Staking his claim in a rich screen history that no filmmaker ever sets out to be a part of — nonfiction features about movies that went wildly awry — acclaimed director Peter Medak (“The Ruling Class”) digs deep into his own psyche while unearthing long-buried archival materials. He seeks closure on how his Columbia Pictures 17th-century-set pirate comedy “Ghost in the Noonday Sun” sank almost without a trace in 1973 despite — and/or because of — its mercurial-genius star Peter Sellers, personally exchanging candid and cathartic accounts of the shoot with key participants.
Four decades on, Medak retraces his steps in sun-baked Cyprus, where Sellers acted out and up again and again; the latter’s best mate Spike Milligan added to the creative ferment and chaos and shooting on the water swamped logistics. Haunting the director still is his deep compassion for the legendary Sellers, who would be gone forever a few years after filming.
Available on VOD June 23rd
