Men Like Us is a moving and revealing documentary that looks into the lives of nine gay New Zealand men aged 24 through 78, directed by Christopher Banks. The film was released into theatres in August and has its television premiere on Rialto Channel as part of our Boys On Film series.
As Christopher tells us, Men Like Us was made for gay men, a demographic over-represented in depression and suicide statistics, as a mirror of their own experiences. That said, Men Like Us is a rewarding and enlightening documentary regardless of your sexuality.
Christopher Banks now lives in Melbourne, and was kind enough to have a chat to us about his feature-length documentary.
Men Like Us is a moving and revealing documentary that looks into the lives of nine gay New Zealand men aged 24 through 78, directed by Christopher Banks. The film was released into theatres in August and has its television premiere on Rialto Channel as part of our Boys On Film series.
As Christopher tells us, Men Like Us was made for gay men, a demographic over-represented in depression and suicide statistics, as a mirror of their own experiences. That said, Men Like Us is a rewarding and enlightening documentary regardless of your sexuality.
Christopher Banks now lives in Melbourne, and was kind enough to have a chat to us about his feature-length documentary.
Hi Christopher,
Thanks for taking the time to chat to Rialto Channel! It’s been a long time since we last spoke, I think it would have been back in the Deep Obsession days when you were making a name for yourself as a songwriter and music producer. You’re now a short film and feature filmmaker – tell us briefly how your film career began?
I’d wanted to be a filmmaker ever since I was a teenager; it was actually my first choice before music. But Deep Obsession happened and I got sidetracked into that industry. Once the dance/pop fuse ran out, I realised that making films was still what I really wanted to do. By that stage I knew a few actors and technical people, so I jumped right in and made my first feature, Quiet Night In, a surreal black comedy.
How did the documentary Men Like Us come about? The idea didn’t actually start out as a feature film right?
Yeah, it was originally supposed to be a series of short stories focusing on gay men overcoming various life issues, but the interviews came out so well and there was so much thematic overlap that it seemed obvious that it would be a stronger piece if they were interweaved. I also really liked the idea of showing the diversity of gay men in New Zealand, but at the same time showing how a 24-year-old Maori guy from Kawerau actually does have things in common with a 78-year-old European.
I was so impressed by the honesty of the men you interviewed, and appreciative of them sharing their extraordinary stories. Was it hard to convince them to take part and be so open?
I knew probably half the men already, but had no idea they were harbouring such amazing stories. It wasn’t until I started emailing friends and asking, ‘do you know anyone who’s had an experience with, for example, losing a partner’ that guys responded and said, ‘well, actually, that’s me’. All the men who took part were fully committed to taking part and being open because they could see the value of their experiences being helpful for other gay men going through similar struggles, and I can’t thank them enough for that.
It would seem to me that this compelling and moving documentary is one that society in general should view, however who did you have in mind when you were making it, and what do you hope it might achieve?
This is a film made for gay men as a mirror of our own experiences, because we rarely see accurate and in-depth portrayals of ourselves on screen, especially in New Zealand. Gay men are over-represented in depression and suicide statistics, and getting these stories out was a way of encouraging more discussion amongst peers. Having said that, heterosexual audiences have also responded really well to the film. I’ve had people say that they’ve learnt an awful lot about what it means to live life as a gay man today; it’s not all bars, clubs, drinking and sex. It’s a human experience.
Do you have a film project on the go at the moment?
I’m currently editing another documentary called Christophe’s Arc about a French artist and illustrator living in New Zealand, Christophe Jannin. It’s about his life and work, and we were privileged to travel to France earlier this year for ten days to tour various cities with him, meet friends and family, track the source of his inspiration, and of course drink wine and eat cheese.
You’re now based in Melbourne. Apart from the eateries, what’s the attraction of living in Australia?
Melbourne specifically was the attraction. It’s a very liveable and friendly city, and the latter was probably the most important for me. My first visit here was a year ago when working on another documentary, and I was immediately made to feel welcome. Those friendships have sustained me through some incredibly difficult personal struggles of my own, so it made sense to be where that support was, for my own wellbeing.
Thanks so much for your time Christopher - very much appreciated. We’re thrilled to be premiering Men Like Us on Rialto Channel (Thursday 6th December, 8.30pm).