OUT OF WATER - When the water in her state apartment inexplicably shuts off, abandoned Chinese pensioner Mrs Lim descends into a transformation that will cause her to confront her isolation and loneliness.
Unable to communicate, Mrs Lim; a lone pensioner in New Zealand leads a frugal, solitary life. Busying herself with comforting habits; catching and salting fish, she doesn’t allow herself any sentimentality, choosing to remain stoic and self-sufficient. One day the apartment taps dry up. The lack of water forces her to reach out for help from her overseas daughter. Her voicemails go unanswered. Meanwhile inexplicable occurrences hint at a frightening physical transformation. While attempting to stockpile water, Mrs Lim is embarrassed to discover that her weekly pension has been withheld. Only able to buy a meagre amount she carefully rations the resource. And when a fishing struggle results in the last of her liquid being spilled, she is forced to consider stealing a beverage from her neighbour to quench her thirst. When caught, she drops the prize, only snatching a few ice cubes for her parched mouth. Accepting an act of empathy from the grandson next door saves Mrs Lim from her thirst and elicits the final stage of her transformation…. just as the water is turned back on. OUT OF WATER is the personification of vulnerability in isolation. Who do we become when we acknowledge our thirst for love and connection?
Director - Michelle Ang
