the YHU\ÀUVWWLPHZLWK a string of shows, starting at the Maltcross in Nottingham. Beautiful YRLFH(DV\OLVWHQ ing just got easier. kristinhoffmann. com Q
From 22 April Call us predictable, but we love old women having DPRDQ*UXPS\ 2OG:RPHQ )LIW\ Shades of Beige is set for a massive UK tour, with awardwinning comic -HQQ\(FODLUDQGFR setting the world to ULJKWVJUXPS\ROG womenlive.com Q
From 2 May &ULWLFDOO\DFFODLPHG hit The Pajama Game comes to the West End. Set in 1950s America, it follows handsome superintendent Sid Sorokin who falls head-over-heels IRUIHLVW\XQLRQUHS Babe Williams. VKDIWHVEXU\WKHDWUH com Q
4 May The Southbank Sinfonia performs opera and ballet FODVVLFVDW/RQGRQ·V /LQEXU\6WXGLR Theatre. With singers from the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme and dancers from The 5R\DO%DOOHWWKLVLV RQHIRU\RXFXOWXUHG W\SHVURKRUJXNQ
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6 May US alt-rockers du MRXU1HRQ7UHHVÁ\ in from the US for DJLJDW/RQGRQ·V +HDYHQ7KH\·UH promising surprises DVWKH\SHUIRUP songs from album Sleeping With A Friend – a subject of which we know NOTHING about. heaven-live.co.uk Q
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If you’re expecting to see Tom Daley wearing his trademark tiny Speedos in exotic locations for his new series, prepare to be disappointed. Because in his fly-on-the-wall documentary, Tom Daley Goes Global, the usually super-groomed teenager covers up and actually lets his appearance go as he backpacks around the world with best pal Sophie Lee. Taking in Thailand, Japan, Australia, Morocco and New Zealand, they won’t be staying in posh hotels, they’ll be roughing it in hostels, night trains and shacks. But with the topic of his private life (he’s dating screen writer Dustin Lance Black) strictly off limits, Tom tells GT why tossing himself off great heights was so appealing
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DALEYS You were away for eight weeks – how did you cope with homesickness and missing your family and boyfriend Dustin? In Thailand there was a moment when we did get homesick, but we were so busy doing so many different things it was kind of hard to think about home. And we could get WiFi literally anywhere – we even got it in the middle of the rainforest in Thailand, so there was the opportunity to FaceTime. Did you find that your coming out video make you more recognisable internationally? 12
Well, the YouTube video hadn’t come out at that point because we filmed this in July and August last year. But there were lots of British people in New Zealand so they took a lot of photos of me. You’re a well-groomed man – how did you cope without styling products and living out of a backpack? As we move on further into the series, you’ll see by the time New Zealand came around, I looked like I’d been living rough on the streets. My hair was tattered, and I had a beard. I enjoyed letting myself go for a few weeks and by gaytimes.co.uk
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WorldMags.net[first] living out of a backpack, there wasn’t much we could take with us. Are you now an action man? A sky dive was something I’ve wanted to do all of my life, so when I jumped out of that plane, it was so exhilarating. A bungee jump was something I dreamed of doing and I loved every second of that, too. It was scary but it was a ‘fun’ scary. In fact every challenge that I shouldn’t have liked, I loved. It got my heart going. Why did you choose to slum it instead of staying in luxury hotels? The trip taught me so many different things, like it’s not all about luxuries when you go and see the world. You can actually switch off and have fun with the bare basics. And I wanted to try all the different cultures because if you do stay in nice rooms in nice hotels eating nice food, it’s kind of the same thing everywhere. When you venture outside of that, you experience a lot more fun. Normally when I travel around the world diving or training, I only get to see the hotel room and the pool. On this trip I was able to see everything and to explore. What will we learn about you from watching the show? You get to see the real me – especially in New Zealand when I’m very tired and I do have a bit of a snap at Sophie. You’ll see how we develop as backpackers as well. When we started in Thailand we really didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for. The further it goes on the more we let our hair down. After Splash, you must have received a lot of TV offers. Why did you pick this series? I was given eight weeks off after the World Championships in Barcelona and I always wanted to travel. So when this opportunity came up, it was the perfect chance to see the world, have it all documented and to raise the money for The Brain Tumour Charity, which is close to gaytimes.co.uk
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my heart [Tom’s father Robert died in 2011 of a brain tumour]. Each challenge I’m doing, I hope that people might be able to donate money to it. What were the most memorable moments of the trip? Pretty much every situation I wouldn’t ordinarily have got myself into, I enjoyed. In Japan we stayed at an internet café. You walk in and your bedroom is like a box. You have a mat on the floor and a TV screen on the wall with private internet booths you can hire overnight. The homepage is a porn site so you can imagine exactly what happens in those booths! What was your worst experience? The place where we stayed in New Zealand was freezing cold, it was like a tin white shed and we slept on wooden planks and a possum crept inside in the middle of the night, along with rats. It was not easy to sleep there. Did you do any diving on your trip? No, I had a complete break. I trained every now and again in the gym but my first dive was in Cannes when we had one moment of luxury and went on a yacht and hung out with Mollie from The Saturdays. I dived off the back of the boat but that was as far as it went. So that’s the only time we’ll get to see you in Speedos? Sorry no, they weren’t even Speedos! I was just in shorts. Boo! Are you looking forward to competing again in London’s Aquatics Centre, where you won a bronze medal during 2012 The Olympics? I compete on 27 April so I’m really excited for that, it’s going to be great fun in front of a home crowd. I came fourth in Dubai in March which was frustrating because I could have won, but I messed up one of my dives. Hopefully I’ll be able to take it to the next level in London. Q Tom Daley Goes Global, Thursdays, 10pm, ITV2, thebraintumourcharity.org, @TomDaley1994
