PIECES
Feature Film
Pieces (2022) - Official Trailer
An Art Teacher and her recovery class are commissioned to make the backdrop for a professional dance performance. As a documentary film crew record the process they uncover the incredible personal stories of the students and their battles with mental illness. These experiences not only mould and transform the final performance, but also their lives and the life of their teacher.
95mim Drama
Directed by Martin Wilson
Written by Monique Wilson
Produced by Martin Wilson & Nicole Ferraro - Third Storey Pictures
Executive Producers - Melissa Kelly & Ryan Hodgson - Factor 30 Films
Cast - Monique Wilson, Dalip Sondhi, David Genat & Allegra Teo
PIECES is a collaboration between Third Storey Pictures, HelpingMinds, Factor 30 Films, Meeting For Minds and Halo Films with funding supported by the Australian Cultural Fund.
Full credits list via IMDB
PIECES NOW AVAILABLE TO EDUCATORS ON ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) to assist in curriculum development and lesson planning. Visit the the ATOM website to access the study guide and the film which is available to stream for short term rental or life time access.
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) AWARDS 2022 NOMINEE
BEST INDIE FILM - Martin Wilson (Dir.), Nicole Ferraro
BEST COSTUME DESIGN IN FILM - Monique Wilson, Kristie Rowe
WA Mental Health AWARDS 2022 WINNER
NEWS MEDIA - Martin Wilson (Dir.), Nicole Ferraro, Third Storey Pictures & HelpingMinds
WA SCREEN AWARDS 2022
INNOVATION IN NARRATIVE FEATURE UNDER $1mil - Martin Wilson, Nicole Ferraro, Ryan Hodgson & Melissa Kelly WINNER
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION - Martin Wilson
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY OR VISUALISATION - Jim Frater
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING - Lawrie Silvestrin
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ORIGINAL MUSIC - Tim Alwynne-Count
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN - Dennon Pike, Monique Wilson, Kristie Rowe, Tess Rowe, Shannon Murphy - WINNER
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE- Monique Wilson, Megan Aspinall, Alex Arco
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PERFORMANCE (UNDER 18) - Allegra Teo, Jasmine Lucas
AUSTRALIAN DIRECTORS’ GUILD AWARDS 2022
BEST DIRECTION IN A FEATURE FILM (BUDGET UNDER $1MIL) NOMINEE - Martin Wilson
Australian Cinematographers Society AWARDS - WA ACS2022
FEATURE FILM (BUDGET UNDER $2MIL) WINNER GOLD - Jim Frater
Australian Cinematographers Society AWARDS - NATIONAL 2022
FEATURE FILM (BUDGET UNDER $2MIL) NOMINEE - Jim Frater
Australian Screen Sound Guild AWARDS 2022
BEST SOUND FOR AN INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM NOMINEE - Benjamin Morris, Kim Lord, Alex Wilson, Richard Hubbard, Xoe Baird, Christopher Phillips, Steve Trowbridge
FESTIVAL SELECTION
CINEFESTOZ FILM FESTIVAL, BUSSELTON (AUS) 2022
WA MADE FILM FESTIVAL, PERTH (AUS) 2022
SEE IT THIS WAY FESTIVAL, UTAH (USA) 2023
CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH FILM FESTIVAL (AUS) 2023
REVIEWS
- Isabella Rossellini, Actor
"The film is WONDERFUL. I love it’s originality not only of the subject but how it is told. It is a kind of hybrid between a documentary and fiction. The images are so beautiful and haunting . They are like paintings. I often thought of painters like Francis Bacon where the paintings lose some of the reality in front of the eyes to capture also what is in the minds and hearts. I hope the film will be widely seen and bring solace to all that suffer including the family around them and knowledge to the lucky ones who never were confronted with these tragedies. What an uplifting message to see art as a healing power. I once worked in Greece in the most ancient theatre in the world Epidaurus. It started as a mean to heal because it was believed that observing dramas had a positive effect on mental and physical health. I wish this film to find distribution all over the world.”
