Paul
Birchard writes:
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 commitment 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 acutely 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.
PAUL
BIRCHARD (Producer/Director)
is
the only actor ever to have left Hollywood, based himself in Glasgow,
and lived to tell about it!
He
has played leading roles at the Royal National Theatre and in
London's West End, in The Foreigner and The
Graduate (with Anne Archer and Linda Gray),
and also worked extensively in Television and Film. Recent work
incudes Inside Waco (Discovery Network/Channel 4), 1408
(the upcoming Stephen King movie in which Paul works
opposite John Cusack) and Waterloo Road (BBC
- episodes 11 & 12). He has acted with many of the finest
actors and directors in the world, including Dame Judi
Dench, Bill Nighy, John Boorman, Tim Burton, Angela Lansbury,
the late Ismail Merchant and James Ivory,
Jack O'Brien - and he considers himself especially
fortunate to have worked with the late Lindsay Anderson
on his penultimate stage production The Fishing Trip.
In
addition to U & Me & Tennessee,
Paul has written, produced and directed two short fiction films
- Pants On Fire and Christmas Consciousness.
He's been a TV Sportscaster, a Radio presenter, and has an ongoing
commitment to teaching (Acting, Directing & Theatre Studies)
that has naturally intertwined with his other work over the years.
Photography
ANDREW MURRAY
Editor
IAIN THOMSON
Sound Recordist
SIMON WOODWARD
Camera Assistant
NORA McGOLDRICK
Music
RAMON ROPER - DAVID NEWTON- GARY BEATY
Executive Producer
MICHAEL VERINO
Producer/Director
PAUL BIRCHARD
