Exclusive Interview: A chat with Paul Oremland to discuss ‘Mysterious Ways’
Mysterious Ways is an indie film directed and co-written by British-born New Zealand resident, Paul Oremland. It’s the story of Peter (Richard Short), a British expat vicar who, after his wife passes, falls in love with a Samoan man, Jason (Nick Afoa). As a vicar, the church is instrumental in Peter’s life and he wants to celebrate his love and his relationship with his church community. Peter is on a quest to marry Jason in the church, which doesn’t go over well with the church at all.
Domestic and international media pick up the story and suddenly Peter and Jason’s lives are shrouded in turmoil and conflict. Peter wants to use his platform and the newfound public interest in their relationship to advocate for change within the church structure, and Jason just wants to go about their lives quietly, without all the public attention.
Q+ Magazine sat down with director and co-writer Paul Oremland recently on his travels throughout the world promoting the release of Mysterious Ways. He talks passionately about the film and describes it as a real labor of love with a next-to-nothing budget. The characters within the film are based on people that Oremland has encountered throughout the journey of his own life, and the religious roots of the story are close to his heart.
Raised in a religious household, with devout religious parents himself, Paul Oremland nearly went off to become a vicar himself. Instead, he now uses filmmaking to spotlight conflicts between the church and the queer community, with the hope of bringing about change in the future.
Throughout our chat, Paul Oremland discusses the current state of political affairs for the queer community globally, and talks about how these issues seep into the overall story of Mysterious Ways.
You can stream Mysterious Ways by renting or purchasing on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu, depending on region. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Paul Oremland. IMDb
