Tony Powell, a shaggy-haired star of 1970s UK futbol, disappeared from the public eye 40 years ago amid a swirl of salacious British tabloid rumors. “It was like he was wiped off the face of the earth,” says his sister; amateur sleuths declared him untraceable. Filmmakers Ramiel Petros and Nicholas Freeman found him, about to be evicted from a rundown West Hollywood motel, a gay man with a story to tell (once he has a drink or three).
Tony’s story delivers a rollercoaster of reactions. To his L.A. friends, he’s a loyal protector. To those he abandoned, he’s a stranger wrapped in mystery. Though Tony proves to be a tough nut to crack at times, The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel — an energetically edited documentary with a cheeky, sometimes dark sense of humor — turns out to be an unexpectedly emotional story of family reconciliation and a sharp portrait of the cost of homophobia on our gay elders.Playing as part of this year’s Frameline50.
Click here to look through Vogue’s program in the fest from Monday, June 22 and Monday, June 25.