The Mask I Wear

Contest Name :Documentary #1-Gritty Gutsy Women, Submission Date :12-21-2018, Uploaded By : Ava
Directed By :  Aprille Asfoura, Documentary Filmmaker/Barista,,
Shot On: Sony FS5, Various (Archive based),   Crew Members: 3  Duration:
Berlin , , Germany   Views: 1547
Inspiration: An experimental documentary short that inspired a 1-year long production documenting iconic Australian artist Gretel Pinniger and her alter ego Madam Lash. Directors Statement: When I originally set out to make this film I imagined it would be somewhat of an ob-doc with a historical undertone detailing the life of Gretel Pinniger and her present day self. After burrowing myself in research and interviewing various people that knew the 73-year old artist and BDSM showgirl, I was still no closer to interviewing her, let alone meeting her. With only a week to go before deadline, I finally had the conversation with her I’d long been trying to get, only it did not result as I hoped, and her health and state of mind left her unwilling to participate in my documentary this time around. Those observing my process noted what she might symbolise and that perhaps the film was less about ‘Who Madam Lash is’ than ‘Who Aprille Asfoura’ is. I decided against including any material from those that knew Gretel and rather relied on what she meant to me and only included her own words to compliment the archival material. I realised that having not met her actually gave me an advantage in the way I saw her. Those that knew her often rolled their eyes or dismissed her value but to me she was only limited by my idea of her. She became my muse, and an almost immortalised figure that represented a sort of courage to support my own struggle with my conflicting natures. The film aims to give a glimpse of my internal monologue and juxtaposes this with the brash robustness of the character Madam Lash. I’ve chosen to use harsh transitions and contrasts to portray the two sides of both Madam Lash and more importantly, myself. It concludes with a sense of foretelling of a sort of catharsis that lies ahead that has been paved by my ‘meeting’ of Madam Lash. Now over a year on from the time this documentary was made, I have hours of footage documenting Gretel Pinniger, not much sooner after this was complete she allowed me into her life and world.

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