Independent filmmaking is not for the faint of heart.

What does one need to succeed in this industry? Adaptability? Resourcefulness? A thick skin? Arguably, the answer is ‘yes’, to all these things.

To be an indie filmmaker, one has to wear many hats to get the job done. It can be a sobering experience to leap into the every-man-for-himself wild west of crowdfunding and collaboration and still find oneself to be Sisyphus, pushing the proverbial rock up the mountain for eternity. The well-documented struggle of the independent filmmaker.

But some take it in their stride, regularly producing consistent and successful work, while wearing their indie director status like a badge of honour.

Prolific and award-winning writer/director Davo Hardy has pumped out seven features in ten years. This year marks a full decade since his debut feature and Cinema Australia was there to cover it, all those years ago.

Since then, we have covered each of Davo’s distinct and uncompromising films. There aren’t many as daring as Davo Hardy. Not just known for his frank and unapologetic depictions of sexuality, Davo is also unabashed about wearing his heart on his sleeve. His films are as poignant as they are provocative and as entertaining as they are philosophical. Covering disability, theology and politics with sharp humour, Davo’s films comment on society, while also showing a slice-of-life within it.

His latest production, Mothers, Lovers and Others, also follows this formula. Exploring the private lives of seemingly-unconnected characters who attend a hedonistic sex party, this film is filled with returning cast and crew from his previous projects, further evidence that perhaps the best way to succeed in this industry, is to surround yourself with the right people for you.

Here, Davo Hardy introduces us to his new film, set for release this September.

What inspired Mothers, Lovers and Others?

I first wrote a version of Mothers, Lovers and Others in 2009, when I was fresh out of film school. I was twenty years old and living my most mischievous life, experiencing all that seedy underbelly of big city nightlife and promiscuity, encountering a wealth of characters that were world away from me and my sensibilities.

The main character was named Graeme, or Grae for short. The working title was Shades of Grae. At that time, there was no book series by E.L James to worry about. However, I didn’t feel quite ready to produce it at age 20. At least not in its entirety. I pulled together a short film version with whatever meagre resources I had at the time; including non-actors and non-crew. We barely rubbed two red cents together the entire time. Needless to say, the whole thing sat in a drawer for about 14 years.

Did it ever come up for air in those 14 years?

Only to be dismantled and transplanted, piece by piece, into other screenplays. Every time I took it out, I’d revisit it as somebody older and more experienced. I was seeing even more “shades of grey”, so to speak, in the characters and their situations than I had originally allowed space for. Over the years, the general attitude towards LGBTQIA+ films and their characters had loosened up and had seemingly come into vogue.

I think the turning point was the success of Public Eye. I had taken a lot of risks with that film, both personally and professionally. I still reap the rewards to this day. To make that film work, I did a lot of academic reading. Some of that research spilled over into this project; like how intimate relationships have evolved over the centuries. How, prior to the Romantic Period (late 18th Century), extramarital dalliances weren’t necessarily a “crime of betrayal”. These days, things are shifting again. You hear about throuples and open relationships and the general trend to sow wild oats young and put off relationships until later.

When I finally gave the “Grae” manuscript a dust-off and a complete overhaul, I threaded nuggets like that into the context and perspective of each character, which allowed for some deep philosophical debates to find their way into the dialogue.

That helped to fill in the gaps and, suddenly, the script took on a new direction. It wasn’t about Graeme and who he was going to bed with, it was everybody else around him that he was worried about. His family, his relationships and the expectations of society. That’s where the new title came from.

How long did it take for this overhaul to get Mothers, Lovers and Others into full production?

It was probably about six months. This deep into my career, I have surrounded myself with more members of my own “tribe”; indie film nerds with vastly eclectic tastes and extensive libraries of everything from European arthouse cinema to obscure Australian television dramas. I also had a pool of actors who flew their own “freak flags” and, together, we brainstormed scenes and developed characters that eventually fit together to create this particular version of the story.

