Female Film Fest 2018: Australian director Cara Stricker premieres experimental short film ‘Maverick’
By Ryan Aliapoulios
Although you may not have heard of Cara Stricker by name, you’ve almost certainly seen her work if you spend much time on the internet. In brief, Stricker is an Australian-born, multi-disciplinary artist with many creative credits. Through her work with Fader, she directed 'A-Z' of Aaliyah, a video exploring the late artist’s creative vision and influence on modern R&B. She’s directed short docs on A$AP Rocky for MTV Labs as well as music videos for Kacy Hill, a former backup dancer for Kanye West and a newly-minted singer-songwriter signed to West’s GOOD Music imprint. Stricker has also released two musical projects, DOWN and DROOL, the latter of which was a collaboration with John Kirby of Blood Orange.
Through all of these disparate works, what shines through is Stricker’s refined taste as a curator of both sound and image. Stricker’s short film ‘Maverick,’ a 20-minute meditation on toxic relationships and female identity, fits neatly with that trend and announces Stricker as an up-and-coming talent. The film stars Victoria’s Secret fashion model and actress Abbey Lee as Maverick and Rhys Coiro, of ‘Entourage’ fame, as her ex-lover Richard. The non-linear story begins with Maverick living in a progressive commune in LA before being visited by Richard. Trapped in her apartment by her charismatic but manipulative ex, the story punctuates every shift in their power dynamic with evocative visual flourishes to match. Though it requires some interpretation on the viewer’s part, the film has atmosphere and style to spare.
