One of N.O.A.H. Film’s projects currently going through festivals is ‘Perpetua’, which follows aspiring social media model Arya who is caught in a cycle of seeking worth through her online persona. Arya’s path leads her to a photographer who makes her question her ambitious path.
Written/Directed by Marshall Weishuai Yuan
Produced by Marshall Weishuai Yuan & Sangeetha Gowda through N.O.A.H. Films
Co-produced by Jasmin Pilatos
Starring Sangeetha Gowda with Vicki Gard, Firdaws Adelpour & Jasmine Cavanough
When Marshall told me he wanted to write a film for me, all I asked was that he not hold back, that I was up for a challenge.
I’ve never been one to shy away from characters that are raw, flawed or a challenge to play both psychically and mentally. Of the first roles I landed out of acting college, one was a mental asylum patient with short term and long term memory loss, one was the leading protagonist in a post-apocalyptic play and the other was a victim of sex-trafficking through kidnapping. Finding roles that hold a deeper message and shine a light on important issues is one of the main reasons I do acting. It goes beyond fun, excitement and glamour to me and instead into exploring humanity, creating change and spreading awareness on issues that concern the world today. Film has the power to influence generations and ‘Perpetua’ too, holds a mirror to the youth of today.
Social media obsessed and never without a phone in her hand to take selfies, Arya felt more than far from who I was personally. But I’d seen Arya before – in people, in friends, online, in parts of who I’d been when I was younger. Arya speaks to a social-media-run world desperately seeking approval and acceptance online, while hiding their flaws and insecurities out of sight.
‘Perpetua’ not only explores the impact social media beauty standards have on young girls and women today, but it also explores the dangers of the modeling industry in a world where virtually anyone can call themselves a ‘professional’ on their profiles. While social media has provided a platform for people to showcase their most creative selves, it’s not always easy to know people’s true intentions through a screen that so often promotes knowledge, popularity and happiness.
“We’re currently living in a digital era which bombards us with images and videos of glamorous faces, living out their seemingly perfect lives. But what happens behind closed doors, when the cameras are off? My film takes a young female, Arya, who is passionate about being a successful social media model and the unexpected turns and lengths she is willing to go through to achieve her desires.” – Marshall
It’s no question to admit how much of our lives revolve around social media, how much it consumes us, how much time we spend scrolling. It’s so easy to get lost in the social media world, from Facebook to Instagram to Tiktok. What ‘Perpetua’ tries to question, is how far we are willing to go to attain the goals social media sets us. How much we are willing to sacrifice in order to have people ‘like’ us. It highlights the cycle so many of us can fall victim to and the incredible impact it is having on the younger generation.
‘Perpetua’ was a passion project but it holds an important message. We hope it can spread awareness on the dangers of social media on both our physical and mental health. We thank the cast and crew who helped us tell Arya’s story, a story that reflects many people’s own lives today.
– Written by Sangeetha Gowda
You can find more on this project on Facebook: New Order Art House & Instagram: @noah__films
BTS photos in this article by Briana Chan (briana_chan) & Rhys Barton-Shaw (@rhys.cbs).
Diversity Australia Magazine 