Private Project

The Springs

A shepherd is herding sheep across a desert in search of the springs when a sheep begins to speak to her. In her attempts to find meaning and comfort in her isolating existence, the shepherd is reproached by the sheep, eventually surrendering to the ambiguities of life.

  • Alexandra Tretiak
    Director
  • Alexandra Tretiak
    Writer
  • Alexandra Tretiak
    Producer
  • Laura Djanegara
    Key Cast
    "A"
    Recent credits include Macbeth (Bell Shakespeare), Videotape (Montague Basement) and The Linden Solution (Ratcatch Theatre) - for which she received the Broadwayworld Award for Best Performer in a play.
  • Zoran Jevtic
    Key Cast
    "B"
    Zoran has appeared in TV shows like Rake and Easybeats and independent short films such as Kafana and Reunion. His theatre credits include the roles of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (UTE), Vershinin in Three Sisters (UTE), Simon in Bushfire (Sydney Fringe Festival), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Fingerless Theatre) as Oberon, as well as, Stephano in the Tempest (Fingerless Theatre). Most recently Zoran has appeared in The City at The Sydney Opera House.
  • Alexandra Tretiak
    Director of Photography
  • Brigitte Graham-Hayes
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Marieka Billen
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Emma Mattner
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Jessica Mulet
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Alyssa Mullen
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Alea Trinajstic
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Rebecca Lang
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • May Fletcher
    Animators, Line Art, & Colour
  • Molly Amelia Williams
    Music & Sound
  • Rosemary McClelland
    Music & Sound
  • Claire Lam
    Music & Sound
  • Michael Jacenyik
    Music & Sound
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Sci-fi, experimental, student, Surrealist, environmental
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    May 9, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Technology Sydney
Director Biography - Alexandra Tretiak

Alexandra has completed a Bachelors of Design in Animation with Honours at University of Technology Sydney. During her time at university, Alexandra was involved in the production of various short films including junior animator for ‘Life Blood’ directed by Nicholas Tory, also ‘Relax’ written and directed by Marieka Billen, and has directed short film ‘Loquat’ based on a micro story written by Alexandra Geneve. Additionally, Alexandra has had artworks and short films exhibited in galleries and museums such as Gaffa Gallery and Disordered Gallery.

In 2021, Alexandra was invited to complete her Honours of Design in Animation at UTS. During this year she has written, designed, and produced her short film ‘The Springs’. With the help of other animation students and her tutors, Alexandra was able to complete her debut animated short film to be premiered in 2022.

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Director Statement

Loneliness can be a debilitating experience that can manifest without the proper care. This is the anchoring idea of The Springs: how we navigate the increasing feeling of isolation and longing for social connection, especially in recent years of the global pandemic. As humans, we search for resonance and empathy, much like the characters in the film search for water. Over the course of the journey Character A transitions from hope to nihilism over her circumstances, meanwhile Character B represents our inner doubts and anxieties when facing new situations. The Springs is an ambiguous and personal recounting of what it means to search for acceptance, and ultimately, what we would blindly sacrifice to achieve it.