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New film screening today, chronicles North Fork man

GIANNA VOLPE PHOTO | Greenport native Harry Biechele, the subject of the “Harry Hellfire” documentary film premiering in Sag Harbor Sunday afternoon.

After six years of documenting Harry Biechele’s life through a series of complicated living situations, director Jim Morrison paints a portrait of his childhood friend, their continuing relationship and their shared passion for heavy metal music in a documentary film premiering this weekend.

“I changed the face of music in Greenport as we know it,” Mr. Biechele said of his influence on the growth of heavy metal music in Greenport during the 1980s. “And you can quote me on that.”

The 42-year-old native Greenporter is the subject of “Harry Hellfire,” which will be aired as part of the 5th annual Hamptons Take Two Film Festival in Sag Harbor Sunday afternoon. The festival includes other films with North Fork roots, including “Long May You Shine” about the restoration of Greenport’s Bug Lighthouse.

For six years, Mr. Morrison followed Mr. Biechele’s life of musical passion, frustration, pain, personal loss, drugs, alcohol and even a problem with chocolate.

“I’ve definitely cleaned up and being allergic to just about everything on the planet helped,” Mr. Biechele said. “I’m especially allergic to chocolate. After Halloween, I broke out all over the place.”

As “Harry Hellfire,” he wasn’t afraid to go trick-or-treating despite his age.

“I take my light saber, put on crazy-ass make-up, my cloak and robe and go out and scare the crap out of kids,” he said. “I love doing it. It’s not even a matter of the candy, it’s about going out and having fun.”

Local reactions to Mr. Biechele are also documented in “Harry Hellfire,” with one woman describing him as not just the “class clown” type, but another species altogether.

The film will be shown at the Bay Street Theatre at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. A question and answer session will follow.