Private Project

Innuendo- the bad twin

When a mysterious young woman starts a new life as an art model, will her demons leave her alone or finally reveal the naked truth?

The Finnish Tuuli grew up in an oppressively religious and abusive family and in the shadow of her angelic twin sister. She embarks on a journey to the other side of the world, Australia, to find her true identity. Curious of nudity and sexuality, she becomes a nude model for art classes. She seems to use people to her own advantage and the good boy Thomas gets left behind when she meets the rough but charismatic chainsaw sculptor Ben. Her innocent surface starts revealing sordid cracks and the good intentions of the people she meets become a graveyard for her twisted delusions of grandiose. The film has been compared with works of David Lynch and Michael Scorsese.

  • Saara Lamberg
    Director
    Candy Cravings, Finding No
  • Saara Lamberg
    Writer
    Candy Cravings, Finding No
  • Saara Lamberg
    Producer
    Candy Cravings, Finding No
  • Saara Lamberg
    Key Cast
    Candy Cravings, Finding No
  • Brendan Bacon
    Key Cast
    Spin Out, Patrick, the Mule
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 39 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2017
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia, Finland
  • Language:
    English, Finnish
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cannes Cinephiles
    Cannes
    France
    May 11, 2018
    Official Selection
  • IFF
    Milan
    Italy
    September 8, 2018
    Italian Premiere
    Best Film
  • FAFF (Fine Arts Film Festival)
    Venice and Los Angeles
    United States
    May 13, 2018
    North American Premiere
    Best Feature Film
  • Recontres Internationales du Cinema des Antipodes
    St Tropez
    France
    October 14, 2017
    European Premiere
  • La Foa Film Festival
    La Foa
    New Caledonia
    June 20, 2018
    New Caledonian Premiere
    Official Selection, Director in Attendance
  • Lorne Film
    Lorne, Victoria
    Australia
    October 21, 2017
  • Made in Melbourne Film Festival
    Melbourne
    Australia
    August 12, 17
    Melbourne
  • Beverly Hills Screenplay Contest
    Hollywood
    United States
    Bronze: Thrillers
Distribution Information
  • Umbrella Entertainment
    Country: Australia
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: New Zealand
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Saara Lamberg

Finnish Australian Saara Lamberg is a director, actor, writer and producer. She has received several awards for her work, including Bronze prize at the Beverly Hills screenplay contest (Hollywood 2013), Best Actor at Comfy Shorts (Melbourne 2014), Best Drama at the Connect Film Festival (Melbourne 2014) and Best Actor (Lithuania 2004). She lived in England 2006-2010 and studied in the critically acclaimed Dartington College of Arts, graduating with a BA (HONS) degree in Theatre and Choreographic Practices in 2007. She moved to Melbourne in January 2010 and received a Distinguished Talent Permanent Residency in 2012 and citizenship in 2014. Having made five short films previously, Innuendo is her first feature. She wrote, directed and produced the film in which she plays the lead. www.innuendomovie.com facebook.com/innuendomovie

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Director Statement

My aim as a filmmaker is to make work that moves the audience, whether it was with love or hate or disgust or admiration, I don't mind. If watching my film leaves the audience 'cold' or if they think my work was merely 'nice', I've failed. Having a bath is nice. Eating good dinner is nice. Scrathing an itchy spot is nice.
If experiencing my work sparks up conversations, or internal thought processes, then I am worth the ticket price you paid.
I am not interested in exploring any particular genre, instead a film should use what ever genre serves its story. My first feature Innuendo could be described as a psychological thriller, but also a dark comedy, certainly a drama, perhaps even a psychosexual thriller, part horror, arthouse or cult. I guess you could say I don't believe in genres. They may be useful marketing tools, but as an audience member, for me, the best kind of film is one that surprises me, goes against the genre, has a little giggle at the confused audience member, and then kicks them on the arse.
They say cinema is dead. Cinema is not dead, but it certainly sometimes comes across comatosed if all it offers is the same overproduced story with different characters, locations and what ever is guestimated to "grab the audiences right now". I am not interested in those films and I know there is an audience out there of people like me. We will go to the cinema, when we feel that we are challenged, respected and not underestimated. Please overestimate me any time, I don't mind, and it may even mean I'll go to see the same movie twice if it leaves me pondering.
Some films I look up to are Happiness by Solondz, the Drifting Clouds by Kaurismaki, the Green Mile by Darabont, the Piano by Campion, Upswing by Vuoksenmaa, Eyes Wide Shut by Kubrick, Mulholland Drive by Lynch, Perfume by Tykwer, Dancer in the Dark by Von Trier, Beautiful Kate by Ward, Some Like It Hot by Wilder, the Invention of Lying by Gervais and Robinson, American Beauty by Mendes, Innocence by Cox to name but a few. All very different films, but one thing that makes or breaks the film for me is performances. If you don't have believable, real, yet subtle and life like performances, you have no movie- you merely have a piece of bad theatre on tape. What's the point of creating pretty pictures with perfect sound if the content is awful?
Having started in films with zero budgets, I've learned to 'Work with what you've got'. With crew- I get the people I trust, then I trust them to do a great job. Above all, I value singular vision and taking responsibility of delivering the art. Being an auteur is extremely hard work and I can't recommend it to anyone unless they are totally mad in the most organised way possible. Personally, I would not have it any other way.