The Umbra

(2023)

06:24 minute single channel film

To request access to view The Umbra email: hayleymillarbaker@gmail.com

Illuminating the darkest and quietest part of the night - the witching hour - when the veil to the physical and spiritual realms is at its thinnest, The Umbra unites the living with the ethereal through shadowing the navigation of an occurrence of astral travel between an adolescent woman and a young spirit brought to physicality. This ‘in-between’ realm, existing alongside yet separate from the material world, is a space of suspense and mystery, where spirits linger, and the mind and body shift into a state that tethers life, death, and the afterlife together as one - revealing the unbroken link of communication between the two states and their coming together.

The Umbra is a testament to female power and strength, challenging the traditional elements of the horror genre that are often focused on women’s psychosis. The Indigenous female body acts as a vessel to carry a present-day practice of magic and spirituality – descending from many millennia of spiritual practices. As the protagonist’s commanding character remains cognisant of her task, she carries herself meditatively through the all-too-well-known domestic space with confidence, acutely aware of her surroundings – physically and psychologically - openly and unafraid. 

Commissioned by RISING: Melbourne for Shadow Spirit, an exhibition curated by Kimberley Moulton and produced by RISING: Melbourne. Co-commissioned by Illuminate Adelaide.