Spoons

Already lacking in spoons, Deb struggles to get through her day to day tasks. This is compounded when her dad who is unaware of her mental health struggles asks her to do some simple housework tasks while he is out. Deb fails to complete the tasks and it leaves her dad utterly disappointed. Spoons is inspired by The Spoon Theory.

  • Joel Harris
    Director
  • Jacqui Beaman
    Writer
  • Joel Harris
    Producer
  • Jacqui Beaman
    Key Cast
    "Deb"
  • Justin Moore
    Key Cast
    "Father"
  • Ramsay Waterhouse
    Director of Photography
  • Caleb Lindner
    Sound Mixer
  • Stanislav Kacar
    Colourist
  • Oisin O'Leary
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 10, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Joel Harris

Joel Harris is a developing writer and director making short films in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia. When he is not making his own films, he is working on other sets in various crew roles to gain constant exposure to the local scene.

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Director Statement

From Jacqui our writer:
I first learnt about The Spoon Theory a few years ago and was immediately drawn to it. It is often used in relation to chronic illnesses, but I wanted to find a way to bring to light its use in the mental health space. Joel and I also wanted to create a film about mental health when the steaks are low. This film explores an average day for our protagonist where she is planning to complete seemingly average and 'simple' tasks. But these tasks can feel incredibly difficult especially when low on energy - or in this case, spoons. In the theory, each spoon represents a unit of energy. Healthy people may have an unlimited supply of spoons, but people with chronic illnesses (or mental health difficulties) have to be careful how they use their energy and preserve it when needed, just to get through the day. We wanted a film that would bring a visual to what this theory would look like to help better understand the theory and hopefully contribute to de-stigmatising chronic and mental illnesses.