Made in collaboration with musicians Marseille Figs. In a St Louis barroom in 1895 'Stag' Lee Shelton, notorious cock-eyed pimp and badass, shot Billy Lyons after he stole his Stetson Hat. The story passed into folklore and today, 110 years later, over 200 versions of the song have been recorded.

Stagger Lee sadly remains unfinished at present, though I have every intention of completing it when I am able. The film works one level as a thriller, as we watch Billy Lyons drawn to his inevitable death. But it is also a film about stories - and how real events are shaped into folklore. The legend exploits the facts according to the need of the storyteller and his audience.

Commonwealth Film Festival Manchester UK 06
Nemo, France 2007