‘Shyness is Nice’ (10mins, 2011, 16mm). “One’s real life is often the life one does not lead” – Oscar Wilde. For Maxine, a shy young writer, this is true – the pleasure of illusion blurs the line between fantasy and reality, desire is something she cannot articulate in actuality. This gentle, atmospheric comedy looks at romance through the eyes of a librarian, who must become literate in the language of love, or gather dust on the shelf like one of her books. Oh Max, ‘nature is a language… can’t you read?’.
Filmed in the leafy, street-art filled streets of Fitzroy, and infused with the colourful d.i.y. zine aesthetic of its protagonist, ‘Shyness is Nice’ was written and directed by Melbourne-based filmmaker Anna Helme, and was completed in early 2011. Dreamily shot on 16mm by D.O.P. Joshua Aylett, it features a soundtrack by indie pop artists including Camera Obscura, Fitness Forever, Giorgio Tuma, Ibon Errazkin, The Lucksmiths, Patinka Cha Cha and all-girl garage band The Shimmys.
With charming performances from Emily Goddard, Annie Last, Kelli Jean Drinkwater, Oscar Zeroscar, Louise Terry & Eva Destruction.
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