• Colour image of Bowerbirds sharing with Daniel sitting on the ground with his legs outstretched and his back turned to the front. There is a corrugated wall in front of him.
  • Black and white image of Bowerbirds sharing with Dan on his hands knees on the ground Daniel standing over him gripping Dans chin with his hand sense of motion.
  • Colour image of Bowerbirds sharing in long shot with Daniel sitting in the foreground right hand corner and Dan sitting on the left. They have their backs turn to each other.

BOWERBIRDS
Film Production

A familiar tale to many . . . Bowerbirds is a story about the unspoken, unexpected and unseen inside a relationship.

Depicting four stages of an intimate relationship, the tale plays out over four distinct chapters revealing two perspectives cohabiting the same nest. Bowerbirds is an avant-garde short film that portrays the habitat, rituals, and mannerisms of the male bowerbird species and how these behaviours translate into human form.

CREATIVE TEAM
Creator + Director | Sarah-Vyne Vassallo
Performer + Collaborator | Dan Daw
Performer + Collaborator | Daniel Monks
Composer | Ekrem Mülayim

Film Collaborator | J Motor
Consulting Producer | Bus Stop Films
Scenographer | Stephen Metcalf

Pre-production
November 2017 – September 2018

Production
Tuesday 25 September – Saturday 6 October 2018

Post Production
Monday 15 October – Thursday 8 November 2018

Film Release
February 2019

Bowerbirds Stage One Development occurred in 2015.

Bowerbirds has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body and by the NSW Government through Create NSW and in partnership with The Arts Centre Cootamundra.

Ausco, NSW Government and TACC Logo Banner.

Image credits: ‘Bowerbirds’ studio sharing 2016.  Photos by Hayley Rose Photography.

DEVELOPMENTS
Close up of woman’s half opened eye, nose and mouth covered in sand and Vaseline with wispy blonde hair and blue-grey cloth.
RETURN TO THE RIVER
Third Stage Development
Artist with head in steel tub. white paper falling from roof. (colour picture)
DAYS LIKE THESE
Second Stage Development
Murmuration-Artists-in-a-cluster,-all-on-different-levels,-Karen-reaching-out-with-her-crutch.Black-and-white
DAYS LIKE THESE
First Stage Development
Days-Like-These-sharing.-Matt-sitting-in-his-wheelchair-Melinda-in-a-wide-squat-wiht-her-back-leaning-against-his-back.-black-white
DAYS LIKE THESE
Research + Development
Bowerbirds-sharing.-Daniel-Dan-trying-to-get-to-an-open-suitcase-sense-of-motion-surrounded-by-scraps-of-blue-fabric
BOWERBIRDS
Stage One Development
Dan performing. Head tilted back, eyes closed, arms stretch right out to the sides, fingers splayed. T-shirt says "I'm Trying". Black & white.
ON ONE CONDITION
Second Stage Development