Kate Blackmore’s documentary feature debut, Make It Look Real, follows intimacy coordinator Claire Warden as she works with three actors on the set of Tightrope, negotiating the vision of a director, the physical and psychological needs of the cast, and a documentary crew filming her every move.
As Warden helps the actors negotiate their boundaries, writer-director Kieran Darcy-Smith shapes the story, and a collaborative, non-exploitative path for bringing sex and intimacy to the screen emerges. The participants include Sarah Roberts, Albert Mwangi, Kieran Darcy-Smith, and Tom Davis.
Bethany Bruce and Daniel Joyce produced the film for Staple Fiction and Projector Films, working with EPs Bridget Ikin, Emma Cooper, Michael Agar, Stevie Ray, and Elliott Magen, who also served as editor.
The creative team also featured cinematographer Justine Kerrigan, sound designer Jennifer Leonforte, composer Benjamin Speed, production designer Pele Hehea, and costume designer Leiahn Brown.
Make It Look Real, which received support from Screen Australia, Screen NSW, and the Adelaide Film Festival Investment Fund, will screen at this year’s Sydney Film Festival on Thursday, June 12, at Dendy Newtown and on Saturday, June 14, at Event Cinemas George Street.
It will be released via Bonsai Films at a later date.