Bitter Coffee

"Bitter Coffee" is a mystery, suspense, and drama about a desolate man named Joseph, who finds himself in the hospital waiting room after a fateful accident, and the more time he spends within those walls, the more he struggles to deal with the situation.

To stay awake during the night, he helps himself to some coffee. However, for some reason, it never seems to taste right. No matter how much sugar he adds, it still tastes bitter.

As the night drags on, an extroverted girl joins Joseph, and their conversations make him see things from a different perspective. Eventually, it forces him to make an important decision.

Please watch a better-quality version of the film here (since Filmfreeway only showcases a low-quality version): https://vimeo.com/821155433?share=copy
Password: sweetcoffee123

  • Paula Brouwer
    Director
  • Paula Brouwer
    Writer
  • Grace Brownsey
    Producer
  • Jonathan Weir
    Key Cast
    "Joseph"
    Sons of Summer, The Surfing City, Hope, The Sandwhich,
  • Emma Cockram
    Key Cast
    "Keira"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Mystery, Drama, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 41 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 17, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Sony FX9
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Bond University
Director Biography - Paula Brouwer

Born in the Netherlands and living in Norway, Paula Brouwer completed her final two semesters of her Bachelor's Degree in Communication and Media Production as a study abroad student at Bond University, Australia.

She discovered her passion for creating stories through film by directing a documentary in Norway. As she commenced at Bond University, she grasped the opportunity to go into the creative arts of filmmaking and wrote and directed "Bitter Coffee" as her first short film.

Throughout her time at Bond University, she also had to opportunity to edit two other short films currently being submitted to film festivals, 1st AD three music videos, script supervise another short film, and directed and edited a music video.

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Director Statement

"I wrote "Bitter Coffee" intending to constantly engage the audience with the characters. To achieve this, I set a mysterious mood from the very beginning and maintained suspense throughout the story, withholding the connection between Joseph and Keira until the very end. The story itself explores the mental struggles that arise when we feel we have hit rock bottom and what is needed to get us in the right direction.

As for directing, David Fincher inspired me to create an unsettling tone throughout this story and explore the dark aspects of the human mind. This film, therefore, highlights odd angles at certain times, low key lighting, and desaturated colors."