Love Lost

I've always loved telling stories about identity: cultural, sexual, gender... Not only because they mirror my own story but because the modern world is a complex and multicultural one. Nebulous, rich and full of gray areas.

At its core, Love Lost is a family drama. One that is deeply rooted in human emotion and hopefully transcends queer audiences. Longing for a parental figure is something we've all experienced and we can see it played out by João and the lengths he is prepared to go to connect with his father. I love exploring connection and family relations in my writing. Connection—and the lack of it—is always at play in all of our relationships: with our families, friends, partners, colleagues, found families… Love Lost is a film about connection and the search for it.

The brothel where the film takes place is inspired by a real-life gay brothel that exists today at the heart of Earls Court. I was fascinated by this place which, while being a safe-have for men to explore their sexuality and connect to each other, it’s ruled by transactional relationships and breeds deep isolation. Light and colour were such an important part in defining this space onscreen and telling João’s emotional journey as he moves through the brothel. I wanted to make sure we convey that, despite not being a classy place, high-profile clients would feel right at home in it. That’s the reality of this sort of establishment, it’s not so nice or classy. They tend to be a bit seedy, but everyone just looks past it.

Overall I feel so fortunate to have created such a beautiful film in the face of all the hurdles we faced as a small, independent production. It’s a testament to the talent, creativity and dedication of our team and their passion for this project.