Experiencing Interruptions?

Aftershock

While closing up alone one night at the diner where she works, single mother and student Kate is brutally raped by Paul, a regular customer who mistakes friendly service for a personal connection. When an earthquake traps the two together overnight, their survival becomes dependent and entwined, with the balance of power constantly shifting until only one survives.

  • Gareth Wilkes
    Director
  • Gareth Wilkes
    Writer
  • Lisa Bishop
    Producer
  • Emma Bargery
    Key Cast
    "Kate"
  • Vince Poletto
    Key Cast
    "Paul"
  • David Gregan
    DOP
  • Bree Tranter
    Music Composer
  • Danielle Tinker
    Editor
  • Carlos Manrique Clavijo
    Sound Designer
  • Gareth Wilkes
    Production Designer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 6, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    35,000 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
Director Biography - Gareth Wilkes

Gareth comes from an underprivileged background in Adelaide's northern suburbs. This has informed his deep understanding of human character and it is these themes he finds the most compelling and interesting to explore in his work, be it dramatic or comedic.

He is a passionate long-serving member of the film industry as Art Department Coordinator and Art Director, with additional experience in Production and Production Accountancy. These roles have kept him connected to the filmmaking process and his skills as a Director have greatly developed as his holistic knowledge of production has evolved.

While maintaining his career on film crews, he has worked as an acting/dialogue coach, a show reel scene director and a filmmaking teacher. His passion for making expression through filmmaking accessible to underprivileged youth has led him into mentoring roles also.

Throughout, he has continued to write and direct his own projects that embrace his life experiences with themes such as mental health disorders, domestic violence, toxic masculinity and repression of sexuality.

Directing has always been Gareth's career goal and he is now embracing this full time, choosing to forego work in Art Department to make it his priority.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My initial interest in both writing and directing this story is that I wanted to explore themes of vulnerability and power, with the power between the characters shifting repeatedly. Having grown up in an underprivileged family, I witnessed oppressive and violent male figures and the women who survive beneath them. This developed a passion for stories exploring power, survival and strength.

Script development involved working closely with Lisa to develop ideas to attain believability of the story and ensure the characterization reflected what our research told us about the psychology behind the characters. After we spent considerable time with rape counsellors and educators who dissected the script with us, we felt we were in a really honest place.

Given the film is a two-hander, I focused equally on both performers, ensuring a 3-dimensional story was realised. It was always my intention to cast talented actors who could portray the complexities, understanding that our moral compass can shift when under pressure.

My film career to date has provided me with solid art department experience and it was naturally something I wanted to bring to Aftershock. With regard to production and costume design, I chose a 1950's look, uniform and singular location to situate Kate in a place of submission with limited choice.