KT Bonus Edition: Grape Steak (Jen Atherton & André Shannon, 2023)
Digby discussed the new film Grape Steak with Garden Reflexxx's co-founders
Grape Steak is the creation of Jen Atherton and André Shannon. It’s a kaleidoscopic trip through Sydney and across the world shot on a variety of media. Digby caught up with the pair of filmmakers before the upcoming one off screening at ACMI this coming Tuesday (June 25).
Tix available here: https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/artfilm/grape-steak/
Grape Steak
Jen: André wrote a 90-page script for Grape Steak that was about high schoolers who essentially have this kaleidoscopic trip and discover this violent gay bashing ring. But [the] four characters [are] all aged 16. And then took this original 90 page like beat-by-beat Celtx script and reworked it into what we could do with people who are similar in age and who are around. And then the film told us what it was while keeping that original idea.
Influences
Jen: [Grape Steak] is not Paris Is Burning. It's not really about queer people; like it is, but it's not really about how people live their lives. It's closer to Night Moves by Kelly Reichardt where it's about when two people who go out one night and do something dramatic, as a project, and have to be around each other, and then have others see it. I wouldn't say it's like ‘here's how the scene operates’ or ‘here's what queer people are doing on their day to day’.
André: We wanted to make something about not having role models. I'm really glad you brought up Night Moves actually, because Kelly talks about the process of making Night Moves. She says the most expensive part of the whole film is making the thing. And then once you get to the editing part and the editing process and post-production, that's where the least amount of money goes, or at least she’s editing the films so there’s less money-pressure because she’s cheap. I like that you have freedom because money’s out of the picture. She's like, “I can only afford to finish the film if I'm cutting it”. So I'll invest everything I have, which is very little, into shooting, writing, planning, plotting. And then once I get to the edit I'm able to thrive and I'm able to kind of flourish because that's where money escapes.
…
André: Jen picked up a really beautiful Fireflies book. The Inland Empire Laura Dern book. And they talk a lot about acteure theory as opposed to auteur theory. And I feel like this movie really was told through the availability and the generosity of the actors. Everything they gave to the building of the film is how Jen and I were able to finish the film. And I remember trying to finish the movie, it was always finding someone else who could contribute to the mosaic. I wanted to add them in because ultimately, the whole movie is an ensemble piece. It’s finished by adding-more, instead of removing.
And it makes so much sense to me. You think that we're archiving and documenting the queer scene. But I think there's a difference between doing and thinking. Between making a film about and being in that space working hard.
Resourceful Filmmaking
André: It was the start. I think we started with resourceful because Jen's filmmaking, Jen's short films, got into Dead End Film Festival and that whole obsession was always about availability, and making films with what your arm can reach. Film was born in the bank, so your work doesn’t exist unless it looks monied. And then as we’re making Grape Steak, we kind of realise, we're actually not entirely attached to the ramshackle, early Cheryl Dunye style that feels like it really refers to itself, wearing its limits proudly, made à la availability, as opposed to deep with intention and impulse. And then Jen was like, “maybe it's not resourceful. Maybe it's just realistic”.
…
Jen: Yeah, I think resourceful filmmaking is something that is really overlooked in the film festival circuit that we're presented with. I've obviously been able to talk to Lucie McMahon and Emmett Aldred and Charlie Friedman a lot about. But we were looking at all our favourite filmmakers [and their] first films, and they're all resourceful. They're made with friends and they're generous of spirit and the ideas are profound. But then when you're presented with (short film festival awards in Australia) – the aim seems to be commercial viability and accessing or they have to be concept pieces for a feature, which is totally fine… But through doing Garden Reflexxx Presents, which is kind of our copy of Dead End Film Festival at Pink flamingo Cinema [we have] champion[ed] all of these filmmakers that make work resourcefully and insert[ed] our friends and our own work because no one else was ever going to show it.
André: You tell them Jen! I think that Jen and I started making “resourceful” films and then realised, “oh, we are actually talking from the point of view of M.I.A making pots-and-pans mixtapes before she had the machine behind her. We’re not allergic to standards, we just think there’s excitement in the impulsive, owning your means, and the spirit of possible in that, as a complete illustration. There are too many examples, but some things are caught on camera and become unforgettable so you have to blow it up.
