MELALEUCA

Feature film

Non-binary skimpy bar worker, Remy (21), is taking their life day by day. They are radically free, no strings attached, surrounded by a sexually liberated circle of friends. But on the cusp of yet another carefree summer of substance-fuelled nights and fleeting encounters, an unexpected call thrusts them into the role of caregiver for their estranged mother, Aiyana (40), who has returned to Cairns battling liver failure. A complex dynamic is uncovered between mother and child, as Remy struggles to let the overbearing, boundary-less Aiyana back into their life — which is complicated by a growing connection to captivating Henna (23). Remy's life spirals into chaos as Aiyana's presence disrupts their already fragile sense of self. What unfolds is a poetic and poignant exploration of identity in the pursuit of freedom.

Selected for the Toronto Film Festival Filmmaker Lab 2021 | recipient of Screen Australia Development Funding support

Writer/director—Jess Barclay-Lawton | producer—Lizzie Cater