‘The Sessions’ Picks Up Two Independent Spirit Awards

An still from the film “The Sessions” with Helen Hunt (left) and John Hawkes. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

The Film Independent Spirit Awards, as the name suggests, honors work in independent, often small-budget films. It’s held in Santa Monica, Calif. the day before the Oscars.

This past weekend, “The Sessions” was honored with awards for John Hawkes, as Best Male Lead, and Helen Hunt as Best Supporting Female.

The film tells the real-life story of journalist Mark O’Brien who, despite spending the majority of his life in an iron lung after a childhood bout with polio, decided to lose his virginity at the age of 38 with the help of a sex surrogate.

We revisit producer Emiko Tamagawa’s conversation with Hawkes about his physically challenging role, as well as her talk with director Ben Lewin, who, like Mark O’Brien, also had polio as a child.

This piece originally aired in October 2012.

• Related: Emiko’s 2011 interview with John Hawkes about “Winter’s Bone”

Watch the trailer for “The Sessions”:

Guests:

• Ben Lewin, director/screenwriter of “The Sessions.”
• John Hawkes, stars in “The Sessions.”