Aristeia

Director's Statement

People respond to the uncertainty of their future in different ways. Some lean on intuition. Some submit to pragmatism - they do not hope for much, and aim for something they can believe in. Others still look for signs that they are doing the right thing. In this story, two people of different approaches cross paths. Aristeia was written around its actors. Miriam brings an innocence to Annalise that balances the tension generated by her actions. Although she is our entry point to this world, we do not know what she wants or what she is capable of. Nicola's curious balancing of pragmatism and empathy makes her Marta equally unique. Kieslowski's Double Life of Veronique was our guiding star. Equally we were inspired by the lonely nightscapes of Wong Kar Wai's films, and Claire Denis' Vendredit Soir. The creative team desired to bring the sensibility of these extraordinary works to the very real setting of a night-time cafe in Sydney and the train lines that run through it. The title Aristeia alludes to the Platonic feminine ideal that one character in the film is searching for. Although she may not ultimately find it, she is not wrong that such a thing exists, and not merely for her benefit.