Lil Nas X was relatively unfazed by a bomb threat at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday (September 9). Long Live Montero co-director Carlos López Estrada recalled the rapper/singer’s reaction to a homophobic caller disrupting the documentary’s premiere in a chat with Indiewire.
“We got to experience in five minutes what the life of Montero is like,” Estrada said. “And at the base of it all, it was this really awful, just horrific thing that you would have someone who disagrees with your worldview … They want to threaten your safety and make you feel scared for your life. That’s like the most horrible thing that a human can do to another. But you look past that and then Montero has this sort of amazing irreverence to him of just being like, ‘Yeah, but how rockstar is that?’”
Estrada marveled at Lil Nas X’s ability to navigate the hectic day at TIFF. The documentary provided inspiration for the pop star, who still managed to hit the studio after the festivities.
“He said he felt inspired and he booked his studio and he went to record,’” Estrada told Indiewire. “This was at 2:00 a.m. and I was just like, ‘What better token of appreciation can we get from our subject, from the coolest artist in the world to say that you made a movie about me. We premiered it together. We did a Q&A. And his reaction to it is, ‘I’m inspired. I’m going to go create more.’ It is like, ‘Oh, we’re good. Whatever happens to the movie next is not up to us. But that’s incredible.’”
Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero is scheduled to be released later this year. The documentary explores his first global tour.