Published: July 05, 2023| 03:52 PM

He might have left his mark on popular culture as Captain James T. Kirk of Star Trek, but the true personality of William Shatner goes far deeper than this character. The acclaimed director Alexander O. Philipp introduced the actor with an iconic voice to the audience at the Congress Hall through his film You Can Call Me Bill. “Shatner is hard to describe. He is ninety-two, rides a horse every morning, works every day. He eats at least three full portions in one meal, swims with sharks, likes to travel,” the filmmaker told the audience at the Congress Hall after Wednesday’s screening.

In this analytical portrait, the filmmaker Alexander O. Philipp – who comes to the KVIFF for the fourth time, having presented his films Memory: The Origins of Alien and Lynch/Oz here before –, goes far beyond sharing tales from the set. “Each chapter reflects the lyrics of Shatner’s autobiographical songs. Mortality is the leitmotif of the whole film, though, as the actor feels that the end is nigh,” the director revealed to the audience. They spent three days filming in-depth interviews, for which Philippe asked the actor to sit alone on a huge stage. “I wanted to remove the mask he has worn all his life," the filmmaker explained.