The Ant Colony
In an inner-city park, buzzing with wildlife but hemmed in by elevated freeways, a game is being played out on an ornate abacus. Within this space of controlled chaos, where the insects have taken over but are constantly disturbed by park-goers, the game is a bridge between the natural world and the industrialised world, the hive mind and the individual. It’s uncertain whether the participants are working together to solve a complex equation or if they are in competition. Or perhaps there was only ever one player, trying to see both sides?
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Natasha CantwellDirector
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Wanda GillespieSculptor
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Sean MolloyKey Cast
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Lauren MayKey Cast
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Jack PalmerMusic and Sound
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Project Type:Experimental, Short
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Runtime:2 minutes 23 seconds
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Completion Date:January 12, 2023
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Country of Origin:New Zealand
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Country of Filming:Australia
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Language:English, No Dialogue
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Shooting Format:16mm
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Aspect Ratio:4:3
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Thessaloniki International Digital Arts FestivalThessaloniki
Greece
February 8, 2025 -
Il Festival della PesteMilan
Italy
November 6, 2024 -
Edmonton Underground Film FestivalEdmonton
Canada
October 20, 2024 -
MAX3MIN: Very Short Film FestivalMilan
Italy
October 4, 2024 -
Streetside CinemaWinston-Salem, NC
United States
October 1, 2024 -
Timeline:BH#9 International Festival of Video Art and Experimental CinemaBelo Horizonte
Brazil
September 5, 2024 -
aDifferent ProgramMilwaukee, WI
United States
July 20, 2024 -
Ruthin International Arts FestivalRuthin
United States
June 28, 2024 -
Festival OodaaqRennes
United Kingdom
May 18, 2024 -
Experiments in CinemaAlbuquerque, NM
France
April 25, 2024 -
Permanente.cicloBuenos Aires,
United States
March 17, 2024 -
The Union Bank: of a thing that could not be put backMelbourne
Argentina
June 10, 2023
Natasha Cantwell is a Melbourne-based experimental filmmaker whose work explores the tension between inner and outer selves. Drawing on performance art and horror cinema, her 16mm films balance humour with unease. Her work has screened internationally, including at Experiments in Cinema in the United States, as well as Stuttgart Filmwinter and EMAF in Germany. In 2025, she undertook an artist residency at Arteles Creative Center in Finland.