Possession(s), a new Australian short, featured one of the most notable launches in recent memory. To coincide with the film’s release a famous Peter Booth artwork, Painting (Man With Bandaged Head), was sold off in The Deutscher and Hackett Important Fine Art Auction.

    The tie-in between the film and the auction comes in the shape of actor Laurence Fuller who used the painting, which he owned, as inspiration for the dark, brooding short.  His character Frank, upon seeing the Peter Booth work, becomes embroiled with a sense of obsession; he simply has to own the piece and will do anything to make it so. However, it soon becomes clear that Frank is not the only one consumed by the desire to possess.  

   Laurence Fuller shines in the lead role and it is easy to see why he is a much sought after young actor. Having attended the Method School of acting in the UK, Fuller has put together an impressive acting CV in both theatre and in short films.  As well as acclaimed stage performances in the likes of Madness in Valencia, Fuller has also created his own  film company Oil and is truly making a name for himself across the world – he has, to date, worked in three seperate continents. He is hoping to soon add a fourth with work in the United States.  

   Mr. Fuller generously donated his time to talk about how the auction went, who picked up Possession(s) for distribution, his multi-country career and his future projects.

Possession(s) is the latest of your short films. How would you describe it to Reelloop readers with no knowledge of the project?

   Possession(s) is about the connection between a person and a work of art in a very real and un-glorified way. There are no singing angels or holy lights shining through the window. It’s not pretentious about the subject. It’s about a collector and his desire to possess not just this painting but the people around him and trade them like objects. None of the characters are without their flaws. Max Cullen said the script was very Chekhovian in that way, which was pretty savvy. 

The film was launched to coincide with the sale of the famous Painting (Man With Bandaged Head) by Peter Booth on November 25th. Was the auction a success?

   Yes it was, the painting sold for $96k and the film was picked up by ABC’s (Australian Broadcasting Corp.) acquisitions department for broadcast. The auctioneer Damian Hackett, who is my favourite art dealer in the world right now, is to be thanked and congratulated for his innovation on this project. Most would not have been so open minded to such a new concept, let alone successfully pull it off.

What was it about Peter Booth’s painting that made you “have to have it” in the first place? Was it something like your character Frank says in the film – “not something everyone understands… you either get it or you don’t”?

   The picture is about isolation in contemporary society. We’ve all felt that at some point, if just for a day. I was 18 at the time and had just come back from Africa expecting to find the meaning of life, but returned even more confused about humanity and how things worked. This picture spoke to me, it was like a piece of me that was missing and if it was hanging on my wall then everything would be OK… I’ve chilled out a bit since then. I sold it so I could move to the US and make more films, but I’ll probably buy it back one day as it marks such a significant time in my life.

Promoting a film in the way you did, to coincide with a major arts sale, is somewhat of a new way of doing things in the film industry. How did this affect the release of Possession(s)? Did the film drum up interest for the painting or vice versa?    

The film is obviously a very personal project, one which I’m presuming you conceived yourself. How did the rest of the cast and crew come aboard?

   I came up with the initial concept and raised the cash, but script and story development was a true collaboration between myself and the director Jim Lounsbury, with some important contributions from our producer Trilby Beresford. Jim came on board from a cold call, because he’s a clever guy, I had no film credits at the time and no mutual friends, but I think he saw a determination in me and wanted to explore the subject matter (which was surprisingly unfamiliar to him at that time).

   Trilby was a close friend and eager to make another film. She’s amazing, 23 and already a pro film maker and writer in LA. She brought together the crew and logistics in a very short space of time. Once the script was complete it was the efforts of 30 odd people that made this film come to life. Max Cullen was our first and only choice for the role of Paul, as he’s not only one of Australia’s greatest actors but a highly respected and talented sculptor, so the transitions between both worlds were already there. I drove to his gallery in Gunning (outback Australia) and personally handed him the script, I think that gesture made an impression on him so he very generously accepted, we were over the moon. Asher Keddie was Trilby’s idea, she was perfect for the part, sexy and sophisticated. Asher has been working for a long time (considering her age) and she’s a star now so we were very lucky to get her as well. Jim was working with Rhys Muldoon on Lockie Leonard (for ABC) while the film was in post-production and managed to charm him into doing the narration. Another important part was the support we received from the Australian art world, Peter Booth’s dealer Rex Irwin was able to get us copyright for the painting, which was a very rare thing and leant us his gallery for the climatic scene at the end. I knew Rex because I bought the painting off him and was seriously in debt to him for about a year. We also have a cameo from the important surrealist collector Ray Wilson in the final scene. It was really a dream team and could very easily work as a feature with all the same people.

Possession(s) was the latest of your films produced by your own company Oil. Was the intention of this to be able to focus on more personal works away from theatre and other people’s films?

