Short Film | Actor, Writer, Director, Director of Photography, Colorist, Editor

Starring Christopher Quyen & Abby Latip

During the winter of 2021 on a country getaway, Jay wakes up alone to an empty house in rural Australia realising that he has missed a special occasion for Mia with his friends. With a lot on his mind - and a flat car battery - he begins leaving voice messages to Mia. But with no response from her throughout the day, he is forced to reflect upon his loneliness, connection with others, and closure. Voice Messages was created remotely and filmed independently by the actors in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and Indonesia.

Director’s Statement:

I've always been interested in how we tend to create bookends for ourselves. To arrange the moments and people that pass in and out of our lives into chapters.

But who can blame us?

Because seeking closure often is a selfish act. Receiving it is a privilege. And when we say goodbye, rarely do we say it with the grace of retrospect.

And when we lose a connection, sometimes there is no reason for why we drift apart or disappear. So we create our own endings in private to stop us from dwelling on the past, to encourage us to live in the now, to move on.

Presented through a series of private voice messages, this film is a quiet meditation on how people transition from one stage of life to the next and how deep our connections with others linger no matter how long or brief the encounter.

I invite you all to bring the colour of a connection you’ve lost to this debut short film of mine.

OFFICIAL SELECTION:

Berlin Indie Film Festival
ReelOzInd! Film Festival