Barry Purves

Barry Purves
Plays of Passion/Passion Plays
Saturday, June 2; 7 pm
Location: Women’s Building, 3543 18th St @ Valencia
Tickets: $15
Phone for Tickets: NQAF: 415.552.7709, Buy Tickets onLine: NQAFestivalTickets

Still from Achilles

Barry will be showing and discussing five of his short films: Next, Screen Play, Rigoletto, Achilles, and Gilbert and Sullivan. If you thought of animation as a children’s medium – think again. These films are full of out-and-out passion, dealing with some very dark adult themes. The films are lavish and operatic. Of particular interest is Achilles, an erotic retelling of the relationship between Achilles and his male lover Patroclus that pushes animation into new territory. Using some of the voices of Britain greatest actors and singers, the films are full of wonderful music and extraordinary visuals. Barry will also be talking about how as a gay man he has been able to express things about his identity and his views using a medium usually only associated with cute and cuddly.

Barry Purves
Contemporary master of puppet animation Barry Purves has been animating for nearly 25 years. He has worked on films for children, commercials (including a Rice-a-Roni ad), pop videos, Hollywood films (Mars Attacks), and his own films. His latest film, Achilles, is an erotic retelling of the relationship between Achilles and his male lover Patroclus. He is currently working on an adaptation of Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde, in a television series for Channel 4 UK called Gilbert & Sullivan. Mr. Purves studied drama and Greek civilization at the University of Manchester before he started experimenting with animation.