Peter Wells is an accomplished writer and director who has explored gay and historical themes in his work. Among his television and film credits are the ground-breaking TV dramas Jewel’s Darl and A Death in the Family. Wells also created the feature film Desperate Remedies with co-director Stewart Main.

In later years he has collaborated with filmmakers Annie Goldson (Georgie Girl) and Garth Maxwell (Naughty Little Peeptoe).

In this ScreenTalk, Wells talks about:

• The idea for My First Suit coming from his co-director Stewart Main
• Knowing that the TV drama Jewel’s Darl would enrage people
• How actress Georgina Beyer was made for the role of Jewel
• Filming a scene in front of a real protest against homosexual law reform
• Having a huge problem with TV censors over the drama
• How a personal experience lead to the film A Death in the Family
• Turning a desire to save at-risk architecture into The Mighty Civic
• How budget constraints lead to the high theatre of Desperate Remedies
• Having to convince the Film Commission on the casting choices
• Telling the impressive story of Georgina Beyer in Georgie Girl
• Believing that queer filmmaking does have a future

This video is available on YouTube to embed and distribute via a Creative Commons licence.

NZ On Screen: Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside