DEEP DIVE INTO THE MOOGAI
Grab your popcorn and a choc bomb and settle in for an emotional rollercoaster with new film The Moogai, premiering this year at CinefestOZ and one of the finalists for richest $100,000 Film Prize.
A psychological, supernatural horror story that is anchored in the truth of the Stolen Generations, The Moogai is adapted from Director Jon Bell’s short film and MIFF 2020 Best Australian Short Film winner.
The film sees successful lawyer Sarah, played by Shari Sebbens (Thor: Love and Thunder; The Sapphires), unravel after the birth of her second child when she becomes convinced that an evil spirit “The Moogai” is trying to steal her baby. Meanwhile her supportive husband Fergus, played by Meyne Wyatt (Mystery Road, The Sapphires), can’t see the entity himself, so begins to wonder, is there truly a threatening spirit in their home or is it Sarah putting the safety of their family at risk?
Director Jon Bell, known for shows such as Cleverman, Redfern Now and Mystery Road explained that the character of The Moogai embodies the darker elements of government and its reach.
“It represents ways in which governments run their agendas, the way they can terrifyingly pursue their goals and like the Moogai, it has a long reach….and often comes across as two-faced…hounding and hunting you,” Bell said.“In the end, Sarah is the only thing that stands between the Moogai and her children. The Moogai needs to get her out of the way, and it does this by gaslighting her, by trying to get her to doubt herself. It taps into the most primal fear for any parent – someone or something turning your child into prey. That fear makes The Moogai relatable across race, colour, religion and language. It is the most intense universal fear.”
BEWARE THE BOOGEYMAN!
Review by Stephen A Russell from Screenhub.
The horrors of the Stolen Generation manifest in The Moogai, a creeper where the creature is less important than the old scars it crawled through. Superbly captured by cinematographer Sean Ryan, this sequence rips open the old wounds of the Stolen Generation, yet offers the hope of healing. READ MORE
To find out more about the film and its stars – Sebbens, Wyatt and Bella Heathcote ahead of CinefestOZ 2024 – watch the Collider interview from earlier this year following the film’s world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.