'Club Kid' filmmaker Jordan Firstman drew on his own 'delayed coming-of-age' : NPR

Key Points:

• Jordan Firstman, a filmmaker and actor, drew from his intense experiences in the Berlin club scene to create his film Club Kid, which explores the life of a gay club promoter confronting unexpected fatherhood amid a destructive lifestyle.
• Club Kid, which won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes, portrays both the highs and lows of club culture, highlighting themes of community, risk, and survival within the queer underground scene.
• Firstman aimed to evoke a nostalgic '70s New York aesthetic by filming in locations like Chinatown and the Lower East Side, using real club kids to authentically capture the atmosphere of the city's rave scene.
• Reflecting on his personal journey, Firstman shared how he led an independent life as a teenager sneaking into New York City and how his experiences shaped his creative work, including his HBO comedy series I Love LA.
• Recently becoming a biological father through sperm donation, Firstman describes this new role as an "Uncle-Daddy," coinciding with the completion of Club Kid and the premiere of his HBO series, marking a transformative period in his life.