DOCUMENTARY FILM
THE SHAPE OF GUY
Spurred by the trials of advancing age and a possible Alzheimer's diagnosis, seventy-one-year-old Guy Kettelhack reflects on the experiences that have shaped him into an inimitable artist whose whimsical drawings provide a window into his interior life.
PROJECT OVERVIEW & CONTRIBUTIONS
Project: The Shape of Guy
Role: Director & Producer
Subject: Guy Kettelhack
Production Company: Due South Media
Format: Short Documentary (10 min)
Additional Roles
Cinematographer
Editor
Colorist
Titles & Graphics Supervisor
Music Supervisor
Re-Recording Mixer
Location Mixer
The Shape of Guy is an intimate portrait of East Village artist and poet Guy Kettelhack, a seventy-one-year-old creative whose whimsical drawings reveal a world of joy, memory, and resilience. As he faces the possibility of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, the film captures his artistry, his wit, and his spirit in a moment where both legacy and mortality are at stake.
The Challenge
There is a disappearing generation of LGBTQ+ elders whose stories risk being lost. Without children or grandchildren to pass them down, these histories will vanish unless they are captured. As a filmmaker approaching fifty myself, I felt an urgency to preserve these voices. With The Shape of Guy, the challenge was to not only document Guy’s story but also to convey the larger cultural weight of what it means to age, to forget, and to leave behind a body of work.
The Process
Filmed over several months in New York from 2022 into 2023, the project combined:
Verité footage of Guy in his East Village home and studio.
Archival materials from Guy’s personal collection and from New York in the 1950s–80s.
Intimate interviews with Guy, blending his reflections with imagery of his daily rituals of drawing and painting.
Visual style inspired by Roger Deakins (Revolutionary Road) and Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life), shot with natural light and softened through Pro Mist filters to echo the hazy contours of memory.
The result is a film that feels as whimsical and ephemeral as the art at its center—dreamlike, yet deeply grounded in lived experience.
The Impact
The Shape of Guy explores universal themes of creativity, aging, autonomy, and memory through the lens of one man’s life. The film is designed to resonate with:
The Queer community, especially younger audiences learning from elders.
Those living with Alzheimer’s and their families, caregivers, and medical professionals.
Artists and art lovers interested in Guy’s whimsical, deeply personal world.
The film is also intended for special screenings paired with gallery-style exhibitions of Guy’s art, creating a dialogue between the work on screen and the work on paper.
Reflection
The Shape of Guy is more than a short documentary — it is a preservation of spirit. Guy’s story embodies both the fragility and resilience of human memory. For me, the project stands as an urgent reminder of the stories we must save, and a testament to the power of art to outlast even the most profound uncertainties of aging and illness.
DOCUMENTARY SERIES
“Blue Souls, Red States grew out of a simple question. What does politics actually look like where people live?
This project is about listening inside communities that are usually reduced to headlines, polling, or talking points. I am reporting from the local level, speaking directly with voters, candidates, and neighbors about how politics intersects with family, faith, work, and identity. The goal is not persuasion. The goal is understanding.”
Gary Hilborn
President, Due South Media
BLUE SOULS
RED STATES
PROJECT OVERVIEW & CONTRIBUTIONS
Client: Due South Media
Creator: Gary Hilborn
Format: Podcast & Documentary
Roles: Reporter, Producer, Host
Project Status: In development and early reporting for mid 2026 launch
Blue Souls, Red States is a multi-platform documentary project examining local and midterm elections in Republican-held districts ahead of the 2026 cycle. The project centers on voters, candidates, and community members navigating political division at the local level, with an emphasis on listening, context, and lived experience rather than punditry.
I am developing the project from the ground up, leading reporting, editorial direction, and production across audio, video, and written formats.
Editorial Direction & Reporting
Reporting on contested and closely watched local races in Republican-held districts
Conducting long-form interviews with voters, candidates, organizers, and community members
Shaping an editorial approach grounded in journalism, ethics, and non-advocacy reporting
Prioritizing firsthand accounts over commentary or political analysis
Podcast & Audio Development
Developing a narrative podcast series built from field interviews and reported audio
Designing episode structure, pacing, and tone for clarity and accessibility
Preparing production workflows for remote and on-location recording
Planning public distribution on major podcast platforms
Video & Written Storytelling
Developing short documentary video pieces for digital release
Producing written essays and reported features to accompany audio and video work
Creating modular stories that can stand alone while contributing to a larger body of reporting
Distribution & Public Access
Planned release across podcast platforms, digital video channels, and the project website
Public-facing work designed for audiences, educators, journalists, and civic organizations
Long-term goal of building an accessible archive of local political stories
Impact
Blue Souls, Red States documents political life at the ground level, where outcomes are close and consequences are personal. The project creates space for people to explain how politics intersects with family, faith, work, and identity, offering a deeper understanding of how democracy functions inside divided communities.
Let’s Work Together
Email: gary@duesouthmedia.co
Phone: +1 347.693.4121
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/garyhilborn