Amissa Anima

Tatiana Doroshenko

Katrina Mathers Bernie Clifford

Australia

Catalina Film Festival
Los Angeles
United States
September 17, 2021
World
Official Selection: International Ideas
HollyShorts
Sherman Oaks, California
United States
September 23, 2021
Official Selection: International Programme
Sedicicorto International Film Festival
Forlì
Italy
October 1, 2021
European Premiere
Official Selection
Rome Independent Film Festival: RIFF Awards
Rome
Italy
November 18, 2021
Buenos Aires International Film Festival
Buenos Aires
Argentina
November 18, 2021
Official Selection: Best Cinematography
Bucharest Film Awards
Bucharest
Romania
October 4, 2021
Best Experimental Film nomination

en

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Tatiana Doroshenko
Director
Earth, Cam Girl, Shot
David Markin
Writer
Katrina Mathers
Producer
Nullarbor, The Gallant Captain, Half of Me, The Referees
Bernie Clifford
Producer
Jim Daly
Key Cast
"Bill"
Justin Hosking
Key Cast
"Irvin"
David Kara
Key Cast
"Paul"
Ellery Ryan ACS
Director of Photography
David Markin
Screenplay
Tatiana Doroshenko
Screenplay
Earth, Cam Girl, Shot

Four boys survive on the seedy night streets of St Kilda’s red-light district in Australia in the 1980’s. Based on true events. (Adult themes)

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Tatiana’s short films and screen works have seen audiences in Australia, Europe and America. Screening highlights include European Media Arts Festival (EMAF) 2007, VAD Spain 2006, Transmediale Berlin 2002, Santiago Biennale in 2003 and HollyShorts 2015. In 2006, she wrote and co-produced a Tropfest finalist short film Last Stop. A number of her short-form scripts have done well in local and international competitions. In 2014 she completed a Masters at the Victorian College of the Arts with a psychological thriller that screened at the TCL Cinemas with HollyShorts. The co-written screenplay for the short Amissa Anima was short listed for script awards in Australia, USA and Mexico. She has been a sometime actor since 1986. Tatiana has worked in the community sector and Indigenous organisations, developing digital stories. She is a first generation Australian, her parents migrating after the second world war from Poland and Ukraine.
Director Statement

Amissa Anima is set in 1980’s St Kilda, Australia, when a network of paedophiles preyed on street kids as young as 10 years old. The characters are fictional but based on true events and the writers’ personal experiences.

This occurred worldwide and took place before child protection laws and awareness were as strong as they are today. (See the 1981 German film Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo). It is still a major crime today, but manifests differently with technology.

David Markin and Tatiana Doroshenko grew up together in St Kilda, they are close to this story, witnessing the long-term effects of child-abuse and neglect across generations. This project is a voice for those silenced by shame, ignorance and pain.

We aimed to give a humanity and authenticity to these stories and crimes that is difficult to access via mainstream media. The historical content and sensitive subject matter called for a classical, black and white visual execution and who better to achieve this than the highly experience veteran cinematographer Ellery Ryan. Ellery and the more experienced amongst us mentored young and emerging crew and actors, many have since spring boarded their careers from this project.

Making this film has been a long emotional journey, an ordeal but greatly rewarding. It was difficult to make on many fronts not only due the production restrictions imposed by working with children on the difficult subject of the exploitation of vulnerable children living on the streets, but also the personal connection to the subject for the creators.

Thanks to a formidable team of committed, generous and wonderful people who believed in it and stuck with us to the end we 'made it'. A special mention to the City of Port Phillip who endorsed it. A lot of hearts went into its making so hopefully, some of that will reach our audiences.