Holding the Man was published as a memoir by Timothy Connigrave in 1995, just months after he died from an AIDS-related illness. The best-selling book went on to become a stage play before director Neil Armfield turned this great Australian love story into a movie.
Writer and activist Tim Conigrave began a relationship with the captain of his school's football team, John Caleo, at Melbourne's Xavier College in 1976.
It was the beginning of a 15-year relationship. When Caleo died of an AIDS-related illness, Conigrave turned his grief into words and wrote a memoir of their love story. That book, Holding the Man, became a rite-of-passage for many people searching for their gay identity.
One of those was to go on to become the film's director, Neil Armfield.
"I was able to tell Tim's story by being able to identify so much. Tim's backyard, Tim's experiences at school, the clothes he was wearing, the music he was listening to are all things that I went through," said Armfield.
"There is a great irony in the fact that the marriage equality debate is happening at this moment. Tim and John lived this debate 20 years before we were having it in Australia."
The movie's release just happens to come as the issue of same sex marriage dominates the political agenda.
"There is a great irony in the fact that the marriage equality debate is happening at this moment, said Neil Armfield. Tim and John lived this debate 20 years before we were having it in Australia."
Ryan Corr, the actor who plays Conigrave in the movie is hoping that the movie will resonate in the way that the novel did.
"Hopefully this film can continue Tim's legacy in the way that the book did and the play did and we often like to think that Tim is smiling now that his film is in cinemas across Australia and his political activism, his message and the story of their love is continuing now," he said.
Holding the Man opens in Australian cinemas on August 27.
