Interview: John Luke Montias 1-2-3

Bobby G (G for "Grace") is a nonchalant small-time drug-peddler living in Hell's Kitchen. He occasionally shares his bed with Lucy, a Puerto Rican prostitute who dreams of taking him back to her homeland… An unexpected big deal might allow Bobby G to make her dream come true…

John Luke Montias's first feature is a true revelation, winning best film and best director in Los Angeles. The script is based on the confidences garnered from his customers when he was a bartender in Hell's Kitchen and the budget for this 16 mm movie was raised through their one-grand contributions. John Luke Montias's taut direction and real poetical flair elevate this film above routine gangster film conventions and bestow on it Abel Ferrara and Jean Luc Godard's joint graces.

About the director

Born in NY to French parents, John Luke Montias studied Dramatic Arts. After receiving his diploma, he took on many roles in theatre, all the while holding down odd jobs including barman. Based on this experience, he wrote the screenplay for his first feature film Bobby G. can't swim, financing the production with the help of the persons who inspired this film.

He is currently working on three screenplays and appears in Home Sweet Hobroken by Yoshifumi Hosoya opposite Ben Gazzara. He just completed a film opposite Elodie Bouchez entitled Shooting Vegetarians by Mikey Jackson.

Yannis Polinnaci