In this exclusive interview with Indie Cinema Magazine, filmmaker Graham Streeter takes us behind the scenes of his latest project, “Unfix.” Graham Streeter won the Best Director Award for the film at the Vienna Independent Film Festival in 2023. The thought-provoking film explores the aftermath of conversion therapy, revealing the intricate layers of trauma and self-discovery faced by its characters. Streeter opens up about his inspiration for the film, the extensive research process, and the challenges encountered during production.
Diana: What inspired you to write the script of “Unfix,” and why did you choose to explore the aftermath of conversion therapy as a central theme?
Graham: It’s all about the imperative; that ultimate imperative. Twenty plus years ago I created our production company and called it Imperative Pictures. Our goal was to create feature length content that embodied imperative issues that would make us smarter and more informed people. For me, making a feature film is about a 4-years process from that initial conception to getting a feature film distributed to the world. Four years! Let’s get real. In four years one could earn a college degree. So If I’m gonna spend four years focused on a project, I expect, when done, to be a smarter person in the end. It should be like earning a degree.
The hardest part about my company is committing to an imperative issue that is important enough to sustain mine and everyone’s interest for those four years and beyond. The content both while making it and afterward has to have lasting impact. The moment we finally realize our imperative it usually both exciting and sad at the same time. Excited because we have a solid imperative and along with it comes a clear vision and mission. But sad because the imperative we commit to is something that truly impacts millions of people and we have come to learn and understand the gravity of its existence and can’t help but feel the daunting weight now put on our own shoulders.
For Unfix the imperative was conversion therapy. It was a provocative topic. People had heard of it, but not truly understood it. It was complex. It had many faces. Its core is rooted in the imperative of freedom. As a result, it seamlessly serves as an extension to so many other freedom issues like the reversal of many LGBTQ+, our right to choose, same sex marriage and Democracy itself. The issue of conversion therapy opens up a huge and complicated multi-faceted discussion and debate that affect all of us in some way or an other.
Diana: Can you discuss the research process you undertook to authentically depict the experiences of individuals impacted by conversion therapy?
Graham: For me it’s all about the research. I love dedicating a large amount of time prior to ever writing one word on the page. I want to exploring random topics until you find the one that truly inspires me. Once I have that topic, I dive deep and uncover every stone, meet and befriend people directed related to that issue, and submerge into first-hand experiences by joining online groups, partaking in discussion panels and doing exhaustive research or collaborations. I am a big believer that when you write about an issue you better be willing to be scrutinized by those who are actual experts in that field, or else you are not depicting the issue with accuracy. Even if you only expose the tip of the issue, you better be 100% accurate or you are otherwise misrepresenting the issue, and that is just reckless and disrespectful.
The more I learned about conversion therapy, the more I realized I knew little about those impacted by this horrible practice. The only thing I was certain of, was how important it was going to be to tell this story with accuracy, realism and respect.
Diana: The film blends elements of drama and thriller. How did you approach balancing these genres to effectively convey the message of the story?
Graham: I view a good screenplay like a thrilling rollercoaster ride. Like most of my films, the “thriller” angle I rooted in psychology. A strong psychological thrillers stems from trauma. Trauma is drama. In Unfix, trauma is the unshakable residual that lingers over one’s lifetime when a child are tortured via Conversion Therapy. Doing the research, I just followed the trail of emotional damage that occurs from Conversion Therapy and it guided me through the writing journey. Most of my films have an element of “thriller” to them because I write about real situations. They are situations that affect the human condition; struggles and challenges that come from natural psychological injury that later manifest in the form of anxiety, fear, or pain. These are all components that drive a psychological drama and also have real connection points with an audience because they are real life experiences either first or second hand.
In I May Regret, then main character struggles with Alzheimers disease, elderly abuse, and assisted suicide. Those are all situations that have the potential for deep-seeded anxiety and dramatic situations. In Imperfect Sky we dealt with the relentless grip of heroin addition, depression and its impact on family and love. Again, a great formula for dramatic situations, exasperated by the psychological trauma fueled by opioids.
When you truly have a rollercoaster scenario that is gripping and compelling that stems solely from real life situations I think the element of “thriller” just naturally rises to the surface. It’s an important factor in the classic 3-part screenplay structure where thrilling scenarios drive character arc up and excites the audience. Dramatic situations naturally propel characters into the final climax of their own story before that last horrific free-fall. When the climax can be built on authentic emotions rooted in reality we are understanding in real time, first hand, how impactful the situation is and we are that more invested in learning how the main character will survive the ride. That’s a good rollercoaster ride.
