Dustin Lance Black is opening up about his recovery from a head injury he suffered earlier this year.
While the Oscar-winning screenwriter hasn’t detailed what happened to him, he told Variety at Thursday’s premiere of “Mama’s Boy,” HBO’s new documentary adaptation of his 2019 memoir, that doctors expect a full recovery.
“What’s been really challenging is not being able to use my mind,” Black said on the carpet, which also served as the opening night film of LGBTQ film festival NewFest. “And I didn’t share it publicly until I was at a place where I was able to be a little creative again — at least for a few hours a day in the morning with breaks.”
Pointing out “the outpouring of love’ he has received, the Oscar winner reflected on how the support is helping him heal.
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“It takes a long time to come up with the next thought or word. It’s going to come back and the doctors are saying that hopefully by before Christmas, I’ll be back to Lance,” he said
Black also reflected on the opening night red carpet of NewFest.
“It’s really meaningful to know that a lot of people have been where I am and, in a way, as a writer I go, well, this is a wonderful learning experience and gives me a point of view on mental health and physical mental health,” he said. “I never really had a firsthand connection with it and now I do, so I have another thing I can write about. It’s hard. It’s not easy, but I’m here and I’m not going to miss this.”
The premiere marked Black’s first public appearance since revealing the head injury in a Sept. 26 Instagram post.
“The reason I crossed an ocean when I shouldn’t be here and doing all the press and stuff is it’s really very critical that people start to reach out and share space with people they disagree with,” he said. “It doesn’t mean either of you are going to change your minds. But can we please get back to a place where we don’t wish those who disagree with us death. That demonization has gone too far. And it’s got to stop. We got to grow up, frankly. We’re allowed to be different. We’re allowed to let our differences define us. But we have got to stop letting them divide us.”
Directed by Laurent Bouzereau, “Mama’s Boy” explores Black’s childhood in the Mormon Church, his mother’s battle with polio and breast cancer as well as his career in Hollywood and LGBTQ activism.
“We were so moved when we first saw this film. I think it very much gets to the core of what we do,” NewFest director of programming Nick McCarthy said. “What Lance has done and what Lance’s mother inspired him to do is to use your voice to speak out for everyone and to make sure that equality is at the forefront of conversation, whether it may be disabled or LGBTQ+, this story really brings full circle.”
Expressing further gratitude for attendees, Black took time to address the theater.
“It’s queer film festivals who showed the courage to share our stories when no one else gave a fucking damn if we lived or died. And it’s been a long time since I’ve been invited to one. And it’s very, very meaningful to be home again. So, thank you so much for inviting this film to be here in our sacred space — our home of cinema, queer cinema.”
“Mama’s Boy” premieres Oct. 18 on HBO.
