Peter Wells on Little Queen

This audio recording captures Peter Wells' thoughts on filmmaking, his personal experiences, and the socio-political environment of New Zealand during the time of the creation of his film Little Queen.

Little Queen is characterized by its blend of silent film techniques and a rich soundscape, crafted by Wayne Laird, which Wells described as having a "tremendously worked sound patina." This juxtaposition of silence and sound, according to Wells, was intended to evoke the immersive experience of radio, which was a significant part of his childhood. Wells reminisced about listening to radio serials like Portia Faces Life, which influenced the film's narrative style and thematic elements.

The film is rooted in Wells' memory of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Auckland in the early 1950s. The Queen’s extensive tour, including a drive past the local municipal dump in Point Chevalier, left a lasting impression on Wells. A key incident involving a dog running towards the Queen's car became the kernel of Little Queen. This memory, layered with Wells' exploration of identity and the duality of the term "queen," forms the film's narrative core. The film juxtaposes the royal figure of the Queen with the derogatory term used for a gay man, reflecting Wells' own experiences as a young gay individual in a visually stark and socially constrained suburbia.

Wells also discussed his approach to casting and character portrayal. The choice of the young actor who played the "little queen" was based on the child's ability to imaginatively engage with the act of crowning themselves, reflecting Wells' focus on imagination and identity. Wells highlighted the subtler portrayal of sexual identity in Little Queen compared to his earlier film, Foolish Things, which was overtly gay. He emphasized the challenges and responsibilities of representing childhood sexuality, a controversial topic, especially in the context of pre-homosexual law reform.

Funding and recognition for queer-themed films in the early 1980s were not insurmountable obstacles for Wells. He credited his determination and the recognition of the seriousness of his intent by funding agencies. Wells considered his filmmaking as implicitly activist, aiming to present queer stories with dignity and humanity, as seen in his film Jewel's Darl, which dealt with transgender themes.

Wells' also expressed a deep interest in how objects can hold emotional significance, as evidenced by the attention given to items like a queen on a cake tin or a dog statue in Little Queen. This attention to detail is also reflected in his film Friendship is the Harbour of Joy, chronicling the life and death of his friend Jonathan Dennis, founder of the New Zealand Film Archive.

In discussing his latest work, Hello Darkness, which documents his own journey with cancer, Wells shared his approach to personal narrative and public engagement. Initially a series of Facebook posts, the project evolved into a book, reflecting Wells' focus on truth and representation. He noted the supportive responses from readers and the positive, life-affirming nature of the project, despite its challenging subject matter.

Throughout the discussion, Wells touched on the broader themes of imagination, identity, and resilience. He emphasized the importance of pursuing one's creative vision and the role of art in navigating and reflecting on personal and collective experiences. Wells' reflections on his body of work highlight the interplay between personal history, cultural memory, and the power of storytelling in film and literature.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Peter Wells

1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, about face: jewel's darl (tv, 1985), activism, adultery, alison maclean, aotearoa new zealand, auckland, australia, bug house (a cinema), bullying, cancer, city gallery wellington te whare toi, cleopatra (film, 1963), coronation, dog, film, from scratch (group), gay, gender identity, gregor nicholas, hello darkness (book), homosexual law reform, imagination, jane campion, jonathan dennis, leather, little queen (short film), memory, objects, oxford street (sydney), pansy (2001), peter wells, pictorial parade (short films), point chevalier, portia faces life (soap opera), queen, queen elizabeth ii, queer, queer film, radio, reading, sexual identity, short film, sissy, soap opera, suburbia, sydney, television, tilly lloyd, transgender, transphobia, tvnz (television new zealand), unity books, wayne laird, writing

1940s, advice, all blacks, arts, audience, board, books, brownies, camera, children, cinema, colour, crown, death, diary, dignity, drama, emotional, family, feature film, feelings, freedom, fun, funding, gender, girl guides, glamour, growing up, homosexual, homosexual law reform, hope, hospital, humanity, identity, imagery, journey, law, listening, love, mainstream, movies, narrative, new zealand film archive, other, parade, parties, passive, people, power, recovery, research, role model, running, school, sexuality, silent film, soap, structure, texture, theatre, time, top, touch, trans, understanding, voice, work