CHRIS & DON. A LOVE STORY at the AFI FEST 2007

Christopher Isherwood, Don Bachardy in Chris and Don. A Love Story

Guido Santi and Tina Mascara's documentary Chris & Don. A Love Story will be screened at 7:30 p.m. this evening at the AFI FEST 2007, currently being held at the ArcLight theater complex in Hollywood.

Chris & Don portrays the relationship between British writer Christopher Isherwood, whose The Berlin Stories inspired the musical and film Cabaret, and American portrait artist Don Bachardy. Isherwood and Bachardy began their courtship in 1952; the former was 49, the latter had just turned 18. Some found — and will find — their intimacy weird, sinful, disgusting, or what have you. They apparently didn't. Despite no small amount of difficulties, the couple stayed together until Isherwood's death of cancer in 1986. (See trailer below.)

Bachardy himself narrates Chris & Don, while Michael York, who plays the Isherwood-inspired leading character in Cabaret, reads passages from Isherwood's novels, letters, and (published and unpublished) diaries. In addition to home footage shot by the couple in the 1950s, the documentary also includes interviews with actors Liza Minnelli, Leslie Caron, Jack Larson, and Gloria Stuart; director John Boorman; Christopher Isherwood Foundation co-founder James White; Huntington Library and Isherwood Archive curator Sara Hodson; and Katherine Bucknell, editor of Christopher Isherwood Diaries.

Bachardy, editors-directors Santi and Mascara, producer James White, production designer Francisco Stohr, cinematographer Ralph Q. Smith, associate producer Signe Johnson are expected to attend the screening.

Q&A with filmmakers Guido Santi and Tina Mascara.