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Title: Two Lives
Runtime: 11 min
Country: Australia
Director: Gii Ness
Placement: Award of Merit
Competition: December, 2015
Synopsis: After a family suicide, a distraught mother and her daughter are alienated from one another through love and loss.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
GN: Although many films that deal with destruction depict a doomed protagonist, ‘Two Lives’ is a film that attempts to break this norm – to convey that, although there is a sense of inevitability, none of the protagonists are doomed, despite feelings of hopelessness.
We are conditioned to believe that external validation is a necessary substitute for self-confidence. Circumstances or conditions such as mental illness can result in individuals being rejected by the mainstream and subjected to prejudice and stigma. Those who are victim to this may conceal their mental illness for fear it will impact negatively on their position within society.
The topic of mental illness is important in today’s society to raise awareness that people from all walks of life can suffer mental illness at any stage in their life. Although people who share the same or similar stigmatised characteristics may be able to gain support from one other, there can be a sense of loss in being deemed as different to others or socially undesirable. As a society, our role is to be supportive of one another and overcome unfavourable judgements towards mental health problems.
‘Two Lives’ attempts to break taboo in mental illness and educate that having a mental health problem is not an inability or a flaw in you as a person.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
GN: ‘Two Lives’ was conceived as a major project whilst studying my Bachelor of Film/TV (Honours). As a filmmaker I have always had an attraction to the human condition – the difficulty we possess, as humans, in expressing our deepest thoughts and feelings and the difficulty we have in understanding others. We are capable of immense love and compassion whilst also possessing a dark side to our nature. The subconscious, troubled sense of being unable to comprehend this contradiction is the root of human conflict: the human condition. Consequently, many people grow to cherish solitude once overcoming the loneliness of being trapped inside themselves whilst wanting to escape and let others in. Our escape attempts are most commonly associated with methods trying to eclipse our bodies: for instance, illicit substances, alcohol, sex, and madness, as seen in ‘Two Lives’. The relief these tools provide make each individual feel as though they are absolved of loneliness. Each of the characters is alone, but they are alone together.
The more we analyse the imperfections of human behaviour, the more depressed our thoughts become. There are a rare few that one can connect with on a deeper level for whom we can be grateful. The human condition is the underlying real challenge in human life. From this, ‘Two Lives’ was developed.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
GN: The greatest restriction short films pose is providing a glimpse into a life, and staying within careful boundaries of narrative. As a writer, it is difficult to determine what parts of a narrative should be revealed, implied, or exempt. You become so immersed in a story that you feel a desire to tell it all.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
GN: As the theme of ‘Two Lives’ hits close to home, I found the production a cathartic yet confronting experience. Approaching the topic of mental illness sensitively is difficult as there is a responsibility to consider honest portrayals. It is inevitable to encounter self-doubt or external criticism when encroaching in anything personal.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
GN: Creative industries are certainly difficult and highly competitive but not impossible to succeed in. Everyone encounters challenges – it’s all part of the fun. It is imperative to build relationships with others and collaborate creativity as much as possible – keep an open mind and learn from one another. Remember: rules are made to be broken, nothing worthwhile is easy, be bold and take risks.