childhoodfriend AndrewTran (creditedpseudonymously
as FergusCronkite)and accompaniedby karaoke-style
lyrics on screen.This, too, appearsfor a precisereason:
duringthe Q&A followingthe screeningofMelodrama/
Random/ Melbourne!at the 2018 AdelaideFilm Festival
(AFF), Pastor,Yuen and Javier all spokeof the importance
of karaoketo diasporicFilipinocommunitiesand of the
filmmakingteam’ssubsequent determination to reflect this
in the resultingwork.^2
Appropriately,given the specificityof its title,Melodrama
/ Random/ Melbourne!is a specificallyMelbournefilm, with
much of its actionplayingout on the recognisablenight
spots of SwanstonStreetand Little BourkeStreet.At AFF,
Pastorrevealedthat he choseto spendsome time living in
Melbourne’scity centrehimself,in order to moreaccurately
observeand chroniclethe sightsand soundsfrom which
we might otherwiseavert our attention:policesirenson
SwanstonStreet,vomitingin the gutter,randomacts of
violence,anonymoussex in publictoilets^3 – all of which
are prominentlydisplayedin the film, swathed in Pastor’s
signaturepink neon light.
The film is particularlyunvarnishedin its depictionof
sexualrelationsbetweenmen and women;heterosexuality
operatesas the unquestioneddefaultmode for the world
depictedin the film. For Garistarand histMdfollowers,
womenare commoditiesto be acquired,used and dis
carded.Sex is transactionaland ruthlesslydepersonal
ised, with each act merelya numberto be addedto an
ever-growingtally. The casualmisogynythat inflectstheir
languageis shockingat times,and their view of sex is so
thoroughlydehumanisedthat it shouldcome as no surprise
that these interactionsare frequentlychargedwith aggres
sion and escalateinto violence.While the film’s adoption
of this perspectivewill prove challengingfor many viewers,
Pastordoes seek to challengeit in a numberof ways. Most
obviously,he retainsspacefor the filmmaker-surrogatethat
is Aries, whosevoice is presentthroughoutmuch of the
film, passingcommentaryon the behaviouroftMdmem
bers as her footage plays out for us. Aries, for her part,is determinedto make her documentaryon this PUA com
munity,despitethe objectionsof her editor.AndMelodrama
/ Random/ Melbourne!does not simplyportraywomen
as passivevictims.When Angelacomesinto contactwith
Garistar,she assertsher sexualagencyas directlyand
aggressivelyas her male PUA counterparts;Garistaris
suddenlyand uncharacteristically unable to deal with this
powerinversion.
The film’s oft-confrontingvision of interpersonalsexual
powerdynamicsis furthercomplicatedby its racial dimen
sions.tMdvideosprominentlyboast of the sexualavail
abilityof ‘FOB’ (fresh off the boat) internationalstudents
living in Australiancity centres,their alienationand isolation
easily manipulatedand preyedon, and then convertedinto
sexualavailability.This powerdynamicis complicatedby
the fact that many of the depictedmembersof thetMd
communityare Asian-Australians,abusingtheir positionsof
relativeprivilegeas ‘assimilated’ inhabitants of the country
to exploitnew arrivals.
Pastoris unafraidto portraythe undeniablereality that
the ever-changingcentralbusinessdistrictsof most major
Australiancities are now largelypopulatedby international
students.^4 By night, the commuterprofessionalclass re-
turns to the suburbs,and city streetsare taken over by
those in searchof debaucheryand the new transientpop-
ulationof internationalstudents.This latter group is often
disconnectedand isolatedfrom their families,friends
and familiarsurroundings,and withoutadequatesupport
servicesfrom their host institutions.While many forms of
potentialexploitationmay be perceivedin this scenario,
Pastorcasts his metaphorin distinctlysexualisedterms.
Pastor’sintent to chroniclesuch pressinglycontempo
rary phenomenais admirable.When viewedin relationto
his larger body of work,Melodrama/ Random/ Melbourne!
positionshim as one of the most distinctiveemergingfilm
makersin Australia.Digitallyshot, the film embracesits
technicallimitationsand evokesa memorablecinematic
milieuwith its lush neon lightscapes– a visual character
istic that is present across much of his work. The InternetFORGARISTARAND
HISTMDFOLLOWERS,
WOMENARE
COMMODITIESTO
BEACQUIRED,USED
ANDDISCARDED.SEX
IS TRANSACTIONAL
ANDRUTHLESSLY
DEPERSONALISED,
WITHEACHACT
MERELYA NUMBER
TOBEADDEDTOAN
EVER-GROWING TALLY.Above:tMd member Xavier (Berlin Lu)26 • Metro Magazine 201 | © ATOM