A Cover Story [Peter Ouzounov, UK, 2019]

A short film from director Peter Ouzounov, A Cover Story tells the story of two men and two egos that clash. Andy is a music journalist who’s desperate to keep his relevance and write another cover story, Moon is the self-centred musician he’s interviewing. Soon, their egos get out of control and the interview goes off the rails.

It is a dialogue heavy piece as the film is mostly made up of Andy’s ill-fated attempt to interview Moon. For the most part, the dialogue is strong and effectively establishes both characters. The actors are also solid; in particular, Travis Booth-Millard gives a memorable performance as the arrogant and slightly unhinged Moon. The film also effectively captures how awkward and artificial the interview process can be for both the interviewer and interviewee.

The central theme of A Cover Story, that of ego, is well worn ground in cinema but the film does put its own spin on it through the characters. While Moon is a more classical example of ego, being talented but also conceited, Andy is a more mundane depiction, being not quite as talented as he believes himself to be.

A Cover Story is an interesting exploration of a theme with some strong performances.

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‘A Cover Story’ was a film in consideration for Short Focus Film Festival 2019.