CYRIL
By Mark Clayton Southers
Directed by Andrew Paul
A Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company Production
World-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht plays himself in this film, offering detailed and contrarian insights on some of America’s most brutal and provocative cases, as he’s interviewed for a documentary. As he presents his often-controversial views on cases ranging from the JFK assassination to the OJ Simpson case to JonBenet Ramsey’s murder, it’s the morning after George Floyd’s murder, and behind the camera, long-standing disagreements between the conservative white interviewer and liberal Black cameraman threaten to boil over.
Our production of Cyril is a world premiere full-length feature film, with a cast that includes world-renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht as himself.
Starring:
Dr. Cyril Wecht, M.D., J.D.
David Whalen
Sam Lothard
Featuring:
Susie McGregor-Laine, Jenny Malarkey & Cherrita Southers
Filmed and Edited by:
P.J. Gaynard / Goat Milk Fudge Productions
Press coverage: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
A note from director Andrew Paul
CYRIL is a rather unique film. It is a docudrama about the great forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht but it is also so much more. Around Dr. Wecht’s amazing insights and testimony about the JFK assassination, the JonBenet Ramsay murder, the O.J. Simpson trial, and others writer Mark Clayton Southers has crafted a drama that captures the frustration and anger that fuels the Black Lives Matter movement. Set on the day after the George Floyd murder, the film juxtaposes a white interviewer and black cameraman on opposite ends of the political spectrum. They are here to interview Dr. Wecht for a new forensics television network series and tensions run high.
The amazing Dr. Wecht plays himself amidst a cast of seasoned professional actors. Shot during a pandemic by cinematographer P.J. Gaynard and myself in just two weeks and in just two locations, CYRIL is guerrilla film-making at its best and a true labor of love.