Diana: The performances of Zane Haney, Zoë Papia and Damon McKinnis are very impressive. Can you share your experience working with them and how they brought depth to their characters?
Graham: We look for actors who are worthy of being part of our Imperative Pictures family. Working with Zane Haney, Zoë Papia, Damon McKinnis and Noah Toth was a total pleasure. It took several rounds of casting before we fund these four talented souls. We were thankful every day on set and every day of rehearsal leading up to the shoot for their dedication to the project and their amazing delivery. They are great actors because they studied extensively both in TV and stage.
They were picked because they were strong actors, but they were also picked because they were super amazingly kind and mindful souls. It takes a combination of factors to be right for both the role an actor will play but also the demeanor an actor has off set that allows for both professional performance a the ability to create a sense of family.
Then, and only then are they right for the role. That’s my job. To find the right person who is perfect for the role. As a director, once making that decision to cast an actor my job is to constantly remind them they are fit for the role, so they can relax, commit, and confidently flourish in their craft. When an actor knows in their heart you are right for the role, they shine bright. And that positive energy creates a family-like environment. It’s no wonder we often feel like we are family by the time we’re done filming.
Diana: “Unfix” delves into complex themes surrounding identity and self-acceptance. What do you hope audiences take away from the film in relation to these themes?
Graham: I hope the audiences witnesses the happiness and resolved the characters become by the end of the story. In many ways this is about several characters settling into their own authentic selves. After the Unfix ride, I hope it raises question for viewer themself as to if they are living their own authentic self. We have one life. One short journey. One ride. Do we choose to live it as a fraud, or will we embrace our authentic self? When we operate with authenticity, someone saying I love you means they truly acknowledge you; Your authentic self, not some made-up fraud of a persona to facilitate acceptance. Every human being yearns to know they are “truly loved” for who they are.
Maybe as I get older this theme has become more and more important to me. The pursuit of knowing we are “truly lovable” isn’t something we just do in the last stretch of our lives. It’s a life-long journey, and arguably, it starts at childhood. It is especially profound in the context of conversion therapy, because our trajectory toward feeling “lovable” starts in early childhood. I hope this film reminds adults to let children formulate their own sense of self, on their own terms, on their own timeline. I hope the film reminds people to let children find their own authentic selves. We must actively embrace people for who they are, because that is them and they just want to be loved for who they truly are.
Diana: The use of a same-sex surrogate in the film is thought-provoking. Can you discuss the decision-making process behind incorporating this element into the story?
Graham: During my research I stumbled upon the practice of surrogate partner therapy; when a person needing relationship therapy has no partner a surrogate steps into be that partner. Confused? So was I, at first! Surrogate partner therapy intrigued me because a surrogate is, by definition, someone who plays a role, much like an actor plays a role…and in this case the surrogate person (the therapist) has the job of conveying, in truly a convincing manner, a certain degree of personal trust and connection, convincingly enough to create a bond with their client to work on interpersonal issues But, in fact, it is just a job. They cannot be authentic. They keep a boundary. Like an actor, in so in many ways, a surrogate is trained to present an alternative persona, which is in opposition to being authentic. I found that to be a profoundly compelling as a contrasting character trait when we were, indeed exploring the importance of achieving authenticity. I had never really heard of a surrogate partner in the sense of partner intimacy therapy. So I was intrigued to understand how a therapist who does this work, all the while managing their own personal life. How do they successfully separate their personal from professional emotions when in fact, the whole point of the therapy is to bond and open up those very volatile interpersonal feelings for the other in order to do the work.
Diana: COVID-19 and its impact play a role in the film’s narrative. How did you navigate integrating real-world events into the story without overshadowing the central themes?
Graham: I had written the first initial drafts of Unfix before covid. Like many people, during the first few months of covid, my confidence in what the world would ultimately look like was uncertain. Visualizing our future going to a store, working, socializing with others was unknown. I also wondered if I should be focusing on being a filmmaker, of if I should be doing something more worthy, like helping the sick, or finding an alternative source of income to stay alive should the pandemic continue for years.
Needless to say, I shut the writing process down. I had lots of reservations about starting up a new film, yet the longer I didn’t write, the louder a call inside me because. I knew in my heart that Covid challenged the imperatives of mental health, personal relationships, and self-reflection. I was beginning to think that perhaps one of the most profoundly shared global experiences of our generation would be Covid itself. Not that covid was war, but like war, it was a moment in time that everyone could relate to. It was an international reference point shared by all ages. Empowering that reference point would be a strong way to bring the audience quickly into the Unfix world.
