Hirsute Directed By A.J. Bond

Shane: Tell us about your film?

AJ: Kyle, a young scientist, is struggling to build a time machine when he is confronted by an arrogant future version of himself. Shocked to discover that his future holds a preoccupation with body-hair removal and boiled eggs, Kyle vows to change the course of his life.

S: How did you come up with the idea for the film?

AJ: I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of time travel and have been toying with different variations on this theme for years. Since I was a kid I started creating my own unique logic about how time travel might work, I was particularly interested in the idea that one could meet himself at different ages. More directly, when I realized as an adult that I was gay I couldn’t help but wonder what my slightly younger but more clueless past self would make of this revelation, the idea for the film developed from there.

S: Was this a school project?

AJ: No.

S: How did you find your cast? 

AJ: As a child I worked as an actor in Canadian films and television shows so I naively thought it would be easy to act in the film myself. Needless to say it was a tough learning experience!

S: How long did the film take?  (From conception to final edit)

AJ: A 6 day shoot, 7 months all together.

S: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?

AJ: Balancing directing and acting in the film, I found doing both at once took away from my ability to concentrate on either job completely. I was too distracted with creative decisions to properly concentrate on acting, and too worried about performance issues to effectively direct. The bottom line is, when you’re directing a film you shouldn’t be worrying about how your skin looks!

S: Tell us about the films festival experience so far?

AJ: The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007 and has played at several dozen film festivals across Canada and the US. 

S: What has been your most interesting Q&A so far?  What was your favorite question?  AJ: How was the dialogue afterwards?

It’s always interesting to hear different people’s reactions to the ending of the film, some people get it right away and others demand some explanation. At a screening at a high school one student started asking really in depth questions about how the time machine worked, as if it was a real device, I couldn’t help but remark that he reminded me of myself at that age.

S: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

AJ: I’m a longtime fan of Stanley Kubrick, especially 2001: A Space Odyssey, which inspired my obsession with science fiction at a young age. The work of Ingmar Bergman has also become a favorite of mine since I first saw Persona in university. 

S: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?

AJ: I began my film career as a child actor and I think that played a large role in my early interest in filmmaking. Acting was always exciting, but I slowly realized that the most interesting positions on a film set were all behind the camera. 

S: What is next for you?

AJ: I’m currently developing my next short film, The Family Meeting, as well as cowriting a feature film.

S: What is next for the film?

AJ: Hirsute has several other festival dates lined up in America and we are hoping to start touring the film in the European festival circuit this summer.

S: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?

AJ: Don’t cast yourself in the lead!