Experiencing Interruptions?

Summer Turns To Jacky Winter

Amid the anxious climate of summer, a humbling optimism makes its place in the home of a holidaying couple.

  • Jacob Harris
    Writer
    The Spirit, Three Poems
  • Agatha Partyka
    Writer
    Sum Days, The Offspring
  • Jacob Harris
    Director
    The Spirit, Three Poems
  • Agatha Partyka
    Director
    Sum Days, The Offspring
  • Agatha Partyka
    Producer
    Sum Days, The Offspring
  • Jacob Harris
    Key Cast
  • Agatha Partyka
    Key Cast
  • Shane Crixus
    Sound Design & Score
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Docufiction, Cinéma Vérité, Nature, Wildlife
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    0 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Blackmagic Pocket 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jacob Harris, Agatha Partyka

Jacob Harris is an Australian-American filmmaker based in Melbourne, Australia. His work primarily observes working class struggles and spiritualism, drawing on his childhood in Hobart, Tasmania. A Swinburne Film & Television graduate, Jacob works as a freelance filmmaker and colourist. In 2013, his short film 'Three Poems' won the audience choice award at the inaugural ReelGood Film Festival. In 2018, Jacob contributed colour and camera work in the documentary feature 'Now Sound', which premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival. In 2019, his short film ‘The Spirit’ premiered at MonsterFest, and won the best ‘Made In Melbourne’ award at the Melbourne Indie Film Festival. He won the Best Colour award for ‘Let’s Be Honest’ at the Clipped Music Video Awards in 2019. He is currently co-directing and producing a new documentary film, 'Cinema Spaces' with Agatha Partyka.

Agatha Partyka is a Polish-Australian multidisciplinary designer, filmmaker, and artist. A graduate of Master of Architecture at RMIT University and Bachelor of Design (Architecture) from Deakin, Agatha currently works at H2o architects. She has worked with architects Francois Roche & Camille Lacadee on short films 'Sum Days' (2014) and 'The Offspring' (2014), with screenings at Chicago Architecture Biennial 2015, TARS Gallery Bkk 2015, Seoul International Extreme-Short Image&Film Festival 2015, Bangkok Underground Film Festival 2015, The Hole Berlin 2016. Her aim is to create spaces where multiple stories express together in a single harmonious form.

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Director Statement

Over summer 2019-2020, the catastrophic Black Summer fires that swept through Australia affected everyone in small and large ways. Fingers of accusation pointed in all directions and voices were turned up loud.

We made this film in an impulsive action to process the heavy anxiety and helplessness that we - and everyone in Australia - were experiencing during this time. We were watching and listening to endless new reports proclaiming sadness, death, and destruction. This was marked with heartbreaking moments like hearing the magpie’s wailing siren imitation, and the rousing words of Rhonda Ayliffe on the front line in Cobargo NSW, in her touching plea to action. It was such an emotional time - all our plans were sidelined as we remained glued to the news.

The beautiful moment of birds nesting became an antidote to the doom and gloom of the world. Watching the nestlings grow was exciting. We felt lucky to have the nest built in such close proximity. The pair of birds seemed absolutely unfazed by us. During the hotter days, we taped a small water dish to the balcony handrail for them. It was incredible to see how fast the baby birds grew up.

Our motif for this film was to capture this tiny humble story unfolding against the backdrop of the time: the bushfire events; despairing political attitudes and worldwide climate change denialism. Collecting the essence of summer with all of its troubles, we aimed to create a reminder for the care and empathy that should continue well beyond the time our attentions have turned away from the disastrous immediacy of such events.

After the passing of Agnes Varda we watched several of her films, including "Lions Love (...and Lies)". The film depicts current events of time, such as the JFK assassination viewed on television by characters in their home. We thought the way it marked time was striking: creating a wistful time-capsule for current events within the film and grounding the characters in the world. The result was a film that sits somewhere between cinéma vérité and docufiction, which resonated with us.

We titled our film ‘Summer turns to Jacky Winter’ because we incorrectly identified the birds as Jacky Winter, and then experienced a genuine moment of disappointment once we learnt their true identity as the Grey Shrike-Thrush. With the unprecedented events of the season at the heart of the story, we felt it made a suiting title.

‘Summer turns to Jacky Winter’ is a quiet film for gentle change led by our collective empathy. Especially as we sit within the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to forget the devastating events of the previous seasons that remain within our collective subconscious. So much has changed since then, and yet life goes on.

We sincerely hope you enjoy our film.