Automata (2011)
Automata is the eerie, black-humoured story of Henry, the last in a long line of duck hunters. The film examines the connection between hunter and prey and obsession in the face of extinction. It posits the question 'what would happen to someone at the tipping point; the moment where they are directly responsible for the extinction of an entire species' Duck hunting in Australia is a very contentious issue and every year hunters and protesters clash. The experimental side is evidenced with the lack of dialog, non-linear narrative and a 'score' by Belgian sound designer Christina Clar. The majority of the sound tracking and design was completed before the edit in Australia, thus reversing the usual process. The sound post production was completed in Brussels and includes recordings from deep within remote caves.
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Why so much hype?
Truly Dreadful Film
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
I saw Automata at Dungog Film Festival in 2011 in the experimental section of the program. What struck me was its power to seduce me into the delicate and intriguing world of the hunter and this one is haunted by all kinds of crazy visions and sounds as he stalks his pitiful prey in a dark and misty landscape. With an intricate and eerie sound track, the film draws the viewer deep into a rarely trodden world of anguish and confusion. Devoid of dialogue, the director relies on facial expressions and performances of the hunter (played convincingly by Tom McCaffey). Screened alongside a clutch of truly wacky films with barely a plot line between them all, Automata was surprisingly accomplished, satisfying and thought-provoking for an experimental piece. To the director's credit, it's a film one could revisit, unearthing pithy new insight on each occasion. Well done!