C8. Best Cinematography (Nominee)
Swept Under Silence
From Justine Vlachoulis
The unexpected arrival of her older cousin, viscerally triggers young Mary with splinters of fractured memory, that threaten to tear through the fabric of her family and herself.
I, Justine Vlachoulis, am a Greek Australian filmmaker, born in Whyalla, South Australia. I moved to Adelaide to study literature and film at the University of South Australia and now reside in Sydney, studying at the Australian Film Television Radio School. I've worked as a director and vision switcher for Channel 44 for the show OurTime, and have written and directed my own short films that explore a variety of themes from sexual assault to teen pregnancy.
What inspired you and your work?
Swept Under Silence is a homage to my younger self and to the many women and men that have been through a similar experience to Mary. It can feel like a situation that is too taboo to talk about. A familial bond shattered by predatory sexual behaviour can leave pieces lingering within the victim that reveal themselves in the most unexpected ways. Swept Under Silence explores post-traumatic stress disorder through a surreal and poetic lens in hopes to help open the conversation on intrafamilial sexual assault.