Is Adam Elliot Australia's most beloved 'sad clown'? His latest film, the painfully melancholic, darkly-hued MEMOIR OF A SNAIL, suggests the iconic stop-motion artistry of the Melbourne-based, internationally-lauded director might be the outlet he needs to cope with a world in which life's worst moments are just...just...outweighed by living's pure joy.
Human connection is what comes through most profoundly in Elliott's visions. From the family trilogy of shorts he made at the Victorian College of The Arts (Uncle, 1996; Cousin, 1999; Brother, 2000) to his Oscar-winning Harvie Krumpet (2003), feature debut Mary and Max (2009) and most recent work, Ernie Biscuit (2015), Elliott's protagonists endure a soul-scarring existence, yet emerge filled with their version of 'a happy life'.
From his home in Melbourne, Adam Elliot spoke with SCREEN WATCHING's Simon Foster about the big themes at play in his new film, the dark and the light of his narratives and the storytellers who continue to inspire him.
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL is in Australian cinemas from October 17, 2024.