Repose
Nathan Still | 2024 | 5m | Australia | Australian (Live-Action) + Micro-Short
A woman uses guided meditation to help clear her mind and escape from the dread that lurks behind her front door.
Based on a true story.
Credits
Director, Producer & Writer
Nathan Still
Producer
Natasha Frisch
Cast
Natasha Frisch
Col Mooney
Paul Douglass
Talen Winchester
Interview with producer & actor Natasha Frisch
1. What was one of the most challenging moments you faced while making Repose? Did this ‘setback’ change the direction of the final story?
Playing a character whose story was based on my own life experiences was the most challenging aspect of the project. However, I was determined to deliver a performance that was true to the script we had created and embody the emotions of the protagonist, Michelle.
2. What was the biggest inspiration behind Repose?
Early on, I shared a story of a personal relationship with Nathan and we discussed turning it into a script. As the project developed it became important to us both that I play the role of Michelle in the film.
3. What message do you want the audience to take away from Repose?
For me the most important aspect of the work is the conversations it may initiate. If only one individual sees the film and feels understood, or it prompts another person to consider their actions, then Repose has achieved what we intended.
4. How do you feel about domestic violence in Australia? Were you hesitant to explore this in a film?
Domestic violence and coercive control should have no place in relationships, and yet they are experiences that are all too familiar for many individuals. Although making a film about these issues was challenging for both Nathan and myself, we were committed to sharing this story and contributing a filmic perspective to current conversations on domestic violence.
Review
Written by Noah Montgomery
Flinders University Bachelor of Creative Arts (Screen) Student
Repose lures you in with a cold and unsettling atmosphere, and the film only grows more chilling as it creeps on. We follow Michelle, a woman keeping her distance from work, hiding away in a hotel. Yet the cinematography stalks her with tight, invasive shots. It’s uncomfortable to see her like this, but the film keeps pushing this distress onto the audience. There’s a dark, slipping psychology we explore within Michelle. The story plays in a looming, almost crawling focus of her mind, while also twisting the audience’s expectations in ways that build upon and recontextualise everything that had come before. It’s a morally confronting look into this character, and the ways we think we know her are anything but expected. A challenging perspective that lingers with you after.