As months passed I eventually knew I could confidently settle into a “moment in covid” regardless of our future. I knew now what going to the store looked like, what being isolated felt like, what relationships went through and how personal reflection impacted us. With that in mind, I started back into the writing process and found so many new opportunities to reshape scenes and situations. It was a thrill to use these new life experiences. That reshaped the story, and in many ways created exciting new ways to establish situations, tighten tensions, ramp up anxiety, and justify isolated scenarios that ultimately provided my characters with even more predicaments and dilemmas.
Diana: As both the director and writer of the film, how did you approach crafting the screenplay to ensure it effectively conveyed the intended message while also maintaining audience engagement?
Graham: I like to treat a screenplay like a puzzle. Indie film or commercial film, I am a strong believer in employing the classic American 3-act screenplay structure. Don’t get me wrong. I also hate it. In fact, I despise when I can see it in the writing. My worry is always how to effectively craft a screenplay so we feel comfortable in the pocket of a screenplay act…but we don’t know where in it. The cold fact about American movies is that they all embody the 3-act structure for the consumer’s “comfort”. Not to belittle American movie lovers, I will admit the average commercial film consumer when deciding what to watch almost always asks “who are the stars are in the film?” Then they ask if it’s’ a ”drama or comedy”. Then “how long is it?” They don’t want surprises. They want to spend their money on something they know they will like. So they need answers up front. They also need to feel a sense of comfort or familiarity about five or ten minutes into a story because they have grown up in the 3-part structure world. They may never have studied the 3-act structure, but because all films apply it in some way, they definitely sense it when it’s not in it’s proper place. Most of them also want a clear plot provide to them with little effort.
So, how do we masterfully mask the obvious and clear plot points in ways that makes them completely invisible, that makes the story feel unpredictable, organic and original. It’s about embedding the plot seamlessly into the narrative. It’s about reverse engineering the storyline to serve the ending. It’s about writing and rewriting and rewriting until all rules and structure appear to be broken or covered up, but in reality it still exists. Crafting a successful screenplay is like creating an intriguing jigsaw puzzle; a puzzle that has just enough pieces with fragmented images or colors its face to keep someone engaged enough to seek the next puzzle piece. The process of putting the pieces together needs to be inspirational, satisfying, and captivating. Easier said than done. You have to have full faith that the puzzle you are presenting is worth the work of putting those pieces together in the end.
Diana: “Unfix” sheds light on the harmful effects of conversion therapy. Can you discuss the importance of presenting a balanced perspective on such a contentious issue?
Graham: I’m not sure I presented balance in Unfix. The film is clearly Anti-Conversion Therapy. During the research I met too many people who tried to commit suicide, whose children ended their lives, whose families disowned them, who caved to the pressures of religious and spiritual leaders. I learned first hand how horrible conversion therapy is, how rampant it was 20-30 years ago, how it has changed names and reinvented itself and still thrives today. It has changed its name and applied new guises. For that reason I never felt I needed to show balance. Just tell the truth.
But I did try to represent people who drove the conversion therapy agenda. I understand the human need to seek help, to protect, and to defend others. I also understood the dynamic of financial exploitation. And of course I learned the profound role ignorance, fear, shame, self-loathing and over-compensation played in this complicated dynamics of conversion therapy. I did my best to offer up characters in the story that were going through their own journey and how, in desperation, in fear of the issue themselves, as they feared losing their own footing in life. And of course, God himself is a character in this story. And we all know when you use God as a persuasive measure it puts a lot of weight on one side over an other.
Diana: Looking back on the production of “Unfix,” what were some of the most memorable moments or challenges you encountered, and how did they shape the final product?
Graham: Oddly, I think one of the highlights of filming was covid itself. Although undeniably a horrible moment in world history, we, as cast and crew took that time embrace what it offered; to channel our anxieties, uncertainties, and frustrations into creating a meaningful and powerful body of work. We’re so proud of the film and thankful we had an opportunity to do our art and create a film that will hopefully make a difference for years to come. We used that time to be productive and that was a bonding event that has made the cast and crew life-long friends.
At the end of the day, the actual film is great to have made, but the process; the relationships and experiences along the way of making the film, are what make filmmaking so satisfying. To think making films for a living also makes our world richer, rounder is so satisfying. To think our footprint on the world becomes more impactful, and other’s lives more understood and heard is heartwarming. To think we might be creating a little more compassion for a tiny segment of mankind is rewarding. To think we could be kindling a desire to be better human beings for both ourselves and other is inspiring.
