Inspiration Plains

A residential nexus for older female artists where liveability meets creativity and the numbers count…Ka-ching! Why not come along and join Sister Abstraction’s sharing circle today?

  • Harriet McKern
    Director
    Smile, Backwards Showgirl Variation
  • Lisa Hanssens
    Key Cast
    "Sister Abstraction"
  • Susan Ling Young
    Key Cast
    "Number Two & Number Four"
  • Hiske Weijers
    Key Cast
    "Number Three"
  • Kari McKern
    Key Cast
    "Number Eight"
  • Harriet McKern
    Writer
    Smile, Backwards Showgirl Variation
  • Harriet McKern
    Producer
    Smile, Backwards Showgirl Variation
  • Carmen Galan
    Producer
  • Gabriela Loza
    Producer
    Erased
  • Ruth Sligo
    Producer
    Erased
  • Gabriela Loza
    DOP
    Erased
  • Gabriela Loza
    Production Designer
    Erased
  • Harriet McKern
    Editor
    Smile, Backwards Showgirl Variation
  • Michelle Barry
    Sound Mixer and Designer
  • Catherine McQuade
    Screen Composer
    The Widow
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Comedy, Mockumetary
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    500 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • CIFFI 2021
    Dehli
    India
    December 15, 2021
    Indian Premier
  • Cinemaking International Film Festival
    Dakar
    Bangladesh
    December 17, 2021
    Bangladesh Premier
    Honourable Mention
  • 1st Monthly Film Festival
    Belgrade
    Serbia
    December 12, 2021
    World Premier
    Honourable Mention
  • Festival Renuac
    Santiago
    Chile
    January 22, 2022
    Chilean Premier
  • Top Indie Film Awards
    Tokyo
    Japan
    January 5, 2022
    Japan Premier
    "Best Original Idea" 2022 - also nominated in Best Experimental Short and Best Humour
  • Dare To Struggle Film Festival
    Sydney
    Australia
    April 23, 2022
    Australian Premiere
  • Setting Sun Film Festival
    Yarraville, Melbourne
    Australia
    May 9, 2022
Director Biography - Harriet McKern

Harriet has over 30 years experience in the Australian film and television industry across a range of roles. These include General Manager for the Australian Directors Guild, Co-ordinator of WIFT’s mentorship scheme and also of Screen NSW (fto)’s AURORA Script Development Lab. In 2015 she graduated as a mature age student from the International Film School Sydney (now AFFT) where she studied writing, directing and producing. Harriet is now re-ingniting her longtime ambition to work as a director. Her recent short film ‘Smile’ has screened to travellers on Virgin
inflight and at numerous festivals including Palm Springs Shortfest and recently as part of Australian Short Film Today. Harriet is currently developing longer form projects including a feature ‘Allegra Box Splits’ based on her well travelled comedy short ‘Backwards Showgirl Variation’ and is interested in seeing older women inhabit our screens.

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Director Statement

Directors Statement Harriet McKern

Set in a creative artists' playground for older women, the film is a mock corporate promotion for a special sort of lifestyle village, an idyllic nexus of vision and liveability. Some of the cast play characters based on themselves. It was written and shot within a couple of days, has a DIY feel with a more sophisticated hopefully ironic post production. As such it sits somewhere between drama, oddball comedy and mockumentary with themes about artists, older women + non-binary folk and corporatisation. & with the exception of the colour grader, the whole cast and crew are older women. It also plays a little homage to the classic sci-fi 1960s UK series 'The Prisoner'.