Talk To Me

Wed 13 June 2007 9pm
Filmmaker Mark Craig has kept every message left on his answerphone over the past 20 years.

In Talk To Me, he weaves these messages together with music and other paraphernalia from his life to tell his story. The documentary's duration is 22 mins 45 secs.

Director's statement
Mark Craig; May 2007

Back in 1985, the communication methods that we completely take for granted today were non-existent. There were no emails, no mobile phones, no texting. Like most people at the time, I bought an answer machine because I was forever missing calls to my home.

I began saving the messages because I thought they would make a nice audio 'diary' of sorts, especially since I didn't have the time or inclination to write one at the time.

After a few years went by and an assortment of interesting characters passed through my life, I began to think there might be an interesting project in the making.

Each 60min cassette tape was then numbered, dated and stored in a shoebox until such time I was ready to put something together. I didn't quite realize how long it would take to happen...

Fast forward 20 years!

In Talk To Me, I've taken a small selection of messages (chosen from literally thousands) that I feel capture the essence of life as it unfolded over the last two decades, for both me and a number of others in my circle.

These messages are interwoven with music and brought to life through a montage of photos depicting each caller, shot in one continuous rostrum camera move.

The result is an emotional rollercoaster of a journey from youthful exuberance to grey-haired maturity".