I wouldn't want the words we're using - ‘realistic’, or ‘resourceful’ - to prevent me and Jen from claiming we're making art films, basically, that are supposed to be valued with the integrity of artworks, but like a feature length pilot for something bigger. I know people will see Grape Steak and feel “these faux-radicalised dorks are trying to make a video essay about lack in the film world upending production standards because they made this DIY” but it’s really just us giving ourselves a 5 year silly job.
Gloria
André: Working with Gloria was like rearranging the bedroom. You kind of approach her and you say hey we actually are 25 scenes in and we need to get from point A to point B but in order to do that we need to invent all these different circumstances all these avenues and all these scenarios that have already happened and we're going to act out a few and we're just going to make it all link up no collisions just linkages and she's like god let's do it. So when we shot the meteor scene that was literally us scripting and planning and acting and performing and shooting all at once, no conveyor belt, no step - just folding in.
Paris dance scene
Digby: Just tell me about how you shot the Paris scene that's all I want to know.
André: I’m dancing in the street behind a protest near the Luxor Obelisk, where people are being tear gassed and shot. You can see the cop cars driving past; it was kind of this idea that Bart’s trauma response is to go traveling but against his will. Bart finds Rat [and] snaps; then suddenly is thrown into a portal into the outside of the world, and lands in Paris. His compulsion to feel inside a movie moves him to mimic Mister Lonely, even though there's this commotion happening at home and a commotion behind them. All he wants to do is recreate a scene from Mister lonely where he's dancing on the street in front of the French obelisk and that's what I did, because sometimes you copy your idol because you don’t know yourself yet. There’s always one manic player dancing next to the burning house while everyone tries to save lives. Time is hot.
Catch Grape Steak this Tuesday at ACMI - directors Jen and André featuring in a Q&A
WEEKLY FILM LISTINGS
Thurs 20 June - 27 June
Matinees
Focus on Ousmane Sembène
Hirokazu Koreeda, 2023
Screening Thu 20th - Sun 30th
The Teachers’ Lounge
Ilker Catak, 2023
Screening Sat - Sun
Blackboards
Samira Makhalbaf, 2000
Screening Wed 26 June 7pm
Two-Legged Horse
Samira Makhmalbaf, 2008
Wed 26 June 8:40pm
New Voices in Australian Cinema
Art + Film: Grape Steak
Jen Atherton & André Shannon, 2023
Tues 25th June 6:30pm
AFW + NFSA #66 Paul Winkler - Australian Visions
Tues 25 June 7:30pm
ASTOR CINEMA
Un Chien Andalou + The Golden Age (Double Feature)
Luis Buñuel, 1929 + 1930
Screening Sun 23 June 2:00pm
Commando With Vernon Wells Live!
Mark L. Lester, 1985
Screening Tuesday 25 June 7:00pm
Terminator 2: Judgement Day with Robert Patrick Live!
James Cameron (never doubt him), 1991
Screening Wed 26 June 7:00pm
BBBC CINEMA (GALLERYGALLERY BRUNSWICK)
Go here for program
No screening this week
CHINATOWN CINEMA
Haiku!! The Dumpster Battle
Susumu Mitsunaka, 2024
Screening Daily
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wes Ball, 2024
Screening Daily
CINÉ-CLUB (Carlton)
Closed for winter
No screening this week
New Release
The Beast
Bertrand Bonello, 2023
Screening Daily
All About my Mother
Pedro Almodovar, 1999
Screening Daily
Radical
Christopher Zalla, 2023
Screening Thursday
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller, 2024
Screening Daily
A Great Friend
Eric Besnard, 2023
Screening Daily
General Release
The Way, My Way
Bill Bennett, 2024
Screening Daily
The Three Musketeers: D'artagnan
Martin Bourboulon, 2023
Screening Daily
Housekeeping for Beginners
Goran Stolevski, 2023
Screening daily
Monster
Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023
Screening daily
Parasite (B&W and in Colour)
Bong Joon Ho, 2019
Screening 27 June 20:30
Fremont
