The poet and comedian open up about making the life-affirming documentary about Andrea Gibson
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY APPLE TV
Come See Me in the Good Light follows poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they navigate Andrea’s terminal diagnosis and what might be their last year together. At a first glance, you might assume that this would be a heart-shattering viewing experience that would see you making your way through multiple boxes of tissues. But actually, after watching, I realised that while it was deeply emotional, it didn’t focus on the sadness or grief of the situation. Instead, it made love the centre of the story. There were an abundance of light, delightful and joyful moments.
The Ryan White-directed film was instigated by producers Tig Notaro and Stef Willen. The film also features an original song written by executive producers Sara Bareilles and Brandi Carlile. Ahead of the documentary’s release, I sat down with Megan and Tig via Zoom, to talk about what it was like making such a life-affirming film.
Pssst… you can read more from Megan and Tig in our December/January issue, which is available to order from divadirect.info now.
DIVA: Tig, when did you know that you wanted to be a producer on this documentary?
TN: Well, I was talking on the phone with my friend Stef Willen, who is also a mutual friend Andrea’s. Stef said: “I feel like Andrea’s life would make a really great documentary right now”. And when she said that, I was like: “Oh, my god. Yes.” I really encourage people to watch the film and share it with everybody because it really creates a lot of compassion and the world is in desperate need of that.
Megan, one of my favourite parts of the film is when you and Andrea are joking about how they are such a phenomenal poet despite only knowing five words. How do you think Andrea was able to create such magic and pack such a punch with their poetry while writing in a more “simplistic” style?
MF: They grew up in a really rural working-class town and Andrea felt so connected to poetry and art and feeling. I guess they thought: What’s the point of art if people feel alienated by it? That doesn’t mean that Andrea didn’t have more depth than anyone that one might encounter in this lifetime. But it was never and would never be used as a vehicle for creating distance or separation.
Would you be comfortable sharing what it has been like connecting with audiences at screenings?
TN: I remember being at the premiere with Andrea and the nerves that Andrea was experiencing, of course, made so much sense. But as soon as it started playing, you could feel the entire audience lock in and go on the full ride together. It really felt like everybody became one in that moment. Andrea referred to one of the screenings in Boulder being similar to church. It was something to be in that theatre with everyone.
How has making this film influenced you when it comes to the different ways we can tell our stories and the importance of documenting them?
MF: I love writing. I love reading. I just do. I have since I was a kid. But there was something about film and the process of documenting something that I was able to also see where language falls short. Andrea and I could tell people until we were blue in the face about how in love we felt after their diagnosis, how we were dancing through it, all of the joy we found.
People needed an hour and a half movie for us to be like: “No, look, we mean it.” And then they, they could, they could see it and experience it. The process broadened my appreciation for another art form. We don’t have to keep like trying to convince people what the time was like. We can just press play.
Come See Me in the Good Light is in select cinemas and streaming on Apple TV from 14 November.
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