Purebred is set during a heatwave, when a transgender man returns to the flat of his on-off-again lover after taking a pregnancy test. Caleb J Roberts wrote and directed the short, with Jon Beer producing and a soundtrack from Fontaines D.C. and CHALK. It screens at HollyShorts London.
Roberts says they were frustrated by a lack of trans men represented on screen and by "what felt like a shy away from portraying sex/intimacy in shorts." They wanted to tell something that felt "familiar but ultimately queer."
Key Takeaways
- In the edit, Roberts played with the sense of time. Flashes of intimacy run through the film, and the viewer is not sure whether each one is the moment of inception, the past or a flash forward.
- Roberts cut a shot they loved for cohesion. It showed a woman in sparkly party gear dancing alone beside her upstairs window as the sun rises.
- Roberts says a scene of Owen sitting on Sean's bathroom floor, played out in one shot, feels like the "most me."
Below, Roberts answers our questions in writing.
Interview
What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?
I was frustrated by a lack of trans men represented on screen and what felt like a shy away from portraying sex/intimacy in shorts. I wanted to tell something that felt familiar but ultimately queer, chaotic but beautiful in its own way.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process creatively or logistically, including any moment on set or in post that changed how you saw the story?
In our edit, we got to play a lot with the sense of time. We see flashes of intimacy throughout the film and you're not sure whether this was the moment of inception, the past, or a flash forward to what's going to happen. Playing with time to create a cyclical memory and distort the linear narrative really brought out the feelings of longing, loss and repetition that I wanted.
What moment in the film feels most like you, or like something only you could have made?
The scene of Owen sitting on Sean's bathroom floor played out in one shot feels like the 'most me.' Allowing us to stay with this character as we watch a rush of conflicting emotions wash over him, trying and failing to navigate the right thing to do or say and allowing Pete's performance to carry us. There's a slowness that I really enjoy.
“There's a slowness that I really enjoy.”
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making the film?
There was a shot that didn't make it into the end of the film that I loved. It was of a woman in sparkly party gear, dancing alone beside her upstairs window to music we can't hear as the sun rises. The idea was that outside of our narrative, the world still turns. People are partying, living their lives, and this is just one moment inside one home. My editor and I loved it, as it brought us out of our world for just a moment, but ultimately it was cut for cohesion. I still miss it.
How does your film fit within, or push the boundaries of, its genre or form?
I think that Purebred plays with conventional drama tropes to its advantage, expanding what an audience thinks of when we approach contemporary representation of situationships, gay sex and hookup culture.
What do you hope audiences take away from this film?
I hope that people can connect to its characters regardless of their identity. We all understand being in a relationship that's not good for us, living in a less-than-ideal housing situation or the fear of commitment. What makes this film special is that we are seeing a narrative trope we are familiar with through an unfamiliar (to most) perspective, and I find that quite exciting.
Where do you see this film going next?
This film has had an incredibly successful festival run over the last year and a half, and in 2027 we'll be releasing the film with upcoming distribution.
Roberts says the film has "cemented my love for slower cinema and the need for more trans people to be behind the wheel of contemporary queer storytelling." Asked what sits at the core of all their work, Roberts finished the sentence with a desire to "take you behind closed doors and show you something you feel like you shouldn't be watching."
Main Cast & Crew
- Writer/Director: Caleb J Roberts
- Producer: Jon Beer
- Lead Actor: Pete MacHale
- Actor: Diarmuid Noyes
- Soundtrack: Fontaines D.C. and CHALK
Follow the Film
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