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Dark and Twisted
A new revenge flick shot in Sydney has called it a wrap!
Currently in the final stages of post-production is a new action film shot in Sydney, The Devil's 6 Commandments, which revolves around six revenge stories that intertwine with one another.
At the centre of the film is the character of Nina who after being brutally raped by thugs is persuaded by her step brother to track the perpetrators down and torture them. During their revenge mission, Nina and her brother encounter a rogue cop who helps their cause, a homophobic multi-millionaire and a priest with a dark past.
Despite its dark and brutal themes, director Dicky Tanuwidjaya says his first feature film is actually a very personal story. "I adapt my life experience into the movie world by exaggerating the characters, changing some of the events, using metaphors through moving images and adding entertainment layers on top."
Lead actress Gianna Pattison who plays the role of Nina says shooting the film was an intense experience. "The director was continually challenged to find new ways to kill people. I remember a particular day in filming, I had to kill about ten people! Over and over again!"
However Pattison found the action scenes to be the most enjoyable part of the process. "I'm pretty adventurous and I've trained in martial arts for 14 years now and also had special training in weapons so that I could be skilled in the film... My friends joke around with me calling me the new Lara Croft," the actress laughs.
Shot on a budget of $55,000, funding for the film largely came from the director's own savings. "I didn't apply for government funding for this one, because I didn't want to spend months filling out application forms and compiling documents. You can only call yourself a filmmaker if you make films, instead of filling out forms and compiling documents," Tanuwidjaya says.
Apart from budgeting constraints, the director encountered myriad other challenges including a camera man pulling out at the last minute, as well as a "fickle actress." Tanuwidjaya recalls, "There's an actress who was supposed to play a supporting role who pulled out ten days before we started filming. Just days before shooting began, she rang me to say that she was bothered by the film's ending because it was against her religious beliefs."
Indeed the film may prove challenging for some viewers with its dark and sadistic themes but Tanuwidjaya says audiences who enjoy entertaining movies won't be disappointed. "There is plenty of action, dark humour and poignant moments in the film to keep audiences entertained. If people see it as pure entertainment, I'm happy. If they try to dig deeper and if the film makes them think, then it's a bonus."
To find out more about The Devil's 6 Commandments, visit the film's website.