Sarah Watt’s short films and more recently her debut feature ‘Look Both Ways’ have been important influences on the development of my own short film. This year at MIFF I saw for the first time her collection of short films. They made a very strong impression on me and I was able to see parallels with my own work. It was a turning point for me because I hadn’t seen any other short films that told the types of stories I was interested in telling.
In some ways it was a relief because the feedback that I’ve had about my own short film has been based on conventional scripting principles. I’ve been advised not to tell the audience what my characters are thinking but to show their internal world through action. However, in Sarah Watt’s film she uses internal dialogue to great effect to reflect the internal realm of her characters. It was reassuring to see that some of my ideas, that some people haven’t been convinced by, can work beautifully on screen. In my short film I’m using hand drawn black and white animation to play out the internal world of my protagonist. It is through these animated sequences that the audience pieces together her past. My protagonist past is the source of her fear and is what drives her actions.
There have been a number of Australian films released this year amongst them The Oyster Farmer, Little Fish, The Proposition and Look Both Ways. All of the films have seen a number of excellent reviews from critics but it was Look Both Ways that really struck a chord with me. It is by far the best Australian film I’ve seen in recent years. Set over a single weekend, Watts skilfully threads her narrative strands together as the lives of her characters intertwine. She combines live action drama with hand drawn animation and voice compositions to reflect the internal psychology of her characters. She explores themes related to today’s climate of fear but combines this with wit and humour to keep it grounded in the reality of ordinary lives of her characters.
The film has a website Look Both Ways website and the Look Both Ways blog is an interesting read with posts from Sarah Watt, William Mcinnes, Barbara Masel, Bridget Ikin. Sarah Watt will be on the director’s panel for the WIFT Director’s Forum later this month. I’d love to meet her to tell her how inspiring I’ve found her work. You never know, perhaps I’ll have an opportunity at the forum.
