Fionn Whitehead stars alongside Leyna Bloom in Port Authority, a romantic drama set in New York City. Whitehead’s character, Paul, moves to the city for a new start and quickly finds himself attracted to the mysterious Wye (Bloom), who is part of the city’s ballroom scene.
RELATED: Interview: Fionn Whitehead on Port Authority’s Script, Working With Leyna Bloom
ComingSoon spoke to Whitehead about the film’s depiction of the NYC ballroom scene, which was quite personal for Bloom, and Whitehead found it inspirational.
“I knew very little about the ballroom scene before I read the [Port Authority] script and then obviously as we filmed and prepped and I got to chat with everyone, I kind of got to know more and more,” Whitehead told ComingSoon. “I think the main thing that struck me is how loving the people within the ballroom scene. Like you said they are their family and they really take each other in. They’re super protective and super loyal and super welcoming once you are kind of in. The expressiveness of voguing and the whole scene is just something which I think that people can really look up to and aspire to because it’s so beautiful and freeing, and it goes against so much of what we get hit with every day [and] all this sort of repressive stuff that is in the mainstream media.
“We’re encouraged to feel from a very young age to repress our feelings, our emotions, and a true kind of sense of self. I was just felt incredibly lucky to be able to get a glimpse into that community and to talk with people. It was like looking through a window and to be welcomed by all those people who are super talented and super lovely.”
Port Authority is available now on demand and digitally everywhere you rent movies.
