BENDER
On the eve before the results of the Australian Marriage Equality Vote are announced, two men hook up after meeting online but their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
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Alex CardyDirector
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Bonnie MoirCo-Director
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Alex CardyProducer
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Jessica Barclay LawtonProducer
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Tali PolichtukProducer
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Lachlan HarrisSound Designer
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Kali BatemanColourist
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Matt HickmottCast
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Lucas PittawayCast
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Josh LaveryCast
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Folklore SoundPost Production Sound Facility
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Alex CardyCinematographer
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Lachlan HarrisSound Mix
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Thom KellarSound Mix
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Drama, LGBT, Queer
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Runtime:15 minutes
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Completion Date:May 1, 2019
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Country of Origin:Australia
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Country of Filming:Australia
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Alex Cardy (alexcardy.com) is an Australian cinematographer who has worked on award-winning films. She is passionate about queer story telling and nuanced representation of queer characters, BENDER is her debut directing narrative fiction.
Bender is about intimacy and vulnerability; about how it can be more intimate to sleep beside someone than have sex with them. It explores the unconditional solidarity within the queer community during a painful political event, 2017’s Australian Marriage Equality Vote.
Bender is neither a love story nor should be confused as a comment on promiscuity. It doesn’t give audiences a fairytale ending or a tidy character resolution. Bender is a snapshot of awkwardness, tenderness and vulnerability forced in an inconvenient situation during a tumultuous political climate.
This film relied heavily on the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the cast. We worked from a visual treatment and aimed to communicate through silence, abstract soundscapes or textured cutaways. Forgoing a script, we allowed the improvisation of lines and actions to play out within each scene to capture a more genuine and authentic performance.
Our debut lead actor Matt Hickmott was found through his instagram and he was working as a jock strap designer. His bold, unapologetic sexuality and general confidence was inspiring to capture and paramount to the films message.
Bender sits somewhere between a narrative, portrait piece and an experimental film; it is visually gratuitous, honest and proud.