Melbourne Underground Film Festival / Melbourne Women in Film Festival - Divine Intervention
Kiki is sent to a cult-like rehab centre by her highly strung mother, where she maintains a too-cool disposition despite her increasingly questionable surroundings.
Interview with Writer/Director Laura McKenzie
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you!! Because I was itching to! I was in my University summer break, where I’d been studying film writing/production. I desperately wanted to get a film under my belt and put the things I was learning into practice, but was done with trying to create work within the strict restrictions of assignments. I was happy with the foundations of the script I had done for university, and had received great feedback from fellow students and generous industry members, which shaped it into its final version. Having met a bunch of very talented people throughout my studies, and with a summer full of work shifts ahead I knew I had the resources at hand. The idea was vivid in my head; the fire was in my belly- I knew it was time to make my first film-baby.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Divine Intervention simmers away as you watch it- you get introduced to familiar scenes, watch as subtleties hint that this isn’t as familiar as you may have thought. Hints of humour reel you along, as you guess at how it will end. The film is discomforting and humorous and surprising all at once- it tugs on your sleeve as you watch it. Not to mention its visual finesse, with cinematography and set design working in harmony to create the altered-reality feel of the film.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think key themes of this piece are on personal autonomy vs. bureaucracy, and how complacency and blasé attitudes to institutional rules/expectations/laws can sometimes lead personal autonomy to slip from grasps. Think about all the terrible choices our parliament has made as we have stood by, shrugged our shoulders, and gotten on with our lives. It’s a commentary on the importance of constantly holding authority to account, never shrugging our shoulders and rolling our eyes as protagonist Kiki does (because eventually it will be too late!)
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
This script began as a 14 page uni assessment that had a very strange ending that including a mother-daughter body swap (think Freaky Friday). The ending was more a result of having to meet the university subject’s word limit. So after submitting it for uni, I had to reassess how it should really end. One particular person’s feedback really refocused my attention on the motifs throughout the film, and how they can all play into a bigger, clearer message. I grappled with how I could do this until one day, the ending hit me, and so emerged the final script, just in time for shooting.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Honestly I’ve only received good feedback, which I owe to bias as every piece of feedback I’ve received has been from friends/crew members/actors etc. I’d say the most common responses have been in awe of the film's narrative/ending, visual style, cinematography and composition. Still waiting on some authentic stranger-feedback… However being accepted into MUFF and also Melbourne Women in Film Festival has been a welcomed positive affirmation of the film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
As a new filmmaker, getting a name, finding collaborators and learning from others, is really the goal right now. We Are Moving Stories seems like a pretty rad place to spread the branches.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Film festival directors are really the goal right now; journalists help to get that happening too. Ultimately the goal is to get Divine Intervention into as many eyeballs as possible, and film festivals is the way to do that.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d like viewers to leave with an odd feeling of being simultaneous lightly entertained and lightly rattled. Something that can sit in their bellies for a while after they’ve watched it- to me that is the ultimate goal, creating something that will stay with those who’ve viewed it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
When you disagree with the rules, what do you do?
Would you like to add anything else?
Yes can I please shout out to my mum who was location manager/caterer/driver/accommodation provider/best friend to everyone on set- go Carol!
What other projects are the key creative developing or working on now?
I’ll be having next year off uni to pursue some creative ventures. I am hoping to produce a theatre script I’m working on, ‘The More I Know’, and/or adapt it to short film form.
Mitchell Kennedy- DOP and co-editor, is always doing stuff, which you can follow on his youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnPW4_JIz8YjkIXkdLEyDug
And Producer Matthew Bird, and Camera Assist Prince Kanishk Nediyedath are a dynamic duo, always working together. They have just produced their graduate film called ‘God of Sleep’ which is premiering at Lido Cinemas on 4th of December.
Interview: 2017
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. 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
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Divine Intervention
Kiki is sent to a cult-like rehab centre by her highly strung mother, where she maintains a too-cool disposition despite her increasingly questionable surroundings.
Length: 9:56
Director: Laura McKenzie
Producer: Matt Bird
Writer: Laura McKenzie
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer/Director: Laura McKenzie is a 21-year-old Arts student who focuses on writing and producing film and theatre, Divine Intervention is her first short.
Producer: Matthew Bird is a writer/director/producer about to complete his advanced diploma of film and television with his soon-to-be released graduate film.
Key cast: Rebecca Bentley, Diana Stathis, Lindsay Fletcher, Lois Scott
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): film festival directors/ journalists
Funders: my summer savings
Where will the film screen in the next month? MUFF! 29th Oct 9pm Moon Dog Craft Brewery come along we’ll have a beer!