BBC Fresh Profile: Dee Boyle

Film-maker Dee Boyle talks about interviewing Sir Ian McKellen and capturing the FoylePride parade.

Why did you pick this subject for Fresh?

"I chose this subject because I was given an assignment on the topic of 'journey' which I interpreted both literally - getting from A to B - and symbolically, a personal and emotional journey.

"I had previously been working on a behind the scenes film following the planning of the FoylePride parade.

"This unfortunately fell through but I kept the story in my mind, the fact that the parade follows the same route as the civil rights marches of the late 1960's - this was the perfect journey."

What motivated you to make this film?

"What motivated me to make this film and who inspires me are one and the same, the stories, the people.

"The more people I spoke to about the gay rights movement and its parallel with the civil rights history of the city, the more I wanted to tell the stories and the project became more than a homework assignment."

What camera did you use to shoot this film?

"Honestly I'm a little bit technophobic when it comes to cameras, I just used a cheap consumer digital one.

"This may have proved handy though for the Ian McKellen interview as I don't think I would have been able to ambush the poor man with a large professional rig."

What are your plans for the future?

"For the future I would love to work on a production team making socially conscious films that both educate and entertain - somewhere like Panorama or Dispatches would be perfect - consider this my application."