<p>Giles Chan's <em>Jellyfish </em>was one of the cinematic revelations that I experienced during 2025. It's a film about a man, Henry, played with grounded depression by Aidan Rynne, who earns money by being a human punching bag. His body is riddled with bruises, most inflicted by others, some inflicted by himself. He's a jellyfish of a person, consuming enough to survive, but otherwise floating through Perth on a journey to nothing.</p><p>After one paid beating, he meets Maddy (Orly Beringer), and sparks a bond, of sorts. Yet, it's a relationship that doesn't last long. I'm reminded of the song <a href="https://youtu.be/UKuk6IPzSWw?si=uGFKNbiOXght77sU&amp;t=351" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rosemary Mushrooms by Jack Davies &amp; the Bush Chooks</a>, which in the dissolution of the bond in that song he wails: 'How can I love somebody if I'm frightened of myself?'</p><p><em>Jellyfish </em>left a mark on me, a similar mark in the way that Giles' short film <em>Interview </em>did when that screened at Perth's Revelation Film Festival. That short film explores how the capitalistic society we live in restricts any sense of self, with people being pushed into a box of servitude.</p><p>In this conversation, recorded ahead of the Revelation Film Festival in July, and being released today to honour<em> Jellyfish</em>'s inclusion in my annual <a href="http://www.thecurb.com.au/best-australian-films-of-2025/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Best Australian Films of 2025 list</a>, Giles talks about his journey into filmmaking, the literalisation of emotions in his films, and the presentation of pain on screen.</p><p>Sign up for the latest interviews, reviews, and more via https://www.thecurb.com.au/subscribe/</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>