In our interview with the directors and cast of Departures, we talk about all influences, movie marathons and queer film favourites.
Departures follows Benji (Lloyd Eyre-morgan) as he figures out what to do with his life after a break-up that leaves him extremely dejected. We get thrown in at the very end of Benji’s split with Jake (David Tag) as they argue and part ways, but then we’re taken to the very beginning of their romance where it’s not all as rainbow and sunshine as Benji thinks it was. Jake is hiding a detrimental secret from Benji back home, and instead of coming clean, he pays for the two of them to go to Amsterdam for one weekend every month so he can continue to harbour this news that once broken to Benji, will put their connection on the brink.
Along Benji’s journey, we meet his friends (Tyler Conti and Jake Haymes), his ex boyfriends (including Ali Afzal), his mother (Lorraine Stanley), a one night stand that goes wrong (Olivier Sublet) and also Jake’s reckless aunt (Kerry Howard), and younger version of Jake (Jacob Partali).
We had the chance to interview the co-directors and cast at the London premiere of Departures at BFI Flare. We spoke to actors Kerry Howard, Lorraine Stanley, David Tag, Olivier Sublet, Tyler Conti, Ali Afzal, Jacob Partali, Jake Haymes, and co-directors Lloyd Eyre-morgan (also cast) and Neil Ely.
Read our interview below!
The cast and crew of Departures on their involvement, preparations and influences
How did you get involved with this project?
Kerry Howard: Lloyd [Eyre-morgan] actually messaged me on Instagram!
Lorraine Stanley: I had worked with Lloyd before, so he just asked me to be a part of it and I said yes.
How did you both prepare for a role like this? Both of your characters [Howard plays Jake’s auntie and Stanley plays Benji’s mum] are integral to the film.
L.S.: I actually didn’t have any time to prepare. The film was made very quickly. A lot of it was improvised.
K.H.: The film was shot over eight weekends: everyone was working during the week and then we’d come together on the weekends. There wasn’t any time to overthink it. You were given the sides and the background of the characters, and then we’d just go for it.
Olivier Sublet: So, my character is a bit of a villain. I took inspiration from Mother Superior in Trainspotting. When I got to set, everything was bright red and scary. It was super dingy, exactly like that in Trainspotting. It was perfect.
David Tag: Mine was past experiences of myself. I was bringing in my own old toxic traits.
Ali Afzal: I play one of Benji’s exes, so I was just bringing in previous experience. It was triggering, actually, but it helped me channel this character. It was a good learning experience.
Tyler Conti: I feel like I was just bringing in experience from school. You know, ‘the lads’ everyone had at school. I’m probably the least ‘laddy’ out of my friends. I just tried to remember those bits and see what it would be like to be this character, but as someone a bit older.
What were your influences going into Departures? Were there any particular films you wanted to channel into this project?
Lloyd Eyre-morgan: The Rules of Attraction influenced Departures a bit in terms of the style. It was inspired more by the queer community and our friends. We just wanted to show our experiences of living in Manchester and being gay.
Jacob, it’s your first film. How was it making Departures as your on screen feature debut?
Jacob Partali: It was super exciting. It was such an intimate cast and crew. I liked seeing how it all worked. It was a really cool new experience.
Lorraine, what’s it like shifting from working in TV to being a part of a film like Departures?
L.S.: I’ve done lots of movies before, and theatre too, and obviously I was in Eastenders for seven years. To do another film is great. It’s really fun.
Co-directors Lloyd Eyre-morgan & Neil Ely on writing Departures from personal experience.
*Trigger warning: Departures contains acts of sexual assault, which is touched upon in this question*
How did the idea come about to make Departures? I know it was based on real experiences.
Lloyd Eyre-morgan: I was in a really bad place, so I just started to put things to paper. I then went to Neil with the idea of Departures.
Neil Ely: I said no at first. Absolutely not! I then changed my mind.
L.E.M: Most of what’s on screen is a lived-in experience. It ended up as a therapy session.
N.E.: It was a therapy session for both of us really. The relationship issues and body issues came from Lloyd’s experience. The sexual assault came from my experience. It was traumatic watching it in the edit and I was p*ssed off that this actually happened, but it was really healing at the same time. The charity We Are Survivors [a non-profit organisation in Manchester that helps men get the help they need after assault] have supported me through that experience.
The cast and crew of Departures on being at BFI Flare
How does it feel to be at BFI Flare?
Neil Ely: It’s amazing. We were here before for Mirrors, my first short film. All of our cast and crew have day jobs – they’re painters and decorators. It’s expensive to come to London. It’s really exciting to be here, though.
Jake Haymes: Being on the red carpet is just great. I still can’t believe it. It’s just crazy. It’s a taste of what can be.
Jacob Partali: I’m feeling super grateful, especially to be at a festival that celebrates LGBTQ+. It just makes it feel great.
Tyler Conti: It’s pretty cool. It’s an amazing festival to be at.
David Tag: It’s going to be a good telling of how good the film actually is. I’m excited.
Olivier Sublet: I’m having a great time. It’s lovely.
Kerry Howard: I feel honoured to be here.
Lorraine Stanley: It’s my first time here and I’m having a lovely time so far.
K.H.: We’re here to be iconic queens.
You are!
