Leofwine_draca THE MAN WHOSE MIND EXPLODED is a documentary that explores the life and times of Drako Oho Zaraharzar, a unique figure who spent his final years living in a tiny flat in Brighton. Zaraharzar is a truly larger than life figure: bald, covered in tattoos and with a Dali moustache, his flat is littered with homosexual pornography and his life is filled with bizarre recollections involving the rich and famous.The story is interesting insofar as Zaraharzar suffers from retrograde amnesia after being in comas for many years following various road accidents. He's like a real-life version of the guy Guy Pearce played in MEMENTO, in that his old memories are complete while he struggles to form any new ones, so each time he meets the film-maker it's a brand new experience for him.And we go from there. As with all the best documentaries, this is a study of the human condition, full of all the tragedy and triumph, the laughs and the tears, that go with it. It's a must see for anybody interested in psychology. I just wish all of the explicit homosexual content had been blurred out and certain scenes hadn't been filmed, because they'll put off a lot of potential viewers who are missing out on what is otherwise a warm-hearted and tear-jerking viewing experience.

MirandaLittle From its opening shot on Brighton's nudist beach where the filmmaker and his subject bare all from the very start, this is a brave and beautiful film. On a human level, we can all learn a lot from Drako's pure, living in the moment visions and ideologies. As filmmakers we should all respect what has been achieved here. This film has a small budget but a huge, beating heart. It feels like something iconic has been created here - visually the incredible, paper mind explosions in Drako's apartment create their own legends. The fact that they are often very sexually explicit reminders, offered the director the opportunity to create some real humour in creating subtle juxtapositions of the darker issues of Drako's existence and the lighter pornographic imagery surrounding him, quietly swaying around the ceiling above him.In terms of the film's lead character. Drako's exotic connections to Dali and Derek Jarman bestow him with a quiet legendary status and glimpses of his former existence add a deep level of humanity. That the film has chosen to deal with what Drako has become not what he was is what makes it a truly of the moment documentary. You will fall in love with Drako. This film has given him the chance to be himself without judging him, and I am really glad his life has been captured on camera like this, nipples and all.

runamokprods A singular documentary, Filmmaker Tobey Amies befriended a truly odd and unique person and decided to make a film about him; an ailing, obese man in his 70s who has dubbed himself Drako Oho Zarhazar. Drako is a colorful character who once was a handsome dancer, a sexy motorcycle kid who knew Salvador Dali, and drank and glowered and ran on the dark side. Now, heavy and bald, covered in tattoos, he wears a Dali-esque wax mustache along with tons of playful make up; a flamboyantly gay man surrounded by photos everywhere of young men with giant erections, a hoarder, and most importantly a man who has survived two serious accidents, both of which left him in a coma. Since those incidents he suffers from anterograde amnesia, leaving him with little short to mid term memory. He tells the same stories over and over. He forgets who people are, including our story-teller, he can be heartbreaking, stubborn, and embarrassing in his weird exhibitionism. And yet, as sad a character as he is, there is also something unique and joyful. Deprived of a past, he lives in the moment, each face, each exchange, each experience something new. He can get confused or depressed but in the end his attitude is one of loving each moment. He repeats a mantra over and over again. He has it tattooed into his arm: "Trust. Absolute. Unconditional". He may be impossible to 'save' or even to help much, but maybe in different ways ways so are the rest of us.To love and be accepting and kind is a lesson he gave to those who knew him. And - thanks to this rough hewn film - to us. That's not a bad legacy.

debbiejclare I can't recommend it highly enough. From the arresting opening scene to the very end there's not a moment where you're not utterly captivated. It deals with mental health issues in a sensitive yet funny way, and shines a light on sexual desire in a way I haven't seen before on film. Be prepared for lots of cocks and nipples, presented in the funniest yet moving way. Wonderful shots of Brighton, great interviews with friends, family and neighbours, and as always, exceptional direction from the legend that is Toby Amies. "Trust. Absolute. Unconditional." Pick this film, see something incredibly real. Watching it just the once probably won't be enough.