VARDOS ON SCREEN
Vardos at Melbourne Recital Centre 26 February 2021- stream for free here.
More Vardos on YouTube here, here, and here!
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THE PRIVATE PART
Written and directed by Faezeh Alavi, The Private Part was selected for the prestigious Persian Film Festival in Sydney 2019 and premiered at Palace Central Cinemas Chippendale, followed by a Q and A with cast and crew.
Alana Hunt and Christian Bagin star in this short, 20 minute film of the surreal and intense interaction between two Hungarian immigrants. Music by Sofia Chapman.
The Private Part screened in 2020 St Kilda Film Festival in the session 'Australia's Top 100- Dark Matter'. Official selection Sardinia, Italy 2020, award winner in Canada Shorts 2020.
PAINTED LADY
A documentary on artist Vali Myers by AFI award winning filmmaker Ruth Cullen
Producer/ director Ruth Cullen and Australian artist Vali Myers were friends for over 20 years, many of which were spent living in the Chelsea Hotel. In this delightful documentary, producer/director Ruth captures Vali at her studio in the heart of Melbourne and her wild valley in Southern Italy where she lived for over 30 years without electricity or running water.
When in Australia, Vali could be found either at her studio or the dingo farm belonging to her friend Bruce Jacobs’ who has almost single-handedly fought to preserve the pure bred dingo from extinction. Vali’s art is infused with her identification with nature and animals feature prominently in her work.
In Melbourne there were frequent visitors to her studio. Friends such as Romani poet Lee Fuhler and the musical group Vardos whose traditional Romani music from eastern Europe provides an exuberant backdrop to the action. Intertwined with the day to day activity are her drawings – dreamy, sensual, visions sometimes severe but always delicate and painstakingly composed. An intimate and revealing look at a fascinating life and work.
Featuring Vardos with Frances Evans on double bass
Completed 2002. Screened on SBS television and at ACMI, Federation Square Melbourne, and Bohemian Melbourne exhibition, State Library of Victoria 2015 and Vali Myers: Her Life & Work, 2022, State Library Victoria Conversation Quarter, 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne 3000 Australia
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ENTERTAINING COUNTESS DRACULA
Written by Sofia Chapman, directed by Nathan Godkin
ONLINE PREMIERE Thurs 14 October 2021 with a spooky introduction by Sofia Chapman and Alana Hunt.
In 17th Century Hungary, the infamous Blood Countess was convicted of gruesome crimes of torture and depravity with her young maids. Was she a bloodthirsty monster or the victim of a sinister political intrigue? As the net closes in on the Countess, her musicians come closer to the truth, only to find themselves trapped in a castle of absurd horrors. In the tradition of the silent era, directed by short film-maker Nathan Godkin, with a breathtaking musical score by Vardos, 'Entertaining Countess Dracula' tells a daringly bloody and comical tale of the woman behind the myth of the first female vampire.
Starring Natalia Axenova as the Countess and Peter Hosking as her evil nemesis Count Thurzo.
~30mins, b/w. Parental Guidance Recommended.
Produced by Sofia Chapman and Alanya van de Wiel. Photos by Justin Batchelor. Soundtrack recorded by Phil Egan at PBS FM with Alana Hunt, violin, Sofia Chapman, accordion and Melinda McCarthy, double bass.
Festival screenings: Melbourne Underground Film Festival,, Westgarth Film Festival: Ode to the Silent Era, New York Independent Film and Video Festival and Mediawave Festival, Hungary.
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An Embroidery of Old Maps and New
Four videopoems written and performed by Angela Costi, directed by Faezeh Alavi, with music by Sofia and Alana of Vardos. Supported by City of Melbourne COVID-19 Arts Grants.
Angela Costi
Please click the links below to view the four videopoems.
Making Lace, Shelter, The Routine of Space and Kinaesthetic Grace
The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Vardos cameo appearance in Series 5 Episode 2, 8:30pm Sun 24 Sep 2017 ABC TV.
The murder of a beautiful woman takes Blake inside the intriguing and exotic world of Romani travellers passing through Ballarat.
Spicks and Specks
Vardos cameo appearance in Series 5 Episode 7, 2009 ABC TV. With presenter Adam Hills, Team member Rhys Darby played up to the crowd, made filming go overtime and Sofia almost missed her flight to Hobart and had to go to the airport with only her Vardos outfit...
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A short film by Annemarie Szeleczky with music played by Sofia and Alana from VARDOS
Short animation - drawn in sand on glass with mixed media and cut-outs and shot with a digital camera. In this short film Annemarie recalls life growing up in the 50's in a Hungarian village by the shores of Lake Balaton. Completed 2003, 4'25 min. Screenings include Melbourne International Animation Festival, ACMI, Melbourne and LIAF, Soho, London 2004. Screened 2005 on SBS television Australia
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At the 2002 World Masters Games, one athlete will do anything to win, and his grandson will do anything to help.
Vic Younger is aptly named. At the 2002 World Masters Games, this 90-year-old athlete completes 11 events, with help from his coach and grandson, Matthew. But as the world records start to tumble, conflict builds over whether Vic is telling the truth about his age. The challenge of proving that Vic is 90 falls to Matthew, who is about to learn that the competitive spirit is both a blessing and curse, no matter what your age. Soundtrack is Vardos Hungarian and Transylvanian music!
2003 26 mins. A Melodrama Pictures production. Screened on SBS television Australia December 2004. Nominated for Rocky Mountain Television Awards 2004.
Seachange
Vardos cameo appearance in Series 3 Episode 12, aired Dec 12 2000 ABC TV, 'To Thine Own Self Be Relatively True'
Alana and Sofia of Vardos serenade Sigrid Thornton and Shaun Micallef with the Transylvanian track Bonchidai.
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