EGG

When humans reach a certain age, they become eggs that must hatch to continue living. Lara works as a cashier at a nearby supermarket. However, her mother is paralyzed from the waist down, and her father has kidney disease. Lara struggles to find a better-paying job because she needs to care for her parents. In addition, the high inflation rate has caused their living expenses to skyrocket, adding financial pressure to Lara's family.

One day, after finishing her shift, Lara arrives home to discover her parents transformed into two eggs. Without the financial means to buy any available egg-hatching packages, she must create a suitable environment for incubating the eggs. Things were going according to Lara's plan until a power outage forced by the electric company disrupts her efforts, and she encounters Bob, a mentally ill patient pretending to be a hardware store employee.

  • Qiwen Zhang
    Director
  • Qiwen Zhang
    Writer
  • Xinying Zhou
    Producer
  • Angel Cecil
    Key Cast
    "Lara"
  • Chad Traupmann
    Key Cast
    "Bob"
  • Robert Luxford
    Key Cast
    "Lara's dad"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - The University of Sydney
Director Biography - Qiwen Zhang

Qiwen Zhang is an emerging filmmaker residing in China and pursuing a Master of Moving Image degree at the University of Sydney. She is actively involved in the roles of film directing and cinematography.

Hailing from a family with a rich photographic background in Guangzhou, Qiwen developed a strong interest in film from a young age, influenced by her family members. During secondary school, she began exploring her creative projects, establishing herself as a visionary artist. Her early career involved creating numerous experimental video works and installations, focusing on the diverse identities of individuals within society and their ability to adapt to these roles.

As Qiwen's artistic pursuits progressed, she transitioned into employing narrative structures to express her ideas. In addition, she dedicated significant effort to developing her scripts. Notably, she completed an experimental documentary titled "Sidewave" as the cinematographer, which received the esteemed Best New Blood Documentary Award at the Beijing International Film Festival. She also produced a new experimental documentary short film titled "29th July," where she serves as the cinematographer and director.

Moreover, Qiwen has also worked as a director for a TV reality show, providing her with valuable insights into the intricacies of film and television production. Her future aspirations lie in directing and screenwriting within the industry.

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Director Statement

In this film, as the writer and director, I want to subjectively state the feelings brought about by the pressure of life in modern society through the perspective of a young generation. I chose to have the parents turned into eggs instead of animals or other dead things, the point that inspired me was the chicken eggs. Eggs in nature mean the continuation of life. The egg is in a very delicate state. It is separated from the mother, but the fragile shell still symbolizes its innate connection. The relationship between parents and children in a family is not so much the relationship between the hen and the chicken, but I am more inclined to describe it as the relationship between the chicken and the eggshell. On the one hand, this eggshell protects our growth, on the other hand, it also becomes an inseparable part of us, even if these connections are latent. In fact, to some extent, these potential connections amplify the stress we face in a high-pressure society. So in this film, I try to restore parents as objects, avoid discussing the impact of family relationships on young people in a high-pressure social environment, but try to simply discuss the worries brought about by the pressure of the social environment. Lara and Bob in the film can actually be seen as a whole. Lara is a character who silently accepts the status quo. Even though she actually feels hopeless and helpless, she still tries to find a solution for her life. The role of Bob is to express Lara's true thoughts hidden deep in her heart, crazy, twisted, and broken. And these true thoughts are never easily accepted by the general public, which is why I chose to portray Bob as a mental patient. When Lara first talked with him, Lara did not realize these crazy and The distorted thoughts actually came from her own. After the hardware store owner appeared, Bob left the screen. At this time, these crazy and distorted thoughts were really realized by Lara, and Lara could not ignore these thoughts since then.