THE GUY FROM OKLAHOMA

US, 2016, 95 minutes, Colour.
Anado Mc Lauchlin, Richard Schultz.
Directed by Julio Carlos Ramos Zapata.

The Guy from Oklahoma, as a title, does not do justice to the subject of this documentary, biography and portrait, Anado Mc Lauchlin, James Mc Lauchlin who receive the name Anado from an Indian guru.

He is originally from Oklahoma but wanted to get out, going to California, to San Francisco in the 1960s. He was caught up in the Summer of Love, its freedoms, experimentation, drugs, sexuality. He is also a gay man, eventually coming out and moving to New York where he joined the art scene. He also experienced a trip to India and was influenced, one might say, psychedelically.

The film is a patchwork portrait, moving around in places and times – particular stories, perhaps, like the Mosaic stones in his artwork.

At some stages, he is a performer, extrovert in public, appreciating crowds and applause, singing songs with social lyrics.

However, he is basically an artist, the film showing a great number of his works, distinctive and eccentric, but in more later years, his work in mosaics, featuring designs of large skulls for exhibition, covered in beautiful patterns of mosaics – and a sequence where one is transported to Queenstown, New Zealand.

His partner in life is Richard Schultz, a rather more introverted man but who complements Anado. Richard also let his hair grow abundantly as does Anado and both of them, in the spirit of colour, have particular rinses in their long hair and beards.

Engagingly eccentric.

1. Documentary? Biography? Portrait?

2. Anado as an eccentric character, personality, artist, performance?

3. The range of locations, his origins in Oklahoma, his move to California, San Francisco, visit to India, his life in Mexico? The musical score?

4. The collage of the screenplay, impressionistic, like the Mosaic pieces of his art?

5. His appearance, height, beard, age, chatting, his narration and tone? His origins in Oklahoma, his parents, drugs and his experience, growing up, the effect of his parents, moving out of Oklahoma?

6. A gay man, gay in the 1960s, in California, Haight- Ashbury in San Francisco, the Summer of Love, his relationships, freedoms, the effect, coming out, proud, in New York City? The experience of AIDS, its effect on his friends, deaths? Meeting Richard, in the Californian town, sharing after on-line chat rooms, work, his extraversion, Richard introversion?

7. The portrait of Richard, age, size, beard, quiet, artwork, relationship with Anado?

8. The focus on the art, particular works, the nature of the images, popular, the subjects, full of colour?

9. Colour and variety, even to the clothes that Anado and Richard wear? The mosaics, the pieces, breaking them, inserting them? The beauty of the skulls, the variety?

10. The team work, the Mexicans, families, the bonds, Anado encouraging them?

11. The New Zealand story, the transporting of the skull, the beautiful house in Queenstown, the owner, acceptance of the art work, its placement, overlooking the water?

12. Anado, his songs, lyrics, performance?

13. The past, his option to be rather than die, creative, sharing his art, relationships?