Ebony & Ivory

“The film is a biopic about Stevie Wonder arriving at the Mull of Kintyre by rowing boat to meet Paul McCartney for an urgent vegetarian-nugget-fuelled few days to establish whether there is a deep enough connection between these two musical legends to enable a magical hit single to be produced by both men. The answer is obvious because ‘Ebony & Ivory’ was recorded and released as a global smash hit single.”

Writer and director Jim Hosking’s simple synopsis for his latest feature Ebony & Ivory makes it all seem so simple, but, as the trailer for the film, which opens tonight, makes it clear, this is no ordinary rock biopic.

For The Greasy Strangler director’s latest bonkers outing is one of the most unique films you’ll see all year. Powered along by a score from Fuck Buttons’ Andrew Hung, it’s damn-near impossible to explain why this ode to the power of marijuana, veggie food and an unlikely musical partnership, further propelled by prosthetic penises, is so completely out-there.

Hosking has built a coterie of talent he frequently works with, such as McCartney and Wonder themselves, Sky Elobar and Gil Gex.

Is this, we wonder, a conscious decision? “It’s a conscious decision because I am conscious when I make these decisions,” says Hosking, “but it really depends on the project and who knows, maybe I will switch it up big time henceforth after directing these two actors in Ebony & Ivory for since then my brain appears to be composed of the same elements that comprise the Scottish mist that enshrouds Paul’s Scottish cottage.”

And why Andrew Hung? “[He] is an incredibly versatile talented instinctive and wonderful composer who makes film scores unlike any other and so the question is not why, but why not!”

It’s a marvel that a film such as Ebony & Ivory can even get made, let alone make it to the big screen. But Hosking and co are nothing if not canny operators. “If I was trying to make it with Leonardo DiCaprio as Paul McCartney and Denzel Washington as Stevie Wonder it would be very easy to finance, but actually it was not difficult to finance because we are all consummate professionals and cut our cloth accordingly,” he says, “and so a film was born and that film is Ebony & Ivory – put your hands together people!”

The credits make for some impressive reading – the crew includes such roles as Penis Prosthetics, Wig Stylist, Sheep Costumes and Frog Construction. It must make Hosking feel particularly proud. As he concludes: ”Yes these credits make me prowl like a lion through the streets of North London all week long until I get so tired from prowling that I must spend the entire weekend receiving luxurious foot strokies from all who find themselves in my company.”

Ebony & Ivory is at UK and Irish cinemas from 19th September. Jim Nickel is doing Q&As after screenings around the country, more details here