FROM Perth to the global film industry, Aminah Hughes is returning home to premiere her latest short film, We Can Never Go Back.
The film marks the latest chapter in her career that has seen her work as a director, producer, photographer, writer and musician.
Hughes has worked on features for major studios including Disney, Pixar and Warner Bros, alongside a range of independent projects.
Her new short drama will be premiering on March 29 at The Backlot in West Perth.
Hughes says her love for the creative industries stemmed from her childhood, growing up around her mum who was a theatre arts teacher.
She spent much of her after-school time watching her mum rehearse, often sitting at the back of the hall playing piano.
“Creativity was always such a great outlet for me,” Hughes said.
“It sort of helped me process the world when I was going through things.
I would write songs, I’d write poetry,” Hughes said.
It was also her mum who introduced her to music, taking her to the orchestra as a little girl.
For her 10th birthday, Hughes received a flute, which she still describes as the “best present I ever got”.
Her love for music continued into adulthood, spending eight years travelling through Ireland and Switzerland as a musician before relocating to the United States to be closer to what she says is the “hub of film and music and storytelling”.
San Francisco
She’s found a strong community of creatives in San Francisco.
We Can Never Go Back was filmed in California’s Joshua Tree Desert, but its post-production spanned across Australia and the US, with sound design completed in Perth.
Originally intended as a proof of concept for a feature film, We Can Never Go Back instead sparked the idea for a TV series currently in the development stage.
The dystopian drama, starring Dead Poets Society actors Dylan Kussmon and Allelon Ruggiero, focuses on the story of two men trying to survive in a world without women.
The story covers the topic of trauma recovery, a recurring theme throughout Hughes’ work.
The original script for the film, written by Dylan Kussmon, had a masculine feel to it, whereas Hughes chose to incorporate a feminine aspect to it.
She has created a safe emotional space for men that tells the narrative of “healing trauma without violence.”
Hughes hopes audiences will feel a sense of contentment in watching the characters draw on their inner strength to overcome personal struggles.
However, she acknowledges the film’s meaning will vary, resonating differently depending on where viewers are in their own lives.
The premiere is not only a screening, but an opportunity for emerging filmmakers to gain a deeper understanding of the film making process.
Through a post screening Q&A, Hughes hopes to offer valuable insight into the world of filmmaking, or in her words, “how to make magic out of dust”.
Hughes talked about the importance of “resilience and perseverance” in the film industry and encourages aspiring creatives to make as many connections as possible and to never give up.
by EMMA NAIM