Shoulda
A woman desperate for love and a struggling alcoholic sabotage themselves by masking who they really are in a futile attempt to appeal to one another. The more they mask their true selves the more their chances at a connection dies. Finally finding themselves in an authentic moment has the promise to turn it all around. Will they rise to the challenge or is it too late?
Director’s Statement
In the last few years I have witnessed the dating culture rapidly evolve to something that felt inhumane and an unrecognisable way to build a genuine bond. I watched myself and the world around me become more anxious and this was only amplified by the new robotic human experience “online dating” revolving around more and more of a need to be “liked”. I knew this platform was a benefit for some, yet I could see the natural social and human connecting skills diminishing. The truth and vulnerable space became the last place to birth a union. I wanted to make a film to remind us that the true parts (and the most beautiful in my opinion) might not always be our favourable, yet the only real way to truly find love. Something so simple can spark a genuine interaction and in this film’s case, it could be just a pickle.
Me Too
A young vibrant, aspiring artist, who thrives on chance, puts her absolute all into auditioning to a panel of producers and a casting director for a rare opportunity for a part in a film. A moment in time to fight for this job, to prove she is talented, attractive and good enough to be noticed. Amongst the situational tension, it seems her dramatic and genuine depth of a performance may not be enough to stand out in hope of securing a role. She knows what she must do. She understands what is expected of her. What extremes must women go to for an opportunity to have an opportunity?
Director’s Statement
This film is a topic that has not only troubled me for a long time, but as a female in the arts I never felt there was an appropriate platform to discuss the incredible affects and pressures from aspects of powerful males as well as some females have on the positioning and potential of women in the arts. The amount of empathy I had for women and the issues they face each day in most industries was so high and no place to speak openly about this especially amongst male peers and industry professionals. Women have always been idealised and viewed as a sexual commodity by men and within the arts, and it had almost become an automatic obligation.
In my time as a filmmaker, employee as well as a peer I haven’t yet witnessed women to be perceived for their abilities for the majority of the time spent in a particular environment or workplace, but rather for their physical limitations, attraction and determination as to what they are willing to sacrifice to even have an “opportunity”, with still no guarantee.
This reality puts the young female generations and women of our world, the nurturers and child bearers in a position of desperation as what is a life of fear, expectation and pressure. Should we just know that these expectations are part of being born female? We know the arts is renowned for incestuous behaviour, but to know there have been success stories that stemmed from abuse, trauma and violation affects the whole lifetime and dilutes the represenation of “success”.
As a man, they may not be looked upon so much as for their physical appearance but rather what their abilities might be. In recent news, women have made a stand to say enough is enough, and have brought many horrific stories to the forefront of our attention. The fact they could only do this once it was major news and they were ‘safer in numbers’ is absurd to me. And now with all these stories and with all the information we have, I wanted to make a visual representation of what was now uncovered. A true story and example of what men in the arts must comprehend and truly empathise with so they, can be empowered and liberated to be aware, to evolve and to feel proud of what affects they have on the evolution of the industry imbalance.
With this film I really wanted to open up a short and concise platform to articulate the anguish and damage that is being done on the psychology and overall development of females in the arts world. This was an opportunity to continue these conversations.