Volcano Man | Movember Fundraiser Screening

Filmmaker James Crawley’s life has been captured on camera by his father Richard, but when he discovers some of his dad’s hidden tapes, James decides to make a film of his own. Delving into a lifetime of home videos and new interviews with those closest to him, James pulls back the curtain and reveals the real Richard Crawley, an eccentric photographer and documentarian who lives atop a dormant volcano and approach to life is utterly explosive.

What unfolds is the portrait of a larger-than-life creative, a man whose exploits have taken him from shooting iconic images of rock legends such as Mick Jagger & Tina Turner in their 1970s heyday to an obsessive documentarian and home filmmaker, capturing James’ entire upbringing on camera. But underneath his charismatic public persona lies the real Richard Crawley, a man defined by a series of tragic events and unresolved traumas highlighted by the loss of his wife Carol.

When faced with grief, Richard’s reaction is explosive – whether it’s buying a red Ferrari to light up the countryside after the sudden death of his brother or creating a first person documentary about grief he could never watch, or becoming the front man of a rock band aged seventy-two – everything he does is a massive middle finger to the sadness within. But James sees through all the showmanship and bravado, and he’s on a mission to change his father. By forcing Richard to re-examine his past and his attitude to the future, long held secrets will be exposed and a path to redemption will be laid out. Will Richard listen, or is it James who needs to learn how to accept his unconventional father?

Volcano Man is an entertaining and deeply moving film about love, loss and family, ultimately challenging our perceptions of ageing, grief, masculinity, and what it means to seize the day. $5 from every ticket sold will be donated to Movember in support of raising awareness for men’s mental & physical health.