Otto Baxter: Not a Fucking Horror Story
Otto Baxter directing Paul Kaye- Photograph by Kevin Baker
Synopsis
BAFTA-winning filmmakers Bruce Fletcher and Peter Beard follow their close friend Otto Baxter, a man with Down Syndrome, through a year of change as he writes and directs his first film; an allegorical horror biopic set in Victorian London charting the life of a monster baby on the rocky path to escape incarceration and become his own master.
Otto has recently experienced bereavement and family health scares that have forced him to think about mortality for the first time – his own and those closest to him. Otto has always turned to films to make sense of the world, and this moment is no exception. Through the writing and directing process, he finds the vocabulary to process his past and imagine his uncertain future. He tackles his demons head on, but always with a riotous sense of humour. Otto’s extraordinary upbringing has meant his life has always played out on camera to some extent. This rich archive will be blended with drama and present day footage in this intimate documentary, to tell the compelling story of Otto and his family, placing it firmly in the context of the UK’s evolving attitudes to disability over his lifetime.
Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2023 - World premiere
Details
- Year
- 2023
- Type of film
- Features
- Running Time
- 88 min
- Format
- Digital
- Director
- Bruce Fletcher, Peter Beard
- Producer
- Daisy Allsop
- Executive Producer
- Poppy Dixon, Hayley Reynolds
- Editor
- Rupert Houseman
- Music
- Ed Harcourt
Genre
Production status
Complete
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Last updated 30th May 2023
