Written by DEGANZ member Jackie van Beek and directed by fellow member Armağan Ballantyne, unique comedy Nude Tuesday was recently labelled a hidden gem after being promoted at the European Film Market in Berlin.
The film follows a conservative, middle-aged couple, played by Jackie van Beek and Damon Herriman, trying to save a failing marriage with a trip to a new-age relationship retreat rich in sexual liberation and extreme nudity.
Nude Tuesday goes further with its uniqueness by being shot entirely in a made-up language. It was then sent to a few comedians to add their own subtitles. British comedian Julia Davis produced one version of subtitles, whilst Australian comedians Celia Pacquola and Ronny Chieng produced another set. The film will be available with both sets of English subtitles.
Armağan told Deadline that speaking in a made-up language meant that the actors didn’t have to worry about getting their lines right. instead, they could “focus on the tone and emphasis of the emotional exchanges between each other”.
Moreover, in the edit, “We were able to speed up scenes we thought were too slow by literally just cutting out bits of dialogue, knowing that it wouldn’t have the remotest impact on the story” says Jackie.
Well done to Jackie and Armağan. The NZ release date for Nude Tuesday hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re curious as to what to expect out of its two sets of subtitles!
