Resonance, presented by the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), the winner of the AFTRS x ANAM ‘Music And Place’ Commission, will have its World Premiere at the 71st Sydney Film Festival on June 8.
The short film, produced and directed by AFTRS graduates Jayden Rathsam Hüa and Kate Vinen, explores the dynamic between four classical string quartet musicians, the Artamidae Quartet, as they play in the ANAM Quartetthaus, an intimate, unique performance space designed by ANAM and bluebottle for the listener to experience the theatrical and visceral art of string quartet playing.
‘Music and Place’ is a joint initiative between AFTRS and ANAM, proudly supported by the Australian Government through the Office for the Arts, which invited AFTRS graduates and emerging AFTRS alumni to pitch for funding to make a short documentary chronicling performances at the ANAM Quartetthaus at the Melbourne Museum.
This AFTRS x ANAM collaboration was undertaken as part of the UK/Australia Season of Culture, with the support of Michael Napthali, Director (Australia), UK/Australia Season of Culture and the International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund.
Jayden and Kate have previously both made highly regarded short films with Jayden’s Sushi Noh screening at the Sydney Film Festival in 2022 and Kate’s Acts For The Invisible screening at the Sydney Film Festival in 2021.
Kate is an AFTRS Masters of Screen (Documentary Directing) alum and Jayden an AFTRS Masters of Screen (Producing) alum. Resonance cinematographer Petra Leslie is also an AFTRS graduate.
The premiere of Resonance will be at the State Library of NSW from 4pm on June 8, with the filmmakers participating in a discussion following the screening, where they will share with the audience their experiences of this layered interdisciplinary collaboration between themselves, the musicians and the designer of ANAM Quartetthaus.
The evening will also feature performances by the Australian National Acadamy of Music’s Rosina Quartet who will perform a Sculthorpe composition – String Quartet no. 8 – featured in the film as well as Mendelssohn’s String Quartet op. 12 (movement 1).
The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) are both members of Arts8, the national training organisation collective for the performing and screen arts.
AFTRS CEO, Dr Nell Greenwood, said:
“Resonance is a beautiful celebration of musical, architectural and cinematic artistry. The collaboration is also testament to the technical expertise, passion and generosity of our AFTRS and ANAM students and graduates. We thank the UK/Australia Season of Culture for their support of this exceptional project and the Sydney Film Festival for providing a stage for this world premiere.”
Nick Bailey, General Manager, ANAM said:
“Collaborations like ANAM Quartetthaus, developed in partnership with ANAM and Ben Cobham (co-director of bluebottle), alongside the phenomenal work and storytelling of the young musician and filmmakers on this project – and of the other artists training in the country’s special performing and screen arts training schools (the Arts8 group) – enrich our cultural landscape immensely. These partnerships not only expand artistic horizons but also foster a vibrant sense of community, fueling boundless creativity and filling me with confidence for our creative future.”
Kate Vinen, Resonance co-director and co-producer, said:
“It was a wonderful experience to connect with the quartet and create a space for them to share the process behind being part of a quartet. Jayden and I both have backgrounds playing instruments (Jayden on cello, Kate on piano and clarinet) so crafting this film was a beautiful homage to our past lives playing music and how that experience has influenced us as storytellers. Filming the quartet rehearsing and performing inside the Quartetthaus gave us wonderful access into the process of a musician and in ‘Resonance’ we seek to share the musician’s experience of what it’s like to be a member of a quartet – as well as perform in the wonderfully unique and theatrical site-specific music space that is Quartetthaus.”
Resonance credits:
Directors: Jayden Rathsam Hüa and Kate Vinen
Producers: Jayden Rathsam Hüa and Kate Vinen
DOP: Petra Leslie
Editor: Gus O’Brien Cavanough
Sound: Jonathan Mendolicchio
The Artamidae Quartet:
Fiona Qiu, violin
Donica Tran, violin
Harry Swainston, viola
Nadia Barrow, cello
Resonance screens at the State Library of NSW as part of Sydney Film Festival Saturday 8 June at 4pm. Book tickets here.
