newsnjdw
Sometimes in life you are introduced to an individual who once seen, leaves a wonderful, lasting impression on you by the sheer complexity of their character and personality.
Drako is one such character. He is the opposite of what most people would aspire to be and yet we are fascinated to view him rambling through his life constantly repeating and recording his thoughts and limited memories. Most times oblivious to all around him.
Through his dedication and compassion for Drako, Toby Amies has created a loving visual memoir of a man like no other. I believe that in time and with wider exposure this documentary will come to be revered as a milestone in documenting mental health issues and the complexities of love
MirandaLittle
From its opening shot on Brighton's nudist beach where the filmmaker and his subject bare all from the very start, this is a brave and beautiful film. On a human level, we can all learn a lot from Drako's pure, living in the moment visions and ideologies. As filmmakers we should all respect what has been achieved here. This film has a small budget but a huge, beating heart. It feels like something iconic has been created here - visually the incredible, paper mind explosions in Drako's apartment create their own legends. The fact that they are often very sexually explicit reminders, offered the director the opportunity to create some real humour in creating subtle juxtapositions of the darker issues of Drako's existence and the lighter pornographic imagery surrounding him, quietly swaying around the ceiling above him.In terms of the film's lead character. Drako's exotic connections to Dali and Derek Jarman bestow him with a quiet legendary status and glimpses of his former existence add a deep level of humanity. That the film has chosen to deal with what Drako has become not what he was is what makes it a truly of the moment documentary. You will fall in love with Drako. This film has given him the chance to be himself without judging him, and I am really glad his life has been captured on camera like this, nipples and all.
Dominic Pillai
I loved this film, it is an extremely touching and funny piece of work.I related strongly with the relationship between Drako and the filmmaker Toby Amies. I am also a filmmaker that works closely with adults with a variety of disabilities, including people with short term memory loss due to a coma, same as Drako. It would have been easy for someone to make an exploitative film with this subject matter, but here it is certainly not the case. Toby Amies has made a genuinely humane, affectionate and original piece of work. A film as good as this deserves a larger cinematic release.
debbiejclare
I can't recommend it highly enough. From the arresting opening scene to the very end there's not a moment where you're not utterly captivated. It deals with mental health issues in a sensitive yet funny way, and shines a light on sexual desire in a way I haven't seen before on film. Be prepared for lots of cocks and nipples, presented in the funniest yet moving way. Wonderful shots of Brighton, great interviews with friends, family and neighbours, and as always, exceptional direction from the legend that is Toby Amies. "Trust. Absolute. Unconditional." Pick this film, see something incredibly real. Watching it just the once probably won't be enough.
AD
