Mouse!
Synopsis: A young boy who falls in love with a mouse which his dad is hell bent on killing. The mouse becomes a lens through which the film explores themes of love, loss, grief and fragile masculinity.
Director Statement
Mouse is a film about fragile masculinity, and about how traditional roles played by dads can hobble them emotionally as well as preventing them from connecting with their kids.It is essentially a film about my relationship with my own dad and with my seven year old son. My intention is for the film to offer hope that it is never too late to change and that children are often powerful teachers in our emotional journeys. I wanted to introduce hope, and a catalyst for change, a way to explore how we can open up to each other and learn from our kids… cue the mouse! The mouse brings a lightness and a touch of charm and humour which is very important to me. It is an accessible way to unlock some big themes.
Fun fact - we trained five identical mice for two months straight in order to get all the mouse performances which are all achieved in camera.
Director Biography - Max Fisher
Max had a turbulent youth and began making films using a borrowed camcorder while working with youth offending programs. He makes emotional films with heart, characterised by authenticity and moments of humour. His youth work background developed into documentary work, often focusing on kids and marginalised groups.
Max and producing partner Simon Alveranga share a love of youth work and of telling stories with a lightness of touch and with a lot of heart. They made their first short - 'Small Change' last year, and 'Mouse!' is their second, this time teaming up with co producer Maddy Easton