Now more than ever, it feels we are surrounded by superheroes. They are always in the multiplex, comics are still popular and now they’re even on TV shows. The Amber Amulet is a Festival Award-winning short film without any supernatural powers, but it has Liam, a young boy, who wants to be a hero in his own town. So he dons a thin mask and tries to help his neighbor from being so sad.
We were excited to be able to talk with Matthew Moore, the film’s director and co-writer, and ask him about this influence on the culture, the reality it is set in and how an acting background can help you as a director.
Heartland Film Festival: We are in such a superhero heavy culture right now. A film like Kick-Ass suggests that is a negative aspect on society while your film shows a more hopeful light. What do you think is the importance of heroes like this?
Matthew Moore: I think the importance of our little hero, is that he has a power all of us possess. The power to affect positive change. You don’t need a utility belt for that.
Heartland Film Festival: This movie never feels silly in either way even though you have a little boy scurrying around the neighborhood with a mask on. What did you to do to establish such a wonderful tone that makes sure every act feels like the most important thing in the world?
Matthew Moore: As Genevieve [Hegney] and I were writing the screenplay we spoke a lot about the socio-economic world we wanted the characters to live in. I think the choices we made helped to ground the characters and events of the story. It had to be believable. We also wanted to keep the reason why Liam feels the need to do these tasks very present in our minds.
I think one of the interesting dynamics of having a child protagonist in a film is there is an opportunity for the audience to have a dual experience. We are at once completely immersed in the characters world, what is important for the child is important for us the viewer. But we are also potentially afforded a certain distance with a child protagonist. I wanted us to be completely engaged but never wanted to lose the sense of us watching a child at play.
Heartland Film Festival: Even though the novella The Amber Amulet is 86 pages long that is still a tricky length to adapt into a short film. Was the process tricky? Also how did you first come across Craig Silvey’s work?
Matthew Moore: Genevieve has been friends with Craig for years and I met him at a party through Gen. So we became friends before I knew his work. Gen was first to read The Amber Amulet and immediately wanted to get the option on it. I thought it was a beautiful story and would make the perfect short film. In regards to adapting it, it wasn’t easy. A book can be perfect but the moment you go to adapt that story to a different medium different questions surface. What was completely acceptable and believable in book form doesn’t necessarily work as a film. So there is much to solve. The important thing for us was to not lose what was powerful in the book. The story worked. The story had it’s own power and we wanted to be true to that. To retain that quality.
Heartland Film Festival: Both you and your co-writer, Genevieve Hegney, are actors. Genevieve is even one of the stars of this short. How does this background inform you as a writer and a director?
Matthew Moore: Well I think there are a lot of advantages as actors moving into writing and directing. The majority of your time as an actor is spent pawing over scripts. Our job is to interpret and inhabit characters, which I think, gives you strong dramaturgical skills and strong storytelling skills. I’ve also had the advantage of working with and watching many directors work. Working now as a director, I find working with actors comes very naturally. We speak the same language and I understand the process an actor needs. So I have an empathy and understanding of the actor’s process.
Heartland Film Festival: Are you working on a next project?
Matthew Moore: I am currently working on an original idea for a feature film, so I’m back into the writing phase of the process… the lonely bit! I’ve also just joined on to an existing project, which is in the re-writing/development stages.
Heartland Film Festival: What are the moving films that have inspired you as a filmmaker?
Matthew Moore: That’s an interesting question. Not what are my favorite films or the films that have influenced me but the ones that have moved me. The first one that comes to mind would be Peter Weir’s Gallipoli about two Australian sprinters who are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during the First World War. I first saw this film when I was about 11 years old and to this day find it an incredibly moving and affecting film. I think Peter Weir is an incredible filmmaker.
“The Amber Amulet” will play in the program Festival Award Shorts 1 and you can buy tickets for the following days…
- Friday, October 18 at 10:45 a.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14**
- Friday, October 18 at 7 p.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14**
- Saturday, October 19 at 10 a.m. at AMC Traders Point 12**
- Sunday, October 20 at 12:45 p.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14**
- Monday, October 21 at 2:45 p.m. at AMC Traders Point 12
- Tuesday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14
- Friday, October 25 at 9 p.m. at AMC Castleton Square 14
- Saturday, October 26 at 2 p.m. at AMC Traders Point 12
**Matthew is scheduled to attend the following screenings.
