Paris-based Loco Films has boarded “Paying For It,” Canadian helmer Sook-Yin Lee (“Octavio is Dead!”)’s adaptation of Chester Brown’s best-selling graphic novel. The movie is world premiering at Toronto Film Festival in the competitive Platform section.
Co-written by Lee and Joanne Sarazen (“Backspot,” “Tammy’s Always Dying”), the live action movie stars Dan Beirne (“Twentieth Century,” “Priscilla”), emerging actor Emily Lê (“Riceboy Sleeps”), and acclaimed activist, author and performer Andrea Werhun (“Modern Whore, Thriving: A Dissociative Reverie”).
The film explores the themes of love, sex and non-monogamy for adults. It’s set in the late 90s and revolves around Chester, an introverted cartoonist who starts sleeping with sex workers and discovers a new kind of intimacy after his girlfriend, Sonny, decides to redefine their committed relationship.
“Paying For It” is produced by Matt Code of Wildling Pictures, whose credits include “See for Me,” “Mary Goes Round” and the upcoming “Young Werther;” as well as Sonya Di Rienzo (“Brother,” “The Young Arsonists,” “The Players”) and Aeschylus Poulos (“Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe,” “Brother,” “Sleeping Giant”) of Hawkeye Pictures; with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates and in association with Bell Media’s Crave and CBC Films. Co-producers are Natalie Urquhart (“Suits,” “Stardust”), and Lee; and executive producers are Dan Beirne and John Cameron Mitchell (“Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “Shortbus”).
The film is lensed by Emmy Award-winner Gayle Ye (“You Can Live Forever,” “Bria Mack Gets a Life”), with production design by Olivia D’Oliveira (“Dreaming is a Private Thing,” “A Fermenting Woman”), costume design by Cameron Lee (“Close to You”) and editing by Anna Catley (“We Forgot to Break Up,” “Infinity Pool”). Dylan Gamble from the band Hot Garbage and Lee composed the original score.
“Paying For It” brings together comic actors, performance artists, authors, activists and multimedia creators in front of and behind the camera.
Here’s the trailer of “Paying For It:”