Sundance film 'Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns' about love and guns, filmmaker explains (VIDEO)

The first film bought at Sundance was a quirky, 95-second short that depicts a loving couple tied together by their guns.

The title, “Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns,” is self explanatory. It’s about a couple, Tim and Susan, who have matching handguns. Susan chose a full-size Smith & Wesson M&P pistol because it fit her hand best and just in case they needed to swap magazines, Tim followed suit.

The film was bought by Oscilloscope Laboratories because they thought it was “completely unique and very entertaining,” among other things, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

Like many folks, Guns.com was thrown off when we first saw the film because there are numerous ways to interpret it, so we reached out to the film’s creator, Joe Callander, to find out more.

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Daniel Terrill: What’s the story behind Tim and Susan?

Joe Callander: Tim and Susan are actually characters in a feature-length documentary film I wrapped on a few days before departing for Sundance. I loved the scene with their matching handguns, but it did not fit into the larger narrative, so I cut it as a stand alone film and Sundance liked it enough to play it.

DT: What’s the message of your movie? Does it have a political message? Or is it a look at gun culture?

JC: I see the film as a love story. I’m sure others will see it different ways. It’s more or less a mirror. The viewer walks away with a confirmation of the beliefs he walked in with. If you have a problem with guns, you’ll probably have a problem with matching handguns. If you don’t have a problem with guns, you’ll probably just get a chuckle out of the film. I like the idea of creating films that people on opposite sides of an issue can both enjoy for completely different reasons. It’s one thing we can agree on, at least. It’s a start.

DT: How was the response at Sundance?

JC: The film got a few good laughs at Sundance. It was in a pretty thematically heavy program with a lot of 12 to 17 minute shorts, so I think Tim and Susan served as a moment of levity in the program.

DT: What’s the future of the project?

JC: The feature documentary with Tim and Susan in it has been accepted into a major festival this spring. But the official announcement hasn’t been made yet, so I can’t say which one just yet. “Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns” will most likely go on a festival run for the next year and then retire to live out its days on the Oscilloscope Labs iTunes page, where it’s currently for sale for $2.99.

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Thanks to Joe for taking the time to talk to Guns.com. To see more of Callander’s work, check out his IMDB page.

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