Matthew Eeles, Cinema Australia
★★★★
"Bold, powerful and intense. Pieces is pure cinematic perfection"
Professor Patrick McGorry AO MD, BS, PhD, FRANZCP, FAA, FASSA, FAHMS, 2010 Australian of the Year
"I found PIECES to be very inspirational and its approach in trying to breakdown traditional stereotypes, particularly in the post Covid period as we have a surge for need in care is very timely and appropriate"
Emeritus Professor Geoff Gallop AC
"PIECES is a powerful drama, visually acute and personally confronting, dealing with family and social circumstances any of us could face. It doesn’t proselytize rather it lays out the territory, some of which is disturbing. But not all, it does show how the light can shine through even in the darkest of terrain. We do need to know about these things and Pieces helps us along the way. A must see and a must talk about afterwards"
Dr Nathan Gibson, Chief Psychiatrist Western Australia
"There is a panoply of films purporting to capture the essence or reality of mental illness. Mental illness is frustratingly difficult to portray without agenda, prejudice or stigma. PIECES does this without the stereotypes, without the caricatures, but with raw and empathic humanity. PIECES sets out to destigmatize and highlight the eclectic strings of mental illness which runs through all families, and it presents this message with a striking visual style with that has great power and nuance. The filmmakers purposefully avoid mentioning diagnosis or discussion of symptoms, this really seemed to give the film permission to focus on loss and the grittiness and granularity of our interpersonal lives with emotionally fractured frames, through community, bravery and resilience, and with all the imperfections of authentic love and hope"
Aurelio Costarella, Creative Director + Mental Health Advocate
“Beyond the visual feast is a deeply compelling story : beautifully told and thoughtfully conceived. Pieces takes us on journey into a world of persons living with mental/emotional dysregulation, and the people that care for them.A world where the two are equally impacted and roles and boundaries become blurred. Themes of self-harm and suicidal ideation are implied but not explicit, both dealt with sensitively. As a creative with my own lived experience and an advocate in the mental health space, the subject matter becomes personal – reflection of my own journey and the lives of an often unseen and misunderstood community.“
Gillian O'Shaughnessy, Journalist & Writer
“What an absolute privilege to MC the screening of the new Western Australian film, Pieces to launch Mental Health Week in WA. Directed by Martin Wilson and written by Monique Wilson who also plays a lead role. This is a must see movie that is not afraid to confront the challenges of mental illness or to break through stereotypes. The performances are nuanced, courageous and deeply tender, the cast is simply dazzling. It’s shot in Perth and I have to say Director, Martin Wilson has given us a glorious vision of our beautiful city. Perth looks stunning and I can’t recall seeing it shot so well for cinema. Highly recommend. There are some scenes and images I imagine could be triggering, and are certainly confronting, but with that in mind I think it’s a brilliant film for everyone impacted in any way by this illness, and especially for teenagers, it should be shown in schools, wrapped in conversations and links to support services and resources. Congratulations to all involved. See this film if you can people. “
Steve Browne, Artist & Filmmaker
“Today I saw a film that instantly changed my life. It is really hard to put in to words how important this film is, so much so that my friend and I were still deep diving into it's layers several hours later and audibly asking "how did they just do that?!" If there has ever been a film that allows it's audience to enter in to the personal thoughts and emotional struggle of people struggling with very real mental health situations, it is this one. In my opinion this film should be screened in every high school as curriculum. It is raw, bold and brutally honest at the same time as being shot and edited beautifully, with the message of love, patience and acceptance as it's backbone. It was clear that everyone on the set of this film had one goal: to de stigmatize and open up conversations surrounding mental health and give straight and clear answers to those who walk with them on that journey. PIECES begins it's Australian tour in select cinemas on Oct 6 in Perth during mental health week, then continues through rural WA before hitting the Eastern states. The tour locations and dates are in the link.
Please see this film”.
Paul Werzel Montague, Mental Health Advocate and Educator PLEX
"While I could wax lyrical about the outstanding artistic qualities of PIECES, I was especially moved by the film’s honouring of people like me. These were real characters, fully formed and human, with universal human struggles and desires. They were greater than walking diagnoses, they were rich and multi-faceted, they were greater than objects of sympathy or inspiration fodder. They were human. Utterly human. I’m not sure how often I’ve seen that simple dignity in films about people like me"
