‘Sex, Darbs and on the Dole’ is a short comedy film created by Tatjana Hamilton, starring Andrew Stevenson. Although the short film hasn’t had million of views, it’s still an excellent example of what a young filmmaker can do. As a finalist for the BUFTA Film Festival 2015 and the Whoops Film Festival 2015, Tatjana is a rising filmmaker who is a few steps away from breaking into the industry.
“A group of documentary filmmaker’s stumble upon a musician in a café in Brisbane and approach him and ask to follow him on his day to day routine as a musician. After a couple of weeks of filming, the film crew come to understand that his style of music is quite “unique” and not well received. The film crew explore this artist and the struggle that many others face with money, fame and a big-head.”- Tatjana Hamilton (October, 2015)
We see him busking in the street, recording albums and playing his music to unwilling listeners. During the film, we also get to see his friends and workers talk about his music. As this film is a mocumentary, there are classic documentary elements used (Interviews, the main character tells their biased version of the story, live action etc) but the content is comedy based. To understand the film, one must understand the colloquialisms that its filled with. This is where the film falls down, if someone who didn’t know these colloquialisms tried to watch the film, they wouldn’t understand the humour.
That being said, if someone can completely understand what the movie is trying to say, they will love it. The beauty of this film is that everyone in Brisbane has seen this stereotype of person. You either had one at your school and knew them well, or you’ve seen someone on the street and thought, ‘yeah that guy thinks he’s the absolute best’.
Tatjana uses her local surroundings and what she knows about Brisbane to make a film that speaks to brisbanites. There’s nothing worse than a person who is completely unaware of the area, trying to make something for that area. She excels in including dialogue that most people would’ve heard at least once between some drunk homeless guys on the street. By using locations from all around Brisbane, she allows an audience member to connect with the surroundings, even if they have only been there once.
The artistic elements of film are present with the cinematography and editing not overwhelming ‘artsy’. The shots are simple and well planned. They work with the story and don’t confuse the viewer. At times they can be a little too simple and from a cinematography point of view, a little boring. Although it would’ve been nice to see a little more thought go into the chosen shots, the storyline and dialogue make up for it.
‘Sex, Darbs and on the Dole’ is a hilarious short film made by up and coming filmmaker Tatjana Hamilton. Andrew Stevenson brings the role to life with his absolute commitment to the character. If you’re able to understand and appreciate the hilarity of the content, this is a short you cannot miss.
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