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[mikeyWorldMags.net walsh] THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF GYPSY BOY
I have a mate called Simon and he’s homophobic. I’ve tried to get to the bottom of his way of thinking and alter his perception, but he won’t budge. His ridiculous theories about gay people are unshakable and make me furious, to the point of wanting to push my coffee cup into his face as hard as he can stand it. But we always end our gay debate not agreeing to disagree. Simon, by the way, is also a gay man. And not exactly new at it either. He’s 38-years-old and has lived in London for more than ten years. He’s handsome, has a great job and a close relationship with his family. His only issue is that he refuses to come out to them, even though it’s quite obvious by now that they already know. I asked why he’d never actually opened up about his sexuality with them. His answer was nothing to do with them being unable to accept it. The truth was that he couldn’t live with the idea that they’d think he was like ‘one of those ones’. And as that sentence fell from his mouth, he actually did a ‘limp 16
wrist’ gesture that made me sick to my stomach. I saw my homophobic father – and his proud ‘poof-hating’ family – imitating gay people in such an ugly stereotypical way as a child. My only guess was that Simon had also been brought up in that kind of circle too – small town bigots seeing only the closeted gay man on early 80s TV; neither male or female caricatures, full of anal innuendo and self hatred. I believe bigoted imitations of them are why so many of us have come to loathe our ‘vintage’ camp icons so much. Somehow, though, this ugly mentality had stayed with Simon, and the slightest unmanly gesture from a guy along Compton Street would actually make him wince and growl godawful comments under his breath. Sadly, it’s a fact that Simon is not the only one, and homophobia among gay men is quite common. There’s something truly ugly about a large chunk of the gay community loathing even the slightest effeminate gesture and pretending to be ‘straight’. Straight acting. It’s bonkers to
Straight acting. It’s bonkers to believe in this day and age that so many gay guys identify as this
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believe in this day and age that so many gay guys identify as this. If you’re a culprit of this, I’d genuinely like to know what the term ‘gay acting’ actually means to you, and why it’s so terrible? After taking enough of Simon’s ridiculous rant, I told him this: It’s not your right to judge how ‘gay’ someone should be acting. And it’s nothing whatsoever to do with what you find attractive. What you put across is pure homophobia, and it’s the gay community that should be ashamed of people like you. You have problems living with yourself as a gay man and that’s something you need to deal with, without taking it out on those who are living happily with what they are. We’ve all overcome our battles with our sexuality, our coming out and the random bouts of homophobia that still hit hard and horribly when we’re forced to face them... and the idea of having to fight it in our own community is a thought that stupefies and disgusts me in equal measure. After three days of silence, I got a text from Simon saying that he was moving out of London, that he could not change the opinion he had and, finally, that he wished there was indeed such a thing as that dreaded urban legend ‘straight pill’. With clear memory of having this conversation with him time and time again, I opted out of texting him back with a lecture... Instead, I simply wrote ‘a pill cannot change what you are. This is not X-Men 3’. I haven’t heard from him since. And, despite his opinions, I care for him very much. I hope that one day he will come to terms with himself. For anyone who uses the term ‘straight acting’... of course, it’s none of my business. But please, for your own sake, just take a moment to ask yourself why you do. Q gaytimes.co.uk
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MAGICAL PRIDE Greatdays Holidays in partnership with Manchester Pride present
AN ENCHATED WEEKEND AT DISNEYLAND® PARIS 16 - 19 October 2014 An unforgettable weekend. The magic of Disneyland® Paris with the sparkle of Manchester Pride. Be enchanted by Disney® during the day, and in the evening, party the night away in The Disney® Village Dome with entertainment by Manchester Pride. Packages from just £299* if purchased before 01 July 2014
magicalpride.com
Manchester Pride is a registered charity: 1117848 WorldMags.net
*This holiday is operated by Greatdays Holidays, ABTA Y0380, for whom Manchester Pride is an authorised retail agent. All bookings are subject to Greatdays Holidays terms & conditions a copy of which can be found online manchesterpride.com/ disneytc. Price is based on 4 adults sharing 1 room for 3 nights bed & buffet breakfast, 2 day dated park hopper and the Magical Pride wristband worth £100.00 for exclusive entrance to the Enchanted Ball on Friday 17 October 2014 & the Halloween Party on Saturday 18 October 2014 and official Magical Pride T-shirt.