   Exactly, I’m passionate about working on other’s films because I love working with people and particularly crave that working relationship between actor and director, there are so many talented film makers out their. But I have lots of ideas and I want to bring them to life, both personal projects and for a wider audience. Also, a lot of my close colleagues are very creative people and I want to collaborate with them on this level. At the moment I’m working on another short animation with Marcelle Hanselaar who is really one of the best contemporary painters in Europe. Then Jim and I will make a feature as a natural progression to Possession(s). Then I want to make a film about my father Peter Fuller, who was the leading British art critic throughout the 1980s until he passed away in 1990, he led an amazing life with the short time he had on this earth and it would make a beautiful film (www.artinfluence.com). Again crossing that boundary into the art world, even having grown up amongst it, I still find it an exceptionally interesting place. I know the audience will as well, because it’s a collective group comprised of some of the most creative and eccentric characters in the world. Once all that’s out of my system I’ll write my epic based on the human story. That’s the OIL plan (www.laurencefuller.com/Film.html)

Possession(s) was inspired by a painting you bought and similarly your earlier short This Choir Of Angels was inspired by your own thoughts during a hang over. Whilst both of the pieces featured your creative input you directed neither. What are your feelings of going in to this field in later projects?

   One day I might pull a Clint Eastwood or Mel Gibson, but acting is what I’m about. I’m definitely an actor who sometimes writes and produces when the right idea comes along. My idols are people like Sean Penn, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Billy Bob-Thornton, you can see how directing has enriched their work as an actor and visa verca, so yes one day, but you’ll see me in front of the camera many times before you’ll see me at the helm.

Many actors work exclusively in either theatre or film, yet you continue to work in both mediums – what are the differences between the two and which one, if either, do you prefer?

   It took me probably until after Possession(s) to realise the amount of freedom that was available to me after the director called action. It’s something I started picking up off Max Cullen, as he was improvising all over the place (in subtle ways) that’s when the nature of spontaneity and truthful moments started to make sense. But ultimately once I felt comfortable in front of the camera I realised the actor is searching for the same goal in both mediums. First and foremost to entertain, then to engage and move an audience, they’re the most discerning critics of all, so an actor better do that baring their soul or the audience will spot their tricks in a second. The other aspect is innate chameleon like tendencies, the knowledge of how to inhabit a completely different person and pull it off. Or if it’s a leading part like Frank in Possession(s), the main objective is to tell the story as if the audience is experiencing it through me, so I strip everything back until there’s no barrier between me and the audience. But the differences between film and theatre are purely technical which is controllable. The important thing is the baring the soul part, which is an infinite pool, and at the forefront of both mediums.

   As to my preference, that’s dependent on the material and the team I’m working with. I’ve done some great plays this year, two four star critic’s choices and a West End transfer (thanks to director Simon Evans). But my focus is film. That’s where I’m headed. I’ve done a dozen shorts this year and I feel my first feature is just around the corner.

You made your feature film debut early this year in Mao’s Last Dancer starring Kyle MacLachlan, Bruce Greenwood and Joan Chen. Like Possession(s) it was shot in Australia. What inspired the dual focus on acting both sides of the hemisphere?

   I wanted to train in Britain because it has the best drama schools in the world. So I went to Bristol Old Vic Theatre School because of Daniel Day-Lewis, then I found my way into the amazing theatre culture in London and started working with lots of young British filmmakers. But I’ve also kept on top of all the brilliant Aussie films that have been coming out and have a real desire to continue being a part of that. Plus next year I’ll be setting up in the States for an indefinite period. So really I’m a nomad drifting through film and theatre throughout the western world. But then there’s Japanese film, I’ve worked with two Japanese directors this year (Mototake Makishima and Tsubasa Manuro) and my friend Branko Unkovski-Korica has written a Japanese style novel I want to turn into a film… I don’t really mind where I rest my boots, as long as I’m making cool films with talented people, I’m home.

The film was directed by two time Oscar nominee Bruce Beresford, most well know for helming Driving Miss Daisy. What was it like working for Beresford? Also are there any directors you would wish to work with in an ideal world?

   Blink and you’ll miss me in Mao. I was close friends with Bruce’s daughter Trilby and Bruce’s wife Virginia Duigan asked me to come on set that day as an aspiring dancer to watch him work. I’d met Bruce before, expecting to be intimidated and was surprised to meet a very relaxed and open man, very happy to discuss his films with a young actor. That translated to what I saw on set that day, a compassionate director, who with immense logistics around him took the time to talk with his actors and get the performance he needed. I’ve got my eyes on his upcoming projects, when Long Tan gets the greenlight, I’m there!

Other directors would be;
Lee Daniels, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Sydney Lumet, Mel Gibson, Ridley Scott, Sean Penn, Ron Howard,
Catherine Hardwicke – who managed to turn what could have been a cheesy teen flick into a beautiful film. I’ve been talking to my agent Rob Woodburn about being a part of the Twilight series.
P.T. Anderson – can’t wait to hear what he’s doing next, Martin McDonagh – I’d loved his plays and was very excited to see his film debut In Bruges do so well.  Would be great to see The Pillowman made into a film.
Tarsem – is a visionary, his work with Vincent D’nofrio in The Cell resulted in one of my favourite on screen characters.
David Fincher, Quentin, De Niro, Ed Harris…. If I don’t stop now there will be no end to this list.
… The Coen Brothers should put me and my best mate Misha Crosby in their next flick.
Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, OK stopping now…

Finally, any projects on the horizons?

   I just finished shooting A Mechanical Heart directed by Alberto Cerrillo (who is the next Tim Burton). The amount of creativity and innovation on that 15 minute film was outstanding; from what I’ve seen it looks like a studio film and it was made for nothing. In February 2010 I’m making my West End debut with Madness In Valencia, the part is very Joker-esque if you’re in London at the time come see us at Trafalgar Studios (http://www.ambassadortickets.com). After that the world is my oyster.

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