Invasion

Capturing an ecological rebellion against tech-ridden consumerist society, “Invasion” prompts pondering of whether nature or technology is the true intruder. Through the imagery of weeds and overgrowth, “Invasion” explores nature’s coexistence with, commodification of, and ultimate retaking of Melbourne's cityscape. The film indulges in a surrealist, dreamlike revenge fantasy from nature’s perspective where vines retake domestic, screen-centred spaces, evoking uncomfortable yet engaging discussion about technology’s intrusion in day-to-day life.

  • Claire Alyssa Riverland
    Director
  • Claire Alyssa Riverland
    Writer
  • Claire Alyssa Riverland
    Producer
  • Juliet Papamarkou
    Key Cast
    "The Girl on the Phone"
  • Phoenix Sherman
    Key Cast
    "The Boy watching TV"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Documentary, Ecological, Environmental, Sci-fi, Surrealist
  • Runtime:
    2 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 7, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    100 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone 7
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Swinburne University of Technology
Director Biography - Claire Alyssa Riverland

Fresh to the film-making scene, Claire Riverland will be making a debut in experimental cinema with “Invasion”; a surrealist smartphone film exploring the relationship between nature and technology.

Claire was born in and primarily grew up in Melbourne, Australia. Her mother's side of the family is from Hong Kong whilst her father is of German-Polish descent.

Claire has always had a passion for all things film-related from a young age and thus, she chose to study film and television at Swinburne University of Technology after graduating from Melbourne Girls' College in 2021, where she greatly enjoyed and performed highly in her studies focused towards drama, literature, law, and sociology.

Claire began acting on screen in her university colleagues' films and has since developed and nurtured her craft of screen-acting, acting in over 8 student shorts in 2022. She hopes to pursue acting and film-making, with a foot in each.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I've always been fascinated with modern society's relationship with nature- whether it be agricultural, spiritual, recreational... or destructive. Same with technology. I wanted to explore the concept of how technology and nature are always pitted against each other, with one intruding on (or invading) the other's space. But when do they coexist? And where do we fit in as products of nature and manufacturers of technology? Who do we side with? I hope my film prompts these questions in viewers.

Despite being new to the role of directing, I already know I have a special interest in stylized lighting and vivid colour palettes. Thus, I am inspired by filmmakers who employ visually striking lighting symbolically to effectively influence moods and atmospheres like Damien Chazelle, Ari Aster, Alex Garland, Sam Levinson and Denis Villeneuve. The filmmaking style I seek to emulate in my films, particularly my upcoming experimental smartphone film, is surrealism by creating dream-like atmospheres that evoke feelings of wonder and fear. I love horror and sci-fi films with ecological themes thus, I also take inspiration from Alex Garland’s minimalistic yet immersive sound design.

Primarily having my experience in film stem from acting, I’m used to being emersed in sets in front of the camera, rather than behind it. I believe this experience has allowed me to understand better how to translate emotions from one human to another through the barrier of a screen given that an actor’s performance can make or break the audience’s emersion and ability to connect to a film’s themes. The past projects that I’ve either acted in or crewed for, which have inspired my passion for film, have involved stylized lighting, ambitious practical effects, and filming from extreme angles. They demonstrated to me that innovative and aesthetic shots are achievable at low-cost to student film-makers given that passion, hard work and creativity are present.