Flickerfest 2019 - Black Lips
A lonely abalone trader is awakened by a longing he’s never explored before.
Interview with Writer/Director Adrian Chiarella and Producer Rebecca Janek
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
ADRIAN: I wanted to explore themes of masculinity from two very different cultural viewpoints. I've also gotten to know a lot of incredible, creative people over the years and I've been looking for the right project to work on with them.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
REBECCA: It's a beautiful film about desire told from two very different perspectives and it showcases NSW in a way not often explored on screen.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
ADRIAN: The story is about two men with very unique expectations of masculinity who spark a brief moment of connection. I think there's something both deeply personal and universal in that.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
REBECCA: Adrian wrote the first draft of the script in 2015. And he put it aside for a while in between, revisiting it in 2017. Just that bit of distance clarified a few story and character points. I think it was great for both of us to pick it up with a fresh set of eyes and think about what elements were really important in the story, what are we really trying to say, and how can we best focus on those things.
ADRIAN: The story also grew through the collaboration of our whole cast and crew, along with feedback from lots of advisors and people we trust. My background is in editing, so for me a film never stops evolving – you just run out of time to keep working on it!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
REBECCA: The response has been unbelievably encouraging. Audiences seem to really respond to the themes in the film. And we've had a fantastic response at festivals around the world.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
ADRIAN: The best thing about travelling to different festivals around the world with a film like this is that everyone's emotional response is different. The film's message is emotional rather than direct, so audiences of various backgrounds and identities all take away something unique.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
REBECCA: It's a great opportunity to spread the word about the film and give audiences a bit of an insight into our vision for the film and what we're doing next.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
REBECCA: It's just about getting the film out there at this stage. Festival Directors are massively helpful in that regard. And up until this point, we've been self distributing. We're just at the beginning of our second year of festivals and there are a few big ones that we're going for. Beyond that, we'll be looking at the film's life online.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
ADRIAN: We'd just love lots of people to see it! It's finally playing in Sydney (where we shot the film) at Flickerfest so I'm excited about the response from a local audience.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
REBECCA: Adrian and I are working on another short film that we'll be shooting in the first half of this year. And in addition to that, we're developing a feature film set in regional NSW and we're working out a proof of concept for this feature.
Interview: January 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Black Lips
A lonely abalone trader is awakened by a longing he’s never explored before.
Length: 14:40
Director: Adrian Chiarella
Producer: Rebecca Janek
Writer: Adrian Chiarella
Key cast: Jason Chong, Adam Marks
Looking for: Film Festival Directors, Journalists
Instagram: @blacklips.film
Funders: Create NSW & SBS
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Flickerfest (Sat 19 Jan @ 6:45pm) & Queer Screen, My Queer Career (Mon 18 Feb @ 7pm)