with GUIDO SANTI AND TINA MASCARA (CHRIS & DON. A LOVE STORY)

When Christopher Isherwood, the author responsible for creating the iconic 'Sally Bowles' character in Cabaret, met Don Bachardy on a Santa Monica beach in the 50s, a rare, unlikely, and enviable relationship began. Directors Guido Santi and Tina Mascara thoughtfully weave Bachardy's remembrances with photos and film of the couple and their many luminous friends, as well as Bachardy's own intensely brilliant drawings and paintings. What emerges is the story of two very remarkable men, the love they shared, and how the memory of it clearly endures for Bachardy.

Why were you drawn to tell the story of this relationship? We have known Don for a few years and got fascinated by his enduring love for Christopher Isherwood. Not only does he speak a lot about Chris and their life together, but over time Don has become very much like Isherwood himself. He has adopted his English accent, his posture and sense of humor. So, we started asking him questions and got intrigued by the story of this very young man, 18 years of age, who in the 1950 meets a famous British writer, on the beach in Santa Monica. Chris was 49, more than 30 years older than Don. And they fall in love. We found this intriguing, original and also a little dangerous -- if you consider that Don at 18 looked much younger than his age. Some people even thought they were father and son.

Having directed the film and knowing what you know now was Liza Minnelli really too good to be 'Sally Bowles'? From Isherwood's point of view, Liza Minnelli was certainly too good to play the character of 'Sally Bowles,' who in real life, was only an amateur performer and not a talented singer like in Cabaret. It is the point of view of a writer who doesn't want to be rewritten or reinterpreted. But this is something that happens frequently to authors whose work is adapted to the screen. Things often change. Personally, we love both versions of 'Sally Bowles,' the one in the novel, "The Berlin Stories," and the one immortalized by Liza Minnelli in Cabaret.

What is the best thing about having your film at AFI FEST? One of the best things is seeing our movie projected on the same screen where we saw Lust, Caution play last week. We loved it, but all throughout the movie, we kept thinking about our screening--how would it be to see it projected on such a large screen! Most of all, we are happy to participate in a great film festival in the city where we reside, which is also Don and Chris' home town. The fact that there is also a film market connected to the festival is a big advantage.

In your personal dealings with Don, did you find him to be an "unconscious impersonator?" Not in our personal dealings with him, but we feel that when he paints, Don certainly becomes an "unconscious impersonator." Don always wanted to be an actor, a movie star, and painting has become his way of "acting" or "interpreting" the part of the sitter who sits in front of him. For this reason, we believe that his portraits are never flattering and always incredibly honest, simply because Don doesn't just play the part, but he has to become the character he plays.

There are a vast number of notable "names" that circulated in Chris and Don's social circle (among them Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, Igor Stravinski, E.M. Forster and Somerset Maugham). Were there some you just couldn't fit into the documentary because of time constraints? Yes, there were many. We had great stories about Greta Garbo, Ginger Rogers, Alice Faye and Audrey Hepburn. Chris and Don knew everyone and everyone knew them. They were like a magnet. Not only that, but they also became iconic figures to the emerging gay community of the 1970s. Yes, I think we have enough material for another documentary.

How did the directing dynamic work between the two of you? Our next film will be signed Santi Mascara, no first names anymore. We have joked about this because we did work so well together. Guido and I compliment each other in so many ways. When the work takes over, it is not about the egos, the names or the money. It is just about doing our best and loving it, loving the process and becoming the process itself. We trust our instincts and we trust each other.

What recent documentaries have made an impact on you? We thought Iraq in Fragments was beautifully made, and poetic. It is the only documentary we have seen on Iraq that talks about the war without really "talking" about it. It just records it from a distance, through the eyes and lives of unlikely protagonists. It is purely visual and cinematic. We also loved two recent documentaries by Werner Herzog, Grizzly Man and Encounters at the End of the World. We really like his "persona" and we admire him as a filmmaker.

In your personal opinion, how wonderful would it be if one day working as an extra could cure everyone of the desire to be a star? It worked on Don Bachardy; it could work for many other people.

Since he seems to document every aspect of his life slavishly, did Don do any sketches of you (or the crew members) while you were filming him? He did several portraits of us during the filming process. Or should we say, "unconsciously impersonated" us? It was a fascinating experience, and also very intense because Don requires your utmost attention and concentration when he does a portrait. It is a collaborative process, something that the painter and the sitter have to do together in order to be successful. Very much the same process we went through while filming Don. Without his complete participation, we would not have been able to make CHRIS & DON as emotional as it is.

Popcorn or candy? Popcorn for both of us.

DVD EXTRA: Now that there is new context to the phrase "going out mousing," do you look at your cat a little differently? Not so much the cat, but we look differently at the mice!