I was really blessed to have a cast and crew on the same page as me. Some continue to astound me with what they come up with.

Rather than just have interweaving narratives, with characters hooking up behind closed doors, I wanted to subvert expectations and frame the story through the eyes of characters who were already well-acquainted with their own promiscuity. It also opened us up to use the kink scene as a backdrop, which seems a lot more mainstream now than it was in 2009.

The story opens in the thick of an orgy, with characters who all want to be there to enjoy themselves, openly. “But what baggage would they be showing up with?” I mused to myself. “And what would be waiting for them back at home? And why wouldn’t they want these two worlds to collide?”

I found that premise very compelling. The daunting part was finding a venue and an open-minded production team.

My co-producer, Megan Thresher, made a lot of the initial contacts for me. She got me in touch with Shibari Sydney and sourced locations where the orgy scenes would be filmed. They say it’s all about who you know, but you never quite know how connected people are until you ask.

Were there any unique challenges during the production process?

When one develops a film that explores sexual content, regardless of whether its simulated or simply referenced, there will be push-back. In the age of #MeToo and all the politics surrounding that, it can be a bit of a minefield.

For years, I had been pointing people in the direction of Shortbus (2006) and recent offerings from European Cinema, to show that I was hardly breaking new ground with this. One can still produce a high-quality mainstream film, regardless of what classification it has or the content that got it there.

Throughout my career, when discussing censorship, I have opposed the assumption that any sexuality or nudity within art is somehow borne out of the forced exploitation, coercion and degradation of those involved. That’s why I am always so grateful to have a cast and crew who share my vision. From early in the writing stages, I plan everything well in advance workshop it right up until the last minute. Though we have intimacy coordinators and lots of rehearsals, the most important thing is to have each other’s back. People are very eager to get the wrong idea. During the casting process, I found it was easier to collapse small roles into one. It just lessened the headache and allowed me to channel my time and attention as a director.

When it came to shooting, there were one or two late additions to the crew that hadn’t been present for the early read-throughs and rehearsals. What they thought would be gently implied was graphically depicted and they were understandably taken aback. Thankfully, that was the first day of shooting, so by the end of the first week, it was business as usual and we just got on with it.

Does this film differ from your previous work?

It builds upon my other films, for sure. Being my seventh feature, I’m pretty confident in my ability and I have a big enough body of work that audiences know what to expect from a Davo Hardy film. I’ve been around a while and tapped into my market and I have found that my audience to be exceedingly diverse. Like most of my films, Mothers, Lovers and Others is a character-driven slice-of-life about desire and hurt feelings. I reckon everybody can relate to that.

Are there any particular themes or issues you aimed to highlight through this project?

Exploring open relationships and the Madonna/Whore complex were two of the main topics. But framing them though the experience of a queer couple, who were on the other side of 40 and facing the existential dread of mid-life, opened up a lot of interesting ideas. Most love stories, especially queer love stories, tend to focus on young adults or teenagers, coming out for the first time, with their whole lives ahead of them. Mothers, Lovers and Others asks what happens next. What self-imposed, heteronormative and traditional values are grappled with, when two gay men make the leap from recreational promiscuity to monogamy and parenthood; when these things not necessarily expected for them? By this point, the characters have internalised a certain “you’ve made your bed, now lay in it… and watch who you share it with” mentality. It makes for a very interesting character study.

What do you hope the audience’s reaction will be?

Contrary to what the setup and execution might initially do, I don’t want audiences to simply be shocked, stunned or challenged and leave it at that. I don’t want to alienate anybody. If anything, my aim is to validate and give credulity to anybody living their best (sex) lives. Especially those who are genuinely thriving in open-relationships. Or whatever their particular kink might be. We live in an age when everything can be fetishised and that’s what inspired me to make a movie about characters defying conservative fascism. A lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into making independent cinema. So why not add a few other bodily fluids, just to spice things up?

Mothers, Lovers and Others will premiere in September 2025.

All of Davo’s films are available to stream worldwide at www.davohardyfilms.com

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