Babak Jalali, 2023
Screening Daily
The Taste of Things
Tran Anh Hung, 2023
Screening Daily
The Teacher’s Lounge
Ilker Çatak, 2023
Screening Daily
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino, 2024
Screening Daily
Freud’s Last Session
Matt Brown, 2023
Screening Daily
Evil Does Not Exist
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2023
Screening Daily
La Chimera
Alice Rohrwacher, 2023
Screening Daily
DOGMILK DEGUSTATIONS: @ Miscellania
No screening week
Check the Facebook
GAY24 (Bar Flippy’s)
No screening this week
HITLIST (9 Gertrude St, Fitzroy)
Shut for now
LIDO / CLASSIC / CAMEO
General Release
Radical
Christopher Zalla, 2023
Screening Thursday
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller, 2024
Screening Daily
The Way, My Way
Bill Bennett, 2024
Screening Daily
Housekeeping for Beginners
Goran Stolevski, 2023
Screening daily
Golda
Guy Nattiv, 2023
Screening Daily
Monster
Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023
Screening daily
Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus
Neo Sora, 2023
Weekend Screenings
Fremont
Babak Jalali, 2023
Screening Daily
The Taste of Things
Tran Anh Hung, 2023
Screening Daily
The Teacher’s Lounge
Ilker Çatak, 2023
Screening Daily
Spy X Family Code White
Takashi Katagiri, 2024
Screening daily
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino, 2024
Screening Daily
Freud’s Last Session
Matt Brown, 2023
Screening Daily
Evil Does Not Exist
Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, 2023
Screening Daily
Late Night with the Devil
Cairnes Brothers’, 2023
Screening Daily
Civil War
Alex Garland, 2023
Screening Daily
OVA CLUB
No screening this week
THE MELBOURNE CINÉMATHÈQUE (ACMI)
THE APPLE
Samira Makhmalbaf (1998)
Wednesday 7:00pm
TWO-LEGGED HORSE
Samira Makhmalbaf (2008)
Wednesday 8:40pm
TOP OF THE HEAP (Tramway Hotel)
No screening this week
No screening this week
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY: SCREENING IDEAS
No screening this week
PALACE BALWYN / BRIGHTON / COMO / KINO / PENTRIDGE / MOONEE PONDS / WESTGARTH
German Film Festival - Tickets Here
General Release
Radical
Christopher Zalla, 2023
Screening Thursday
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller, 2024
Screening Daily
A Great Friend
Eric Besnard, 2023
Screening Daily
The Way, My Way
Bill Bennett, 2024
Screening Daily
The Three Musketeers: D'artagnan
Martin Bourboulon, 2023
Screening Daily
Fremont
Babak Jalali, 2023
Screening Daily
The Taste of Things
Tran Anh Hung, 2023
Screening Daily
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino, 2024
Screening Daily
Freud’s Last Session
Matt Brown, 2023
Screening Daily
La Chimera
Alice Rohrwacher, 2023
Screening Daily
Late Night with the Devil
Cairnes Brothers’, 2023
Screening Daily
Civil War
Alex Garland, 2023
Screening Daily
No screening this week
General Release
Radical
Christopher Zalla, 2023
Screening Thursday
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller, 2024
Screening Daily
The Way, My Way
Bill Bennett, 2024
Screening Daily
Housekeeping for Beginners
Goran Stolevski, 2023
Screening daily
Golda
Guy Nattiv, 2023
Screening Daily
Monster
Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2023
Screening daily
Fremont
Babak Jalali, 2023
Screening Daily
The Taste of Things
Tran Anh Hung, 2023
Screening Daily
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino, 2024
Screening Daily
Freud’s Last Session
Matt Brown, 2023
Screening Daily
Robot Dreams
Pablo Berger, 2023
Screening Daily
La Chimera
Alice Rohrwacher, 2023
Screening Daily
Late Night with the Devil
Cairnes Brothers’, 2023
Screening Daily
La Chimera
Alice Rohrwacher
Screening Thursday, Sat, Sun, Tues
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
George Miller, 2024
Screening Friday, Wed
High and Low - John Galliano
Jevin Macdonald, 2024
Screening Friday, Sunday, Mon, Wed
La Haine
Mathieu Kassovitz, 1995
Screening Saturday, Mon
UNKNOWN PLEASURES @ Thornbury Picture House
No screening this week - shut until July