Award winning director brings James Bond to Shropshire
The director of a new film charting some of the trials and tribulations as well as the positives of being named James Bond has told a Shropshire audience that the key to the film in not a Mr but a Ms Bond.
Award winning film maker, Matt Bauer agreed to bring his film, The Other Fellow, to the Kinoculture Cinema in Oswestry, after meeting Oswestry's very own James Bond at the London premier.
The retired radio presenter is part of the Oswestry Film Society that puts two films a month on at the cinema in Arthur Street.
He said the film had been 10 years in the making and explained just how difficult it had been to track down those who went on to appear in The Other Fellow.
"If you look on line you realise just how many people in the world are called James Bond," he said.
"And it is no use looking on Facebook because if a James Bond tried to set up a page in his own name it is refused."
The film looks deep into the lives to those called James Bond and how the 007 tag has affected them.
They include a family of James Bonds, a prisoner, an English James Bond who has changed his name, a Swedish man who changed his name to Bond James Bond and hopes it will help him track down his father and others.
But he said the real star of the film is not a man but a woman.
"When I spoke to her I realised she had a real special something and an incredible story to tell," he said.
Oswestry's James Bond, joked that he was disappointed that Matt had not tracked him down.
He said he has always loved his name, given to him before 007 was made into films.
He also revealed that there was a second James Bond living in Oswestry, something he only discovered when a parcel arrived at his house addressed simply, James Bond, Oswestry.
"Unlike me, he doesn't like his name and goes by Jim," he said.
"I'm really chuffed that the latest instalment of my lucky name syndrome has led to being able to bring this film to Shropshire for our own special launch," he said.
