.svg)
Eliza Scanlen
Locarno Residency 2023 | Australia
Locarno Residency 2023 | Australia
Eliza Scanlen is an Australian actor, writer and director. She is best known for her performances in Sharp Objects (Jean-Marc Vallée), Little Women (Greta Gerwig), Babyteeth (Shannon Murphy) and The Starling Girl (Laurel Parmet), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year. At the 2020 Sydney Film Festival, Eliza’s debut short film, Mukbang, received the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director. Eliza’s latest short film, How Can I Help You, screened at the 2023 Sydney Film Festival. This year, Eliza participated in the Berlinale Talents programme as a Director.
2020 Mukbang
2023 How Can I Help You
Robin (25) is a graduate midwife who longs for adventure beyond her comfortable life in suburban Sydney. This prompts her decision to work on an exchange program in an isolated coastal town.
One night, while Robin works a shift alone at the hospital, a troubled Carly (25) arrives unexpectedly in preterm labour. When Robin calls in her Educator for emergency assistance, they discover that Robin failed to recognise the baby was already dead. Carly, in her despair, accuses Robin of killing the baby.
While Robin is not to blame for the incident, she’s racked with a guilt that causes her to fixate on Carly. Bound by the confines of their small town, a few brief encounters spark an unlikely friendship between them, which they must keep a secret from Robin’s Educator. However, as Carly’s suspicion of Robin continues to fester, we begin to question who really is to blame – is it Robin, Carly, or an under-resourced healthcare system? Ultimately, Robin and Carly realise they must push aside their lingering resentment and forgive in order to heal.
In Shark Skin, a young graduate midwife becomes entangled with the life of a young mother when a stillbirth occurs under her care. An exploration of how two young women of the same age, on different life paths, come to terms with their shared trauma.
