Keep the Lights On

Hello?

Hey, what's up?

Five feet eleven, good looking, masculine.

Yeah, work out, in good shape.

Six and a half, thick, uncut.

Fuck.

Hello.

Hey what's up?

East Village.

No, I'm more of a top. What about you?

All right, too bad.

Hello? Hello?

You looking to hook up?

Yeah, me too. Tonight.

Yeah. I'm a top.

You into that?

No, I'm looking to travel.

Where in Chelsea are you?

Who is it?

It's Jeff.

I left my phone number on a piece of paper.

Cool. Thanks for coming by.

Thanks for having me.

I have a girlfriend, by the way, so...

Don't get your hopes up.

That's too bad.

My guest, is Erik Rothman, whose new film

Outside of Lafayette, will have its

world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival next week.

And it will open here, at the Quad in New York on the 23rd.

So Erik, are you working on something new now?

I've been working on something for the last year.

It's a film about a filmmaker and a photographer named

Avery Willard who was a New York theater and advertising

photographer in the 40's and 50's, but who also used

his studio to photograph male nudes and physique spreads,

and female impersonators.

So how come I've never heard of this guy?

Because no one has, really. His work is like a visual

anthropology of gay life New York from

the 40's 'til the 90's.

Right now, you know I'm still in the beginning,

I'm calling the film In Search of Avery Willard.

And I'm uh, just kind of in the beginning of it all, still.

Hello? What's up?

Five feet eleven, blonde, good looking.

Masculine.

You like?

Yeah, I like.

Good, cool. Make yourself comfortable.

I'm going to, if that's okay.

You don't worry about your neighbors at all?

I like it. You don't like it?

I like it.

Get comfortable. Dude, come on.

All right, that's better. I like guys like you.

Yeah?

I like masculine guys.

This okay?

Mm, yeah. Why don't you come over here?

Hold on, guy. Hold on.

You like my body, huh?

Yeah, I do.

I used to be a dancer, you know.

Oh yeah? I want to touch you.

Let's get used to each other first, if that's okay.

My boyfriend gets off work around six,

he'll be home by six-thirty.

Ok well, we got some time then don't we.

What's your name?

Russ. What's yours?

Dave.

He's the best poet I've read in a long time,

you should take it home.

Someone actually recommended it to me a long time ago but I,

I couldn't get through it.

Why?

I was still with my ex-boyfriend Paolo, who was really sick.

He was positive.

I think it was just hard for me to read about AIDS back then.

Is he still alive?

Yeah - he's in London, he lives there.

He went there to work and I broke up with him

over the phone.

Classy.

In truth I think I didn't love him enough.

Have you seen my belt, anywhere? Because I can't find my belt.

Are you leaving?

Yeah? No.

I should go and um, I should go.

But I can't find my belt and I can't leave without my belt.

So? So what's he like?

He's like um, he's just like nice.

Nice!

Yes, he's very nice.

Where's he from?

He's from the suburbs of Boston. He's a lawyer at Random House.

You know he'd be the first American -

American boyfriend I've ever had?

I haven't seen you this excited about anyone in a long time,

since Paolo.

I was not that excited about Paolo, Claire.

I don't know why you keep saying that all the time.

You guys were a good couple.

No, we were not a good couple because he bugged me.

He was never interested in anything I had to say.

So now, you've found a pupil?

That's not what I'm saying.

Paul - he is curious, he's excited.

He's um, yeah he's a nice guy. And he seems to really like me.

I'm glad.

I don't know.

This is my little secret, you can't tell anyone.

I won't.

Do you swear?

I swear.

Because people in the publishing business like to gossip.

People love to gossip in any business.

Especially in publishing.

Paul, I swear.

I just don't want anyone... to know.

Open your mouth.

Take your shirt off.

Had you had sex with any other men before you met me?

Uh, a few. Not as many as you, I'm sure.

I was a late bloomer.

I was thirteen when I had sex with a guy for the first time.

Yeah?

What are you doing?

It looks better that way.

I don't think so.

You're too cool.

Oh yeah?

Like New Yorkers don't wear their collars up?

No.

Same way we don't say "ciao" instead of bye.

What's wrong with "ciao?"

It sounds pretentious.

I didn't say "ciao" to Markus, actually I said "tschuss."

Same difference.

He's German!

It's okay. You have an accent.

You can get away with it. I don't think I could.

Thank you.

Wow.

It's beautiful.

It's a picture of a woman missing the subway.

When I first moved to New York I wanted to buy one,

but it was like $1500.

But I really wanted it so I asked my father if he'd,

you know, lend me the money to get one.

When he heard the price he thought it was ridiculous.

Now that blonde girl is worth $5000.

Oh my God, it's Katie.

Who?

Katie.

Well maybe it's time for you to introduce your boyfriend

to your ex girlfriend.

And would periodically check his statistics.

It was almost like a laptop and he enjoyed checking himself

almost recreationally.

There's a long line at the bathroom.

I flirt with the good looking boy.

Can't tell if gay or straight. Has a foreign accent.

I tell him an idea I have for a video project.

Coward!

Erik...

I think we should have a baby together.

Whoa.

Where did that come from?

I'm thirty-four.

I know.

I'm just saying, in a few years, if I haven't found

the right guy...

I don't know what Paul would think.

I don't care what Paul would think.

I do. I like him.

We're talking about moving in together.

What? l-l like him.

Yes, is Dorothy there?

I'll put Dorothy on the line.

Thank you.

Hello?

Dorothy!

Hi Erik, listen. We cannot tell you

the results of your HIV test over the phone.

It's a legal matter.

We would be breaking state confidentiality rules.

Are you telling me that I'm HIV positive?

No, I'm not telling you that.

Are you lying to me?

What I want to know is why you're so nervous.

Do you know you're supposed to wear condoms whenever

you have sex, oral or anal?

Of course, I know that.

I'm upset because I think you're telling me I'm HIV positive.

Wouldn't you be?

When are you coming back to New York?

I won't be back in New York for weeks, maybe months.

I'm in Virginia, I'm doing interviews for a documentary.