JUST A BOY

As with most documentaries, the story found me rather than the other way around. My sister first introduced me to Sam when she sent me his video Silly Billy on TikTok last year, and I immediately knew I wanted to work with him. The topics he often addresses in his work: manhood, mental health, the online world, loneliness – are things I share a mutual interest in. 

Sam’s work is confronting, without being disparaging. I felt like he was cutting through in a genuinely meaningful way and I was really excited to follow along with his journey in any way I could. I stumbled upon him at a pivotal part of his career. At our first meeting, over a cup of tea in the Soho Theatre café, I discovered he’d been performing for only six months, and his audience was growing at an incredible pace. This is the first in a hopefully long-running creative partnership between myself and Sam.