First short film by up-and-coming Australian partnership is a gem

Ruby, Michael Spiccia’s 13-minute directorial debut, marks the beginnings of a promising creative partnership between the commercials director turned filmmaker and award-winning writer-producer Julius Avery. Film review: Yardbird, 2012. Director: Michael Spiccia. Producer: Jessica Mitchell.

By ALYCIA AMANATIDIS

THERE is something so beautifully haunting in Ruby’s stare you cannot help but be infatuated by her. And yet, while her entire being is fraught, she strikes the perfect balance between fragility and ferocity.

Ruby, played by Mitzi Ruhlmann, is the heroine of director Michael Spiccia’s short film Yardbird. She channels her inner abilities to take on the town bullies who actively seek to torment everything she loves – animals, her dog, and her Dad.

Yardbird, shot in Talbot in country Victoria, is the inspiration of commercials director Spiccia’s first foray into short films. His 13-minute film is an allegorical exploration of the concepts of control, torment and isolation.

“The film is much about coming to terms with internal conflict,” Spiccia said.

Despite being a short film, Spiccia tactfully addresses all of these themes without seeming overbearing. This is the result of a bold director’s decision to have his protagonist remain silent throughout the entire film.

“[It] elevated that sense of mystery as to who that person was. I wanted to make her a mute because she was haunted by certain aspects of her life,” said Spiccia.

Something Spiccia makes perfectly clear from the outset is the tension between Ruby and her father. In the second scene, Ruby is noticeably frustrated by an empty milk carton in the fridge. This is one of many moments in the film where the absence of a maternal figure strains the father-daughter relationship.

The golden cinematography offsets the very dark emotions that are felt throughout the film. It could be a metaphor for the glimpse of hope Ruby holds believing that she can control her reality, despite being told by her father “You cannot fix everything.”

“She feels responsible for certain things that unravelled her as a child,” Spiccia explains.

Her liberal thinking is juxtaposed with scenes of her father’s wrecking yard, to which she is confined.

“I wanted to utilise it as her playground but she was also confined to this world.

It was very symbolic of damage, wrecking and destruction… It was a metaphor for what was going on inside her.

“It was a bit of an oxymoron,” Spiccia said.

Yardbird  won the Dendy Award for Best Live Action Short at the Sydney Film Festival and was the only Australian film in competition at Cannes 2012. During a screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival, one member of the audience let out a piercing scream during one of the film’s more gripping scenes.

Casting Ruby, the protagonist with no dialogue, was undoubtedly going to be an “interesting process”. Spiccia, who wanted to steer clear of stereotypes, envisioned his avenger to be a female who lacked, at first glance, the aptitude to defend herself.

“I had a very particular vision of who I wanted Ruby to be… I wanted someone [who was] not sure of how to cope with her abilities. Someone almost fragile and unaffected.

“When I found Mitzi she had this uncanny ability to turn on these features that would own that character. When the camera came on, she automatically turned into Ruby,” Spiccia said.

Spiccia admits to having gone about filmmaking “in a slightly unconventional way.” He had previously worked alongside Baz Lurhmann in his production company Bazmark and had also directed advertisements and music videos. But Spiccia tried his hand in film after having discovered that he was growing “more and more fascinated with the story”.

“I think I got to a point where I, coming from a visual arts background, felt limited in what I could do to express my vision. When I got the opportunity to direct something I was open to a world of limitless possibility. I was emancipated,” Spiccia said.

Yardbird was written and executive produced by fellow West Australian Julius Avery. It marks the first joint enterprise under Bridle Path Films, Avery’s newly founded directors collective with Spiccia.

Spiccia was first drawn to Avery’s work through his short film Jerrycan, which was the Jury Prize Winner at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008.  Being born “only ten days apart” and having had analogous experiences in their upbringing in Western Australia set the foundations for their compatible working relationship.

“We complement each other’s strengths. I come from a visual arts background and he comes from a story-writing background. The film is a testament of what we offer each other and what we can do together,” Spiccia said.

 And that it definitely is. While Yardbird is quite deep and dark for a short film, the cyclical narrative neatly ties in everything and brings an added purpose to every scene in the film.