A love story that turns into a tragedy. That is how director Paul Andrew Williams describes Dragonfly, his new film which had its European premiere at this year’s KVIFF in the Special Screenings section.
The film follows the unlikely friendship between two lonely neighbours, Elsie, a pensioner, and Colleen, a spirited woman in her thirties. Its unsettling ending left many viewers stunned, but (thankfully) the story in not based on real events. It was, however, inspired by real people. “For example, Elsie looks a lot like my grandmother. Colleen is a blend of several people I’ve met. There’s a lot of turbulent emotion in it as well, which is something I know myself,” Williams shared.
For the director, it is the characters and their relationships that matter most. “When the characters work, the elements of everyday life rise to the surface in their story,” Williams said when asked whether he set out to critique social prejudices against unconventional friendships.
The debate was joined by producer Dominic Tighe and actor Jason Watkins, who portrayed a less-than-likable character in the film and was complimented by one audience member for his “believable obnoxiousness”. “Thanks, but I want to assure you that in real life, I’m actually very nice!” the actor defended himself. He went on to praise Paul Andrew Williams for writing such a moving and tender script. “If you look at him, you wouldn’t expect that from him,” the actor joked. He then closed the debate in the Small Hall on a serious note: “It’s important to tell true stories, about real things that happen to people.”
