Girl Asleep (film)

Girl Asleep

2015-16 festival circuit poster
Directed by Rosemary Myers
Produced by Jo Dyer
Written by Matthew Whittet
Starring Bethany Whitmore
Harrison Feldman
Imogen Archer
Tilda Cobham-Hervey
Eamon Farren
Matthew Whittet
Amber McMahon
Maiah Stewardson
Music by Luke Smiles
Harry Covill
Cinematography Andrew Commis ACS
Edited by Karryn de Cinque
Distributed by Kojo Group
Release dates
Running time
 77 minutes
Country Australia
Language English

Girl Asleep is a 2015 Australian coming of age drama film written by Matthew Whittet and directed by Rosemary Myers.[1][2][3] The plot follows 14-year-old Greta Driscoll, a shy and awkward teenager holding on to adolescence, who is propelled into a weird parallel place during her 15th birthday party where she is challenged to find herself.[4][5][6] The film has been described as an extroverted fantasy dreamscape of an introverted teenage girl.[7] The film is an adaptation of the successful theatre production, also written by Matthew Whittet,[8] by Windmill Theatre in 2014 of the same name, that premiered at the Adelaide Festival.[9] The cast includes: Bethany Whitmore,[10] Tilly Cobham-Hervey,[11][12][13][14][15] Imogen Archer,[16] Harrison Feldman, Amber McMahon, Eamon Farren, scriptwriter Matthew Whittet[16] and Maiah Stewardson.

Girl Asleep showed at the 2016 Berlin International Film Festival to critical acclaim.

Plot

The world is closing in on Greta Driscoll. On the cusp of turning 15, she can’t bear to leave her childhood as it contains all the things that give her comfort in this increasingly unstable and incomprehensible new world. She floats in a bubble of loserdom with her only friend Elliott, until her parents throw her a surprise 15th birthday party and she’s flung into a parallel place; a world that’s weirdly erotic, a little bit violent and thoroughly ludicrous – only there can she find herself.[4][5][17][18]

Cast

Filming

The film was primarily shot in Adelaide, South Australia, with most of the interior and forest shots filmed at Anomaly Studios.[9] Other locations include Findon High School, Blackwood Forest, Bonython Park and a private house in the suburb of Panorama.[19]

Reception

Jane Howard of The Guardian praises the film giving it 4 out of 5 stars and said that "It’s remarkable how comfortable the oddities we might associate with theatre sit on the screen."[20] and further stating "The rich colours popping from cinematographer Andrew Commis’s 4:3 aspect ratio draw us back into an Australia of the past. Production and costume designer Jonathon Oxlade also embraces the 70s in all of its oddities and excess. And yet Myers always grounds her characters and their stories in a recognisable reality, drawing out delicate and nuanced performances. Even when the fantasy and magic reaches a peak, we still feel passionately engaged with the humanity."[21] Simon Foster of Screen-Space gave the film 4.5 out of 5 stars and said "As Greta embraces her blossoming self, so to does Australian cinema welcome another memorable movie heroine."[22] Cat Kusmuk-Dodd of The Upside News states "Both Greta’s journey through her everyday life and into her imaginary world make for a visually pleasing experience, the latter enchanting us with the appearance of creatures similar to those in The Mighty Boosh. The excessive timber décor and brightly coloured wallpaper in the Driscoll’s family home would not seem out of place in Napoleon Dynamite."[23]

Awards

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2016 South Australian Film Awards Best Feature Film Rosemary Myers, Windmill Theatre and Jo Dyer Nominated
2015 Adelaide Film Festival Audience Award for Most Popular Feature Rosemary Myers and Jo Dyer Won[24]

Festivals

Funding

The film received funding from Windmill Theatre, South Australian Film Corporation, The Ian Potter Foundation and The Hive Production Fund, a unique initiative of the Adelaide Film Festival in partnership with the Australia Council for the Arts, Screen Australia and ABC Arts.[1]

Representation

Girl Asleep is represented for world sales & festivals by Artscope a label of Memento Films International.[25]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Groves, Don (19 December 2014). "52 Tuesdays duo reunites for Girl Asleep". Inside Film Magazine. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Showers, Jessica; Peterson, Tyler. "Rosemary Myer's GIRL ASLEEP to Premiere at Adelaide Film Festival 2015". Broadway World. BWW. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  3. ↑ "Adelaide awake to Girl Asleep". In Business. Graham Wakeling. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Girl Asleep". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Girl Asleep Film". Windmill Theatre. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  6. ↑ Groves, Don. "World premieres set for Adelaide". IF. Mark Kuban. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  7. ↑ Debelle, Penny. "Adelaide Film Festival to feature 43 Australian premieres". The Advertiser. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  8. ↑ Frost, Vicky. "Girl Asleep review – 'As inventive and surprising as its audience'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McDonald, Patrick (19 December 2014). "Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Imogen Archer reunite for new film version of Windmill Theatre's Girl Asleep". The Advertiser. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  10. ↑ Keen, Suzie. "Adelaide Film Festival highlights announced". Daily Review. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  11. ↑ Iannella, Antimo (22 January 2015). "Tilda Cobham-Hervey's new role in the screen version of Windmill Theatre’s hit play Girl Asleep". The Advertiser. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Debelle, Penny (11 August 2015). "52 Tuesdays star Tilda Cobham-Hervey is the face of 2015 Adelaide Film Festival". Girl Asleep. The Advertiser.
  13. ↑ Marsh, Walter. "Tilly Cobham-Hervey, Scott Hicks lead Adelaide Film Festival 2015 highlights". Rip It Up. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  14. ↑ Debelle, Penny (9 September 2015). "No Nightmare - this is a Dream". Advertiser.
  15. ↑ Debelle, Penny (13 August 2015). "Tilly Wakes To Success". Advertiser.
  16. 1 2 McDonald, Patrick. "Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Imogen Archer reunite for new film version of Windmill Theatre’s Girl Asleep". The Advertiser. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "Current Productions". Sound Australian Film Corporation. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Girl Asleep". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "Adelaide awake to Girl Asleep". In Business Magazine. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  20. ↑ Howard, Jane. "Girl Asleep first look review – the magical realism of being a teenager". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  21. ↑ ibid
  22. ↑ Foster, Simon. "Girl Asleep". Screen-Sound. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  23. ↑ Kusmuk-Dodd, Cat. "GIRL ASLEEP, Film Review". The Upside News. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  24. ↑ "Adelaide Film Festival, 2015". Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  25. ↑ Hopewell, John. "Berlin: Memento’s Artscope Acquires Berlin Generation 14plus Opener ‘Girl Asleep’ (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2016-04-13.

External links

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