Director of Photography: Lachlan James Morton.
An intimate confessional from Nick, who learned through puberty that the imaginary friend in his head was real, and violent.
Director Clair Randall wanted to make a documentary short that strayed from the trend of using metaphor or recreation to depict the feeling of a mental illness. She simply wanted to express it as it was, and Randall was lucky enough to be living with a man who was earnest enough to do it.
Wolfe is also part shot footage, part animation. The most important step in achieving this visually was to ensure that the focus stayed on Nick’s story. There could be no distractions. “In the interview the best way to do this was a simple black background and to make it seem like Nick was looking directly into the camera lens, so the audience would be compelled to look Nick in the eye as he was speaking,” says Randall.
Lachlan James Morton acts as cinematographer and animator on Wolfe and his biggest challenge may have been maintaining his character’s humanity, credibility and likability. To his credit, Morton’s lighting design is stellar, capturing both intimacy and the dark and disturbing nature of this aching human drama. His animation, too, is solid across the board, providing further evidence that one need not leave Australian shores to find remarkable up-and-coming voices in indie filmmaking.
Wolfe will screen twice at this year’s Sydney Film Festival.
Reviewed at the 2017 Sydney Film Festival (SFF).
By Vanessa Abbott.