Ali Afzal: Oh I love BFI Flare. There are so many amazing films here. I’m glad to be a part of it. I was here last year with Unicorns. I played the villain, Karen.
Two films back to back at BFI Flare, well done.
A.A.: I’m gonna keep it going now! [laughs]
The cast and crew of Departures on their favourite queer films and movie marathons
As we’re at BFI Flare, what are your favourite queer films?
Kerry Howard: Paris is Burning! I love that one.
Lorraine Stanley: It’s not a film, but I love Queer as Folk.
Lloyd Eyre-morgan: Femme, Unicorns, Beautiful Thing, Legend, But I’m A Cheerleader.
Neil Ely: Spice World!
David Tag: All of Us Strangers. That one really touched me. It’s beautiful.
Olivier Sublet: Moonlight.
Jacob Partali: Obviously, Call Me By Your Name. I also really like Tomboy.
Jake Hamyes: It’s so hard when you’re put on the spot. I mentioned The Rocky Horror [Picture Show] in another interview and just didn’t even realise it was queer, so probably that!
If you could pair Departures with another film for a mini movie marathon, what film would you pick?
L.S.: Trainspotting! That would be perfect.
K.H.: Any Shane Meadows film.
I could imagine it being perfect back to back with Dead Man’s Shoes.
K.H.: Yes! I would do that!
N.E.: Spice World!!! Spice World comes up in every question.
As it should!
N.E.: And Shirley Valentine.
L.E-M.: Oh yeah, Shirley Valentine.
D.T.: I’d pick something completely contrasting. Maybe Along Came Polly.
O.S.: It’s not a film but definitely Peep Show!
A.A: Departures is very modern; it’s very now. So I want to compare it to another British film, like My Beautiful Laundrette. I think you’d be able to see the same running themes. Oh, and Unicorns! [laughs]
T.C.: I’d undercut it with something like God’s Own Country, which is very heavy. Departures is very good at bringing the feels; you need to undercut it with a contrast, like muddy, country scenes.
J.H.: I wanna go rogue. I’m going with Shrek.
J.P.: Departures is really unique, so it would have to be something completely different. I’m going with Shrek 2 [laughs].
What the cast of Departures want the audience to take away from the film.
What do you want people who see themselves as a character who isn’t accepting who they are to take away from Departures?
Tyler Conti: I think it’s just an opportunity to question how you react in your own relationships in general. Even if it’s just a friendship. It’s important to just check in with yourself.
Ali Afzal: I can’t follow up from that! Just check in with yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
David Tag: For me, Departures made me look at myself. Just try and work on those manipulative traits and fix them.
The cast and crew of Departures on resolutions and what’s next for them
Do you have any future projects that you’re working on?
Kerry Howard: It’s really exciting, as I’m collaborating again with Lloyd and Neil on a feature called Inappropriate Adult. It’s a film about male sex work. We’ve seen a lot of female sex work stories like Pretty Woman, so we want to make a movie about what goes on underground with male sex work. We’re actually going to shoot it this year.
Tyler Conti: I’m doing Lloyd and Eli’s next film too, Inappropriate Adult. I’m the inappropriate adult, I think. It will be so fun to work with these guys again. And also there’s a TV series I’m doing.
Lorraine Stanley: I’m not doing much at the minute. I’d love to be in Inappropriate Adult [laughs].
Ali Afzal: The things that I’ve done don’t have a release date now. I just want to get back out there!
***The following question contains minor spoilers for the film’s ending***
Without giving anything away, do you think that Benji’s character really has a happy ending?
L.S.: I haven’t seen the ending. They changed a lot of stuff from the script so I don’t know anyway.
K.H.: I haven’t seen it either. I’m excited to watch the film with an audience for the first time and see how they react. I don’t even know if I can remember the script [laughs].
Olivier Sublet: I haven’t seen it yet so I’m about to get a surprise!
Lloyd Eyre-morgan: I think so. It’s about moving on. It’s open, though. It’s about getting over a toxic relationship.
David Tag: No. I think temporarily it will. But we all fall into our own habits, so if he finds a muscly guy who wants to bully him again, he will. It’s a slippery slope.
Jake Haymes: I think there’s more happiness with Benji than there is with Jake, without giving too much away.
Jacob Partali: I think there’s a whole other story to come. I see the ending as really positive.
***No more spoilers from this point on***
I want to talk about the ending musical number [as the credits roll, Benji and Jake sing a song as they’re gallivanting in the woods together]. How did that come about? Was it always in the script?
D.T.: When we were filming in Amsterdam, Lloyd said “I want a musical number in the film”. It was actually supposed to be within Olivier’s scene but it didn’t work.
I love it. It’s the perfect way to end the film.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Departures was screened at BFI Flare on 23 March, 2025 and will be screened again on 29-30 March. Read our BFI Flare reviews and our review of Departures!
Header Credits: The directors and cast of Departures (Jake Haymes, Tyler Conti, Co-Director Neil Ely, Co-Director Lloyd Eyre-Martin, Kerry Howard, Jacob Partali, David Tag, Lorraine Stanley, Olivier Sublet, Ali Afzal) and Producer Paul Mortlock attend the BFI Flare 2025 Premiere at the BFI Southbank on March 23, 2025 in London, England. (John Phillips / Getty Images)
