Why Are We Haunted?

Shot in Williamstown, this was filmed on the traditional Lands of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Wurrung language groups of the Eastern Kulin Nations. I would like to pay my respects to elders; past, present and emerging, as well as extend that respect to any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who may be watching. This always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.

A short essay film exploring the prevalence of ghost stories, and examining why we enjoy telling spooky tales in the dark. From ancient times, to the romantic period and spiritualism movement, ghosts have been a common trope of humanity’s creativity. Why are these stories so prevalent? Why is humanity so intrigued with the concept of the paranormal? This film discusses my personal views on ghost stories and why I think we continue to tell them.

I wrote this film as an essay, and then went around iconic locations of Williamstown, most of which are deemed haunted. These locations provided a naturally spooky atmosphere to the piece and the experience of filming in these locations helped me connect with the subject matter further. This film was a lot of fun to shoot and edit, allowing me to play around with horror elements such as lighting, music and sound effects. I learnt a lot about shooting in scenes with diverse lighting and acoustic, as well as gaining experience in ADR (due to issues with the sound recording equipment used, all scenes had to be voiced over).