The Possibilities Are Endless is a film that explores Edwyn Collins’ slow recovery and return to the stage after suffering from a stroke in 2005, which debilitated his music career and his life.
Film-makers James Hall and Edward Lovelace work intimately with Collins to produce a beautiful film – voiced over by Collins himself superimposed over images of his past in the desperate hope that it will lead him to reaching some sort of clarity within his future. Larry Heath sat down with Edwyn, James, Edward and Edwyn’s wife Grace last year to discuss the film and its astronomical impact on all of its parties.
On the perception of the film to its audiences:
Edward – No one’s seen it other than Edwyn and his family – It’s been quite nerve-wracking getting it out to the world. Some of the things we tried to do were very brave, so it’s been hard to figure out how the outside world might perceive it.
We tried to put the audience inside Edwyn’s head for half the movie. He’s going through a very intense experience – some of it’s good and some of it’s uncomfortable. So we really wanted you to feel that in the first fifteen minutes of the film.
Edwyn – I couldn’t talk at the beginning of the film, but gradually I’m seen conversing with others, and that’s cool.
Edward – As Edwyn’s said, there is no eureka moment. He’s worked so hard to come back, so we wanted it to be hard to watch so you understood what the task was ahead. So there’s this reward that we get on how he came back to full glory.
On getting involved in documenting Edwyn’s life:
James: We first heard the ‘Losing Sleep’ album (which was Edwyn’s first album) just after he had a stroke. It had all the themes and ideas of Edwyn’s previous records but just tackled in a different way. It was really interesting that it was dealing with these subjects in a new process.
Edwyn: It’s direct and to the point, but understated. I’m singing about life and death and all these subjects, but [the direction] ‘Losing Sleep’ – to some – is simple.
James: We think it still has the themes and there is a lyrical beauty to it – it still has that quintessential Edwyn style.
Edward: What’s amazing is that when we heard that album we knew Edwyn had had a stroke, but we didn’t know whether he was making songs again. It’s such a youthful album. Bands in their 20’s are trying to get that energy, so just getting into the same room with him and talking about an idea for a film would have been an honour. It stemmed from our excitement for that record.
On his reaction to that documentation:
Edwyn: Well it’s wonderful. The film develops towards the end. In the beginning I’m not that comfortable and I’m stumbling for the words. But some people love that – the stumbling for the words. But I must admit that I’m not that comfortable on that situation.
Edward: Initially it’s quite obvious that we’re making a film, however towards the end the beauty really lied in the interactions between these two [Edwyn and Grace]. The parts of the film that people really warm to usually includes them. They just do their thing, and it was so easy to capture. It made the whole process simpler for us.
On the film-making process:
Edward: We didn’t want to do the typical film thing where we just bring in crews. So we didn’t know what was going to happen but we were just like, let’s get in a room with Edwyn. We didn’t want the pressure of a movie at the end, we just wanted to have conversations with him. In one of the first interviews his speech was stilted, but when he got the sentences out they were beautiful. Some of my favourite sentences in the movie were in that first interview. So we wanted to persist long enough to get a film out of it and do his words justice.
On what they hope will come out of the film:
James: We don’t have any set ideas. We’re playing a lot of festivals and it’s premiering at some festivals, but it would be great to get a theatrical run. The first fifteen minutes are a real experience, it’d be great to see that in the cinemas.
Grace: It’s Edwyn’s story and it has been captured by these guys. It’s their movie. It doesn’t have a message or anything – you’re not a spokesperson. It’s just about the art.
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The Possibilities Are Endless is available now on VOD and DVD. For more details head to the official website. You can listen to our full interview, originally recorded and posted at SXSW 2014, below and the trailer is also here for your viewing pleasure!
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