Short Film ‘Her Mattress’ Addresses the Crime of Sexual Assault in a Simple But Effective Way

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Kira Nelson

Kira Nelson is an upcoming Australian actress who features in the lead role of a university student film entitled ‘Her Mattress’. Everyone involved in the project worked their hardest to develop a film that touches on the very important topic of sexual assault in the wake of the #MeToo movement. The figures are shocking, particularly the stats for young people. In the US alone, one in 9 girls and one in 53 boys under the age of 18 experienced sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult, 82% of all victims under 18 are female and females ages 16-19 are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.* We caught up with Kira to discuss the project and her involvement with this Australian university project.

Hi Kira, congratulations on the making of ‘Her Mattress’. It’s addressing the serious issue of sexual assault simply and effectively.

Thank you so much, it’s the first speaking role I landed and being the lead as well I was nervous but so excited at the same time! It was such an amazing project to be apart of, although being a short film and limited on time, it addressed the serious issues surrounding sexual assault while touching base on the important connections we have with friends and family to help us get through hard times.

What inspired your approach to making this short film?

I think being the lead and portraying Ally, who went through such a traumatic experience, I wanted to make sure that I was portraying her in a way that was respectful and true. It was really important to me that I connected with Ally and brought her across in a way that anyone could connect and see that everyone has different ways of healing through their trauma in their own time.

I wasn’t one of the students at La Trobe University. The students creating the film cast me to be Ally. Lily Smith was the producer/writer. The director was Nawal Wazir. Andrew Irving was the Cinematographer/editor and James Anderson was responsible for sound editing. They were truly some of the nicest people I have ever met. They had everything planned before I got there and just filled me in one what was going on that day. Nawal always made sure I was comfortable in every scene and worked hard to put together an amazing film. Lily wrote such an amazing script that portrayed what was going through Ally’s mind which made it easier for me to bring Ally to life, oh also James and Andrew who were film and sound we’re hilarious when filming was done it was very bittersweet because I had so much fun with these people I didn’t want to stop filming but at the same time, I was so excited to see the final product! Once we finished filming they took everything and created what you’re able to watch online now!

We filmed only over 3 days however they were long days! Even though it’s a short film setting all the equipment up and blocking out scenes always took some time so the days were long, we sometimes shot one part of a scene from 5 different angles maybe 5 times each but I didn’t mind I mean it’s just so fun being able to be there and create something! A

Being picked for this role, I didn’t have a face to face audition. I sent in self-tapes from previous work and they cast me. It’s not your typical casting however I’m so happy that they picked me and gave me this chance. They made the time I spent on set so fun!

How much research was undertaken ahead of its production?

The crew involved were wonderful and had a vision of how they wanted the film to turn out, which took any stress or nerves I felt out of filming. I think connecting with the script and understanding how Ally and how she would react to certain things and feeling was the most important part of my research, really discovering who Ally was and her relationships with her friends and family and bringing this character to life.

What has been the reaction to the film?

I think that any piece of media whether it be an article, short film, commercial or podcast around issues such as this continues to raise awareness for people affected which is so important. I believe whoever has watched this film can appreciate the message its represented, I know I felt proud to be apart of something so important.

Will this be used formally in any way to raise awareness of sexual harassment and sexual assault?

I’m unsure of how this film may be used in the future however I do know just by being available for anyone to watch is in itself raising awareness for sexual harassment and sexual assault issues, as long as people continue to speak up on the issue I believe that films such as this or any other sort of media will continue to make a difference and I hope to make people know they are not alone.

What other projects should we look forward to seeing you in?

I hope a lot! I’m continuously working on my craft and looking forward to reading new scripts. Attending workshops and classes helps keep me active and they’re always such fun. I’ve recently been auditioning for a very interesting feature film so hopefully, you guys will see me in a new project very soon!

Where will our readers find out more about you?

You can always find me on Instagram @kirajaenelson I love sharing the other aspects of my life besides acting, I try to stay as active on there as much as possible!