Five Questions With... Finn O'Hara, Director of I LOVE YOUR F*CKING NAME

In the short documentary I LOVE YOUR F*CKING NAME, people discuss the trials and joys they have experienced because of their unusual or famous names.

We spoke with director Finn O'Hara about the film and what's in a name. Read more, and see the film in shorts block "It's All True," playing Thursday, June 21 at 9am!

FINN O'HARA

NFF: How did you find all of the subjects? 

FINN: I started with a Craigslist ad as I wanted the casting process to be an unexpected exercise. I thought that if people saw the ad, or heard about it, they’d be drawn into the conversation I was looking to have about the complex relationship they had with their given name. If it piqued their interest, I knew I’d have an engaged participant.

NFF: Can you talk a little about your inspiration, and/or why you wanted to share these stories? 

FINN: Growing up in the rural country meant that my super Irish name marked me as being different. I didn’t want to be different, and I just wanted to fit in. I always had to explain my name, and I stored up a handful of responses to the same questions about my name that would help diffuse the attention my name brought me. I was shy, and didn’t like the attention that my name brought to me in social situations. I hated my name, and tried my best to hide it. But it was in University, in another town, that my name was actually well received. Random people would actually come up to me and say “Hey, I love your fucking name”, and it really took me by surprise. At that time in my life, I began to discover who I was and began to like myself. My name actually helped mark me as being different and it made me who I am.

So fast forward to a few years back when I realized that many people have gone though the same paths as me with their names, and I saw it as a way to explore how people grow with what they have, and love who they are.

NFF: Have you struggled at all with your own name? Or do you f*ing love your name?

FINN: See above! And oh yes, I love my fucking name.

NFF: Any particular challenges or surprises that came up during shooting?

FINN: We were really surprised by the level of sincerity and openness that our subjects gave me during their interview. It was the first time I had met all of them, and our conversations were candid and inspiring. 

Oh, and that Peter Pan actually dressed as Peter Pan for Halloween. That kept us in stitches for a while.

NFF: Why are you excited to screen in Nantucket, and/or what do you hope Nantucket audiences might relate to or takeaway from the film?

FINN: I’m hoping that the Nantucket audiences take away from my film the fact that most of us share a common journey about personal acceptance and our unique space in the world. Some just have a steeper pitch to climb along that journey, and we can all learn through this film’s light hearted, empathetic conversation.

Oh, and if you’re going to have kids, spend a bit of time before you name your child. Say the whole name out loud, ask your friends, Google it. Do your homework and dodge a lifetime of regret.