Private Project

Sisyphus’ Relief

Like Sisyphus, Rufus seeks enjoyment in the vast unfulfillment of his everyday mundane life, finally reaching its peak. Battling against his exasperating boss, Rufus is drained of joy and looking to regain some colour in his life.

  • Rufus Parry
    Director
  • Rufus Parry
    Writer
  • John Hipwell
    Producer
    Dancing The Tree
  • Mohamed Ali
    Key Cast
    "Rufus"
  • John Hipwell
    Key Cast
    "John Hipwell"
    Dancing the Tree`
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy, Noir
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 43 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 20, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    130 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Video
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Sheffield Hallam
Director Biography - Rufus Parry

Rufus Parry is an emerging British screenwriter, director & editor, currently enrolled at university in Sheffield, England and doing a placement year in Melbourne, Australia. As a first-time director, Rufus has chosen to explore noir film mixed with dramedy in his screenplay debut of ‘Sisyphus’ Relief’. Rufus has worked on several other projects in Britain and Australia, including music videos and more. He has worked with well-respected industry professionals like John Hipwell from Hipwell International Production Services. He is set on becoming a director for high-end film & TV productions.

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Director Statement

This movie was made to give an outlet to people working a mundane or unfulfilling job, people who give and give and get shot back down again as soon as they are about to peak. Therefore, I chose to base the theme & poetry around the Greek myth of ‘Sisyphus’, as in mythology, he must push a boulder up a mountain just for it to fall back down again when he neared the top for all eternity. This short film aims to help give people a different view on their life if they’re in a similar position and show that they can push their rock ‘past the aromas of bright flowers, through the bustling streets into the plenitude’.

I recently moved to Melbourne from England to start working at a production company for my placement year at university, hoping to make student films with the help of professionals. This being my filmmaking debut, I wanted to get philosophical with the audience and portray the character's feelings and thoughts through poetry. I wanted to show the correlation between this man's life and the Greek myth of ‘Sisyphus’, but being on such a tight budget, I had to be creative with my storytelling ways, which is why I landed on the idea of showing the character's life in black & white, portraying dullness, and using poetry over old-timey text cards – to explore the extent of his depression furthermore.