Movie crew upset to learn they’re on film inspired’ by links between same sex marriage and human-dog weddings: report
Movie makers who worked on the award-winning film “Koko” were upset to learn the flick’s creator was inspired by the idea that legalizing same-sex marriage could lead to “possibilities of marriage between human and animal,” according to a published report.
While director Anjani Pandey says he has no hatred toward anyone, his cast and crew now wishes they hadn’t been involved in the production that won this week’s Audience Choice Award at the Sunshine City Film Festival, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
“Koko” is the tale of a man named Randy who wants to marry his dog Koko.
According to the newspaper, unbeknownst to some of those who helped bring Pandey’s vision to life, the Clearwater, Fla., director may hold anti-gay beliefs that inspired the movie’s message.
“Is it for love, money or something else?” the movie’s ads ask.
The issue arose when a September interview with Pandey came to light in which he said he got an idea to write the story as a “warning” to people who support same-sex marriage that “they open the door (to) possibilities of marriage between human and animal, too.”
Pandey, who doesn’t deny he opposes same-sex marriage, reportedly told the Times he’s not equating same-sex marriage to cross-species nuptials. He says that’s simply where he got the idea.
“That is the inspiration for the story,” Pandy said.
That still didn’t sit well with those involved in the film, which also qualified for this weekend’s Orlando’s Central Florida Film Festival.
Sound mixer Alex Vincent told the Times that same sex marriage is not mentioned in the seemingly “silly but innocent” film and he hadn’t made that connection.
“The message as I understood it is that love is love — now I learn that the message is hate,” he said. “I’m disgusted. I would never have worked on it if I had known.”
Sound man Chuck Terzian shared that sentiment on Facebook.
“I worked on this film and at no time did he tell me this was a satire or commentary on gay marriage,” Terzian wrote.
Actress Kelly Thompson called any correlation between bestiality and homosexuality “degrading and awful” and insisted no one on set “knew that was the moral of the story.”
While inclusion of “Koko” in the Sunshine City Film Festival could effect future sponsorship, a rep told the Times the event encourages diversity and inclusion and does “not take position on any film selected.”
