Director’s Statement

Wesley was born of my strife as a writer to finish a project for the life of me, I couldn’t. The script went through a series of title changes: Game Boy, House, Desk, before arriving at Wesley Loses His Penis. I was living at home during the lockdown and my mental health was at an all time low.

Naturally I got further into spirituality and Eastern philosophy, and I kept coming across this idea of ‘starting again.’ It’s the idea that any past unholy deeds you’ve committed don’t need to define who you are as this version of yourself; it’s why Catholics confess, Buddhists meditate, and writers drink. 

Because I didn’t have a burning desire to become an alcoholic, I developed a practice of self-forgiveness and as I did my mental health improved. The process was fairly all-consuming, and they say to write about what you know, so I wrote about this. Wesley’s arc toward self-forgiveness mirrors mine, the small difference being his penis is taken away from him by a supernatural ram and (thankfully) that’s never happened to me. 

—Brennan McGee
Writer & Director, Wesley Loses His Penis