For the Love of God (2007 film)
| For the Love of God | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joe Tucker |
| Screenplay by | Joe Tucker & Raphael Warner |
| Produced by | Raphael Warner |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Liam Iandoli |
| Edited by | Miikka Leskinen |
| Music by | Miguel D'Oliveira |
| Animation by | Joe Tucker |
Production companies | National Film & Television School |
Release date |
|
Running time | 11 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
For the Love of God is a 2007 short animation starring Steve Coogan and Ian McKellen, directed by Joe Tucker, and produced at the National Film & Television School.[1]
Since creating the film, Joe Tucker has gone on to direct another three short films, and is also a writer for television.[2]
Plot
The film tells the story of Graham, a balding man living under the glare of his overbearing mother and their pet talking jackdaw in their home and Christian bookshop.[3]
Graham orders a blow-up doll, which explodes to form a mural of God on his ceiling.[2] With the encouragement of his pet jackdaw, he calls a sex line and tells them he wants to have sex with God, after which they hang up. Graham then gets squashed by a bookshelf, and wakes up in heaven. God looks like his mother.
Cast
- Steve Coogan as Graham (voice)[3][4]
- Ian McKellen as the jackdaw[2][3]
- Julia Davis[4]
Production
The film was put together as a graduation project at the National Film and Television School.[4] It was inspired by media coverage of celebrity sex tapes.[2]
The film was shot over three months.[5] It took a long time, as it is shot cinematically, rather than with a static camera as is more traditional in stop-motion films.
Awards and reception
In 2007, it was the only British film in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival.[5][6][4] It was in the Cinéfondation section, reserved for film school students.
The film won a number of international awards including a Silver Hugo at Chicago International Film Festival and Best Animation at Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Rhode Island International Film Festival.[7]
References
- ^ "For the Love of God (2007) - IMDb". Archived from the original on 2019-09-07. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
- ^ a b c d Munday, Rob. "For the Love of God by Joe Tucker | Short Film". Short of the Week. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- ^ a b c "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD". Cinéma de Demain. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- ^ a b c d Pulver, Andrew (2007-05-21). "Steve Coogan, top troll". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-20.
- ^ a b "BBC NEWS | Entertainment | UK animators eye Cannes success". Archived from the original on 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
- ^ Cannes graduate hailed as the next big thing | The Times
- ^ For the Love of God – Awards – IMDb
External links