Meet The Filmmaker: The Making of “Among The People” [2023]
Meet The Filmmaker: Jody Clever
The Making of “Among The People”
Melbourne based Jody Cleaver has a personal art practice encompassing printmaking, painting, curation and animation. Her various artworks have been the subject of exhibitions at a wide range of Melbourne galleries and her animated films have screened at festivals around the world.
Her recent film “Among The People” is a beautifully crafted work that seamlessly blends the improvisational instincts of an abstract animator with the observational skills of a thoughtful artist. In it, she introduces us to Natalie Trayling, one of the wondrous citizens that makes Melbourne the unique place that it is. Natalie’s life was a full one by any measure and some of us would have encountered her as she brought classical piano music right onto the streets of Melbourne, playing to whoever wished to listen for however long they had to spare.
“Among The People” crafts together a ballet of imagery that captures and interweaves the near-boundless soul of the film’s subject, the spirit of the music Natalie spent a life sharing and the joyfully simple expressiveness of the kind of abstract animation of which Jody excels. It is a film combining skill, tribute and instinct in equal measure.
Jody will sit down and discuss what it takes to make a film that must somehow channel all of these elements but do so without script, storyboard or even any sort of production plan to speak of. And in the process we are also likely to learn more about the unique life of Natalie Trayling who left us earlier this year.
Among The People
Jody Cleaver
Australia, 6’25, 2022
This session is classified: Unclassified (M) Mature, not recommended for viewers under 15 years.
Please note that Backlot is NOT fully accessible. There are stairs with handrails, but no lift to the second floor where the cinema is located.