ARCHIVED

After twiddling my thumbs for too many years and overthinking what to write about and where to start, I finally did it - I directed and co-wrote my first film (excuse my french but holy shit). 

Archived is based on a thought that popped into my head one day after I'd been admittedly stalking my ex’s instagram and noticed that he had removed every single image of me off his feed. I realised, if you saw our 5 year relationship online, it would be there - and then gone within an instant. I had technically been “archived” …ouch. 

I then came to Logan Ayers - a dear friend who miraculously doubles up as an incredible writer - with this concept and he helped me bring it to life. 

As we kept writing, I knew this was a story that I was compelled to tell - a relatable, yet sometimes shitty dating story. Inspired by shows like ’Everything I Know About Love’ and ‘Fleabag’, I knew I wanted to push a female led narrative, where the main character was utterly genuine and spoke about things like UTIs. The relationships portrayed are real too - based on some very special women in my life who allowed me tell their stories. Although some of these scenes might be an uncomfortable watch, I hope that seeing these types of relationships represented on screen might make some women feel less alone, as we all try to navigate the weird world of dating in your twenties.

Being a queer women, a massive goal of mine is to support and bring other marginalised communities in film to the forefront. Teaming up with the most genuine and kind hearted producer, Phoebe Graham, we knew we wanted to move away from a ‘traditional’ film set, so we found crew that were majority female, non-binary, POC, neurodivergent and queer (to note, over 65% of crew were female/non binary and were all but one heads of department too) and casted a trans actor as our lead male talent. It honestly still makes me emotional to reflect back on the incredible crew/cast we had on this one - and something that I will aim for moving forward.

I’m so darn proud of what we created.

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Archived follows Nadia, twenty-something and living in Melbourne's vibrant inner city, navigating modern dating complexities. After surviving two less than ideal relationships, she finally meets someone seemingly perfect and is drawn into a whirlwind romance. But as the cracks appear, she questions her identity and priorities. Through introspection, she discovers the strength to redefine her path towards authenticity and self-love