By Travis Johnson
Fascinated with film since childhood, director Davo Hardy first began making his own in primary school. His passion of the medium never abated, taking him onto film school and a series of short films before making his feature debut, The Lives We Lead, in 2015. Not one to rest on his laurels, he quickly followed it up with his second feature, the supernatural drama Hunting for Shadows, which sees a young girl (Sage Amethyst Matchett) encounter figures from Indigenous mythology when lost in the bush. Sage Godrei, Paul Mercurio, Tracey Batenburg and Will Luckman co-star.
What was the original inspiration behind Hunting for Shadows?
I was touring the Warrumbungles National Park and there was a guided tour of the rock art and cave paintings. There was a lot of folklore and Dreamtime stories available during the visit and piece by piece it began to form a plot to me. Having just made a coming of age drama, I wanted to make my next film project something completely different. So I went with a suspense horror based on mythology.
How did you approach the Indigenous elements of the story?
With a great deal of hesitation. There was a paradox very early on where one can research these elements but accuracy and authority are very vague. Not being of Indigenous descent myself, I’m certainly no authority on the matter. So I made a point to precede the film with a disclaimer that the elements therein should be taken with a grain of salt. I wanted to remain as respectful and tasteful as possible too. In these times of high political correctness, it is easy to unintentionally put noses out of joint.
Are you a horror fan? What are some of the filmmakers and movies that influenced your work here?
I regard horror as being one of the most difficult genres to do well, as it’s all in the subtle nuance of music, atmosphere and performance. I am a fan of the genre, but also of international cinema, which is perhaps why Hunting for Shadows is not a gory, scare-per-minute action flick. There might be traces of my influence from Ridley Scott and Rolf de Heer, in their mutual use of stillness and lingering shots.
What challenges did you face realising your film on a low budget?
Getting unspoiled and silent bushland within a convenient distance of Sydney was nearly impossible. Even on the rural property where most of the film was shot, there was a neighbour two properties down who was unwittingly costing us a shooting day for wanting to mow his enormous paddock. It was only a distant sound, but the soundie wasn’t pleased. There was also the challenge of working with a child for the lead. Shooting days are shorter and the way in which I had to direct her was different from how I would direct the adults. Children, thankfully, generally can’t recall an instance of intense fear at a moment’s notice, for example.
How did the cast come together?
I’d worked with Sage Matchet on my first feature and had her in mind when writing Hunting for Shadows. The other characters were blank canvases to me. Sage Godrei and I met at a filmmakers social group and the actors playing the parents were just getting their start. Casting Paul Mercurio was an opportunity that came out of nowhere. I’d always been a big fan of his work and heard he was looking for a low-stakes gig. I sent him the script and resigned myself to leaving it at that. But he was taken by the unique nature of the story, we had a lengthy telephone conversation in which he sussed me out and before I knew it, I was picking him up from Sydney airport just days ahead of shooting.
What is your release strategy? How are you finding attracting in audience in the modern marketplace?
The film is expected to be released around Christmas 2016. The audience is easier to gauge when a film is readily available, but from the screenings and festivals we’ve been a part of, the response has been positive. Horror as a genre is very commonplace and while it’s not a genre I plan to indulge in very often in the future, it was successful as a challenge to me. Assuming the film does well upon its DVD and VOD release, all the challenges and mishaps along the way will have been worth it.
What’s up next for you?
I’m getting back to my comfortable coming-of-age dramas. I have a somewhat autobiographical tale with The Gist of It set for 2017, followed by several more confronting and challenging dramas, still in development.
Hunting for Shadows is due out in December 2016.
