A story about a group of women who’ve inherited the wasteland of rural Australia as the coastline went to rot, and about the soldiers who visit them for sex.

Interview with Writer/Director Eugénie Muggleton and Producer Stephanie Westwood

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Eugénie Muggleton (E): The character of Lily came to me almost fully formed, I saw her washing herself, naked, with a brutal cesarean scar across her gut - I was like: who is she? What’s her story?

I’m all about genre – dystopian fiction is where my mind wanders, and it went from there.

Producer Stephanie Westwood (S): Three days before Eugenie called me, I was sitting at home thinking… I really want to produce a film for Eugenie Muggleton. So it was like the universe had plans for us. I’ve always loved her work - this was no exception. For me, this film uses dystopia as a setting to make a fascinating, complex character learn how to redefine her perception of strength and weakness, and I love that.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

S: Because it’ll take you on an emotional ride and punch you in the gut. But in a good way. I hope. Also, the credits song is really good.

E: Hopefully because we’ve created a whole world you can disappear into.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

E: Blue Games is a weird ballad of emotional, material and sexual dependency, dysfunctional masculinity and femininity, finding your family – all through one woman’s path to wholeness and healing. They’re all very, very personal to us, and we hope to the audience as well.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

E: I always wish I could remember more about script development, it’s always such a slog and then something clicks and you forget how much hard work went in. I do remember the first draft was set in a house instead of the campsite and I was having so much trouble working out how to raise the stakes and reach the ending in that environment, I was stuck – then a screenwriting mate of mine said to me ‘so just don’t have it in a house’, and everything came into place. It’s so funny how you can set up such arbitrary roadblocks for yourself, then you give yourself a bit more freedom and it opens up worlds. Similarly with the edit, the second we decided to free ourselves from the script, or from what it was meant to be, it all came together. And all we did was move one scene up a bit.

S: We stuck pretty close to the script. I always wanted the edit to be shorter, because it’s more marketable. But this is a dystopian Western, and the landscape is a character in itself, so in the end the length ended up being necessary to let the audience breathe in the world.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

E: There were a few tears at the cast and crew screening, which was so moving. And our DP Josh Farmelo has already won an ACS Gold Award for the Cinematography. But it’s such early days, I can’t wait to see what a wider audience thinks.

S: since Flickerfest is our world premiere, so far the feedback has only come from our private cast and crew viewing - but everyone has loved it! We’re really excited to share it publicly and see what the audience says.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

E: A close friend of mine had a completely different take on the film than anyone else. He identified with the character of the Kid instead of with Lily – he told me about how much he felt like that when he was younger, looking up to the women in his life – it was a surprise but a nice one. I hope everyone can see themselves somewhere in the story.

And I thought my mother would hate it - she hates any nastiness in movies and doesn’t like my genre heavy stuff. But she absolutely loved it, so that was the biggest surprise.

People have said that it doesn’t feel 30 minutes long. Which is excellent.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

S: Personally, I’m just really proud of the film - it’s an incredible collaboration of our amazing cast, our team of sound designers, editor, composer - I just want to share this with as many people as possible, and show off the skills of this incredible team.

E: Ditto. I want more people to be able to see the brilliant and magnetising performances from Tegan, Scott and Cooper. They’re such special and talented souls. There’s a beautiful soundtrack and phenomenal sound design that created the world… if nothing else this film is a solid example of amazing local talent.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

S: Film festival directors definitely! We’re just starting our circuit. Journalists who are keen on women in film, genre, and dystopia - hit us up. Also broadcasters looking for a sweet dystopian miniseries, we got you.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

S: On one level, I want audiences to recognize the power of genre, and women-led stories, and the crossover of women in genre, particularly for Australian film industry today. But before that, I want the audience to be taken on a journey and be moved and entertained.

E:Yes, that. To think and feel.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

S: I don’t know, there’s a few. What would you do in this situation? Does dependency equal weakness? Why are men terrible?

E: Maybe... does it feel real to you? The scariest dystopias aren’t far away from reality.

And – this isn’t really a question but I’m so drawn to the Margaret Atwood anecdote where she asks both men and women what they find threatening about the opposite sex. The male answer is ‘we’re afraid they’ll laugh at us’. The female answer, ‘we’re afraid they’ll kill us’. It’s such an interesting and fracturing example of the dysfunctional dynamics between men and women and fuel for great discussions about the characters in the Blue Games world.

Would you like to add anything else?

Just that it’s been a treat to be featured here, thank you.

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

We are developing a miniseries set in the same world of Blue Games, and an anthology around women in horror, and a feminist crime thriller, a 60s heist feature…. So many things.

Interview: January 2018

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Blue Games

A story about a group of women who’ve inherited the wasteland of rural Australia as the coastline went to rot, and about the soldiers who visit them for sex.

Length: 30 minutes

Director: Eugénie Muggleton

Producer: Stephanie Westwood

Writer: Eugénie Muggleton

About the writer, director and producer:

Stephanie Westwood is an emerging producer whose work has won a range of awards and screened at renowned international film festivals. She is passionate about using genre to explore the human condition and empowering marginalised communities to tell their own stories.

Eugénie Muggleton is a writer and director whose award-winning short films stress the invisible strings that hold us together. Sometimes with zombies.

Key cast: Tegan Crowley, Scott Marcus, Cooper Morton

Looking for: Developing Blue Games beyond a short film - looking for interest from broadcasters for series development.

Social media handles

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluegamesfilm

Twitter: Producer - @stephwest17

Instagram: Producer - @stepwest

Director - @jouiejouie

Funders: This film made possible thanks to our amazing supporters, friends, and family who all donated financially.

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Premiering at Flickerfest in Bondi on the 13th of January!