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#amazing Yes, he may well do whatever a spider can, but we doubt a spider would look quite as good from behind as Andrew Garfield does in *that* suit. Back for another city-smashing, baddybashing 3D cinema outing, this time round the teenage web-slinger tackles Electro, Rhino and the Green Goblin – who all have Oscorp Industries in common… Will three villains and a corrupt organisation be too much? Well it certainly didn’t ruin the best superhero movie ever, Batman Returns… Q The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is in cinemas 18 April, @spidermanmovie
Get your Pollocks out for the lads! Celebrate three of WKHWKFHQWXU\·V most colourful artists with this fabulous collection of books by Catherine Ingram. In the This Is series, Pollock, Dali and Warhol have their lives and careers immortalised through
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a series of delicious illustrations by Andrew Rae and Peter Arkle. We particularly love the Warhol book – throw in a rippling six pack and a pair of skimpy briefs and it ZRXOGQ·WEHWRRIDU removed from a GT FRYHU,QVLGH\RX·OO ÀQGDFROOHFWLRQRI :DUKRO·VEHVWZRUN including an iconic 1978 painting of Liza 0LQQHOOL KRZ·G\DOLNH them apples, Ellen
DeGeneres?) With Pollock and Dali completing the series, these are a PXVWKDYH7KH\·OO also inject some exquisite colours into your dreary old bookshelf, slotting DORQJVLGHWKRVHRO· dusty cook books \RX·YHQRWXVHGVLQFH you accidentally gave that cute guy food poisoning when he came over for dinner… no? Just us? Q
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Case Closed As America elected it’s first ever African American President, voters in California voted “yes” on Proposition 8, rendering all marriages between gay and lesbian couples void. The Case Against 8 follows the proceedings that followed. GT speaks to the directors
he Case Against 8 is one of the most sensitive and personal documentaries about US OHJDOSURFHHGLQJV\RX·UHHYHUOLNHO\ to see. In the aftermath of California VWDWH·VVKRFNLQJ´\HVµPDQGDWHRQ Proposition 8, a ruling saying that PDUULDJHLVFODVVLÀHGDVEHLQJRQO\ between a man and a woman, four outraged citizens – a gay couple and a lesbian couple – agreed to stand up for gay rights in front of court to get their marriages recognised. While Paul Katami, Jeff Zarrillo, Kris 3HUU\DQG6DQG\6WLHUWDNHFHQWUH stage, directors Ben Cotner and Ryan :KLWHZHUHZRUNLQJDORQJVLGHWKHP IRUÀYH\HDUVWRJHWWKHÀOPPDGHDQG released. Following the case from state courts to the US Supreme Court, the directors became close with those DWWKHKHDUWRIWKHWULDO´1DWXUDOO\E\ WKHHQGRIÀYH\HDUV\RX·UHSUHWW\ close with these people the further along you are with the process… I WKLQNWKH\OLNHGKDYLQJXVDURXQGDQG they were used to having us as part of WKHIDPLO\E\WKHQµ Despite the subject matter and the assured style, The Case Against 8 was an early project of both Ben and 5\DQ·VZLWK%HQSUHYLRXVO\ZRUNLQJ as an executive for Paramount and 2SHQ5RDG7KH\VWDUWHGZRUNLQJ on the documentary just two short PRQWKVDIWHUÀUVWPHHWLQJDWWKH Sundance Film Festival. ´$WWKHWLPH3URSRVLWLRQKDGSDVVHG already and it was being challenged LQWKH&DOLIRUQLDFRXUWVµ%HQH[SODLQV ´$IHZPRQWKVDIWHUZHPHWLWORVW at the California court level and we KDSSHQHGWRÀQGRXWWKURXJKIULHQGV WKDWDODZVXLWZDVJRLQJWREHÀOHGLQ the federal courts, so we approached the organisation that was starting the ODZVXLWDQGDVNHGWKHPDERXWÀOPLQJ it just in case it turned into something ELJ$WWKHWLPHQRERG\NQHZLWZRXOG EHVXFKDODQGPDUNFDVHµ $VWKHWULDOWRRNWKHPWRVXFK heady heights as the very top of the American legal system, the historical nature of what was occurring became
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FOHDU´$TXLFNRYHUWXUQLQWKH California courts would have had huge KLVWRULFDODQGFXOWXUDOVLJQLÀFDQFH IRU&DOLIRUQLDQVµVD\V5\DQ´EXWDV IDUDVVWRU\WHOOLQJJRHV,GRQ·WWKLQN it would have had the weight that our movie does now without it going to the 6XSUHPH&RXUW
