Tropfest talks to the animals

North Bondi actor Damon Gamaeu needed something to distract him during a five-day detox, so he made a film.

His animation, Animal Beatbox, was chosen as one of the 16 finalists that screened at Tropfest on Sunday, February 20.

And he won.

The film is an animated call of nature, a journey down a jungle river with different animals contributing to a collective song.

“Animal Beatbox is not so much a film as a creative blob. It’s a song using 80 different animals with the sound of each animal used as an instrument,” Gamaeu said.

“The film is a celebration of animals around us, a playful look at the animal kingdom. It’s a short, sharp burst of something creative.”

The Underbelly star directed the film, did the animation and composed the song, all at his mother’s house. But he had plenty of help from the ‘scissor sisters’ – his mum and his girlfriend Zoe who cut out the animals for the 2 minute and 20 seconds long animation.

This is Gamaeu’s second year at Tropfest – his film “One” was among the 16 Tropfest finalists screened in The Domain last year.

Animal Beatbox happened quickly and with no planning.

“I was in Ireland on an acting job with so much time on my hands and this song came into my head. I recorded it in Garage Band. Then I had a few days off before Christmas and my girlfriend Zoe and I did this detox over five days. We needed something so we didn’t focus on food. Making the film was a great distraction,” he said.

And he never expected it to win him the top prize.

“I was very glad it got in but it was just about making a little statement and getting it out there. It was so much fun to make. I thought it might get a hit on YouTube. The fact it was shown to so many people at once was fun to watch.”

Gamaeu, a NIDA graduate, has appeared in several feature films over the last 10 years, including The Tracker, Thunderstruck and Balibo. He has also appeared in various television shows including Underbelly, Love My way, Spirited and the US hit show How I Met Your Mother.

“It’s more creative making films – it’s such a great feeling when you can start telling your own stories,” Gamaeu said.