Films

Stephen Lord

Telling the truth

What’s The Truth about?

"That’s a good question, because it’s quite an obscure little film, but I’d say it’s a comic dark thriller. It’s about a group of people who go to this retreat for different reasons and a murder unfolds, and it becomes a bit of a whodunit."

Where does your character fit in?

"My character is a lying obsessive sex addict, all in a day’s work, and he’s decided to take a little filly away for a bit of a weekend retreat."

Was there any of you in that role?

"My girlfriend’s just walked in the room so next question (laughs)."

Did you enjoy playing him?

The Truth

"Loved it. It’s great to play great roles and it was a real… not so much a loose canon, but it was very difficult to keep a grip on where he was going at any given time, so as an actor that was exciting to play."

The filming was done up in the wilds of Scotland. What was it like having to live up there?

"I think for all of us, it really helped. It was a beautiful place to film, but also we lived and worked in the same location. Basically, you had to live and breathe the work, so it was very intense, but that really helped with people’s characterisations and the relationships between the cast and the characters."

With the story being a murder mystery, did that make the situation quite odd to live in?

"You would think, but because it was so well put together, everybody from cast to crew, there was a real gel through a good common denominator, that people were there for the right reasons and that was to do good work."

The premiere is in Salford. You must be happy about that…

"It is a bit of a coup. For a start, it’s an independent film and they really took a shot at making it how they wanted to make it. They cast the people they did and they brought it in on private finance. They’ve really put it out there and it’s great that it goes on general release on January 6th. But I was talking to the festival organisers and I put it out there that the film’s made, we’ve been doing private screenings, and I wonder if you’d be able to get a private screening, and that’s led to this."

As a Salford lad yourself, it must be special for you…

"It is. For me, films are about getting people to the cinema. I had two conversations yesterday and next thing you know, 50 tickets were sold. It’s going to be very interesting. It’s a film with someone local involved and hopefully it’ll get people going to the cinema. I think that’s a very good thing to encourage, especially if we want a vibrant film industry."

What do you think of Salford having a film festival?

"I think it’s great. From seeing the people involved, they’re really working hard. They could do with quite a lot of help, especially on a financial level, because what they’re doing a budget is incredible. The line-up’s quite impressive. And it’s because we’ve got so much homegrown talent as well. It’s a way of showing people doing new work and bringing in what people have been doing over time. We’ve had some great people come from Salford."

There is a burgeoning film scene in Salford, and you’re making your own film at the moment…

Stephen Buckley stars in Lord's debut film short

"This is a new experience for me, because I’ve written the film. It’s a very simple tale about this young kid in a boxing gym. I had this vision of wanting to explore this young person’s world. A demon is revealed to him whilst he’s training and he has to confront this demon head on, which is a metaphor for life; things come up and you have to deal with them."

Where do you prefer to be, in front or behind the camera?

"I earn my living, and I hope I always will, as an actor. I love getting in the shoes of somebody else, but for me, if I can do other things around what I love doing, if I can write or direct a few things along the way, I’ll be pleased as punch."