Who ARE Those Guys...?

U & Me & Tennessee

...an American romance

The Story of how we made the movie...

(All photographs in this post copyright Alan Wylie 2006.)

Well, the one on the left is me - PAUL BIRCHARD - my "profile" is over on the right there. The other gentleman is KONRAD HOPKINS - whose romance with Tennessee Williams is the subject of our movie.

Who is he, and why should anyone care about what he has to say...?

Well, for what it's worth, I believe Konrad Hopkins is a truly remarkable individual, one of the world's (mostly) hidden gems. This conviction in me only grows stronger as the days go by...

Konrad possess an intense passion for life, an iron-willed determination combined with a profound committment to create and to help others bring out the best in themselves - qualities rare enough in any individual, but breathtaking in someone nearing the close of his eighth decade.

Konrad's drive and strength of character may owe something to his lineage - a combination of German Swiss and Native American Choctaw. A self-confessed 12th century man, he hasn't watched television since 1964! - but he's in no sense isolated from current events. Possessed of a detailed and robust memory, he is nevertheless immersed in the present and focused on the future.

Oh, and he ain't pompous, neither...

He has had a lengthy career as a teacher of Humanities. A graduate of Harvard and Florida State University, he taught at the University of Iowa (Tennessee Williams's alma mater) where he studied with the legendary Marguerite Young (and took over her apartment when she moved back to New York), at FSU-Tallahassee (where he set Burt Reynolds on the path to becoming an actor and director), in Cuba, Vienna and for many years at the University of Paisley in Scotland.

His cultural interests are keen and wide-ranging: from the music of Korngold, Shostakovich and Janacek to the writing of William Sharp/Fiona MacLeod - and he has published books in many languages for UNESCO through his company Wilfion Books.

He was a close literary associate of the late James T. Farrell (author of Studs Lonigan and many other novels, stories and accutely observed essays), and he also knew Tennessee Williams, William Inge and Gore Vidal when he lived in New York in the 1950's and '60's.

Despite all the difficulties of making this feature film on a very tight budget, and all the delays that has entailed, we have had a wonderful time making U & Me & Tennessee - and these production stills will give you some idea of what's in store for you when you see our movie.






(...to be continued.) Copyright 2006 Paul Birchard
All Rights Reserved.