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UnWrapped Tender by CuriousWorks

6 – 15 September 2024

Western Foyers

Experiences

An immersive multi-channel film work, which reveals the nuances and tender sides of the communities of Western Sydney.

Useful information:

If tenderness doesn’t come to mind when you think of Western Sydney, then you don't truly know it

Presented in a unique immersive projection environment, Tender is a multi-channel film work from CuriousWorks. Based in Fairfield, in the heart of South West Sydney, CuriousWorks exists at the intersection of contemporary multi-arts practice, and community arts and cultural development.

Tender reveals the nuances and tender sides of the communities of Western Sydney through four individual but interconnected documentary films by multidisciplinary artists: Mohammad Awad (3awadi), Carielyn Tunion, Diamond Tat, and Sharon Mani.

Mohammad Awad debunks the myth that queer and trans people need to leave their Western Sydney homes to find love, joy and intimacy, in Bikes, a documentary music video. 

Carielyn Tunion’s video poem, i am a deepsea fisherwoman, but i do not catch fish, explores the connections of a personal diasporic family story rooted in the archipelago known as 'the Philippines' and Hong Kong.

Diamond Tat’s poetic documentary film, Marrow, is a cinematic ode to womanhood inspired by her and her mother’s immigration experience, capturing both its silent volatility and profound gentleness. 

In Sharon Mani’s work, At The Heart of it, local memories and stories are shared from those who call Western Sydney home.

Program

Mohammad Awad 
Bikes

Carielyn Tunion
i am a deepsea fisherwoman, but i do not catch fish

Diamond Tat
Marrow

Sharon Mani
At The Heart of it

“Each of these films welcomes viewers into an intimate exchange of personal narratives, revealing the tenderness in our communities and experiences that are often overlooked by mainstream media. We want those who recognise themselves in these films to feel comfort, joy, and validation; and for those who don’t, to see us for who we are.” - CuriousWorks.

This work was produced by CuriousWorks, under the creative and technical direction of Elias Nohra. It was commissioned by Sydney Opera House and supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

UnWrapped

An ongoing series dedicated to uncovering the best independent creators. UnWrapped hands over the stage and introduces audiences to an eclectic panorama of the finest original performances by groundbreaking and unique local artists.

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Meet the artists

Sharon Mani

Sharon Mani is a creative producer, an emerging filmmaker and just another girl from Western Sydney. Guided by a profound passion for storytelling, she strives to capture both the authentic and whimsical nature of life in her work. She understands the importance of people seeing themselves in films but she knows people don’t want to simply be seen - the power of stories is they present the opportunity to be understood. That opportunity, for understanding, is what sits at the heart of her creative endeavors. Her video producing work spans across corporate work with companies like ELMO and the RBA to crafting original short films and documentaries. She presently works as a content producer for the social enterprise, Tomorrow Architects and is responsible for filming short documentaries on their thought leadership programs.

Mohammad Awad

Bikes

Mohammad Awad (AKA 3AWADI) is a Writer/Director/Poet/Playwright/Musician who’s running out of ways to express himself. He has written and directed short films such as The Flower, The Messenger and Beauty Marks. Published in an anthology series Arab, Australian, Other, as well as The University of Sydney Student Anthology Diversity, he is also one of the proud editors and authors of the award-winning Mental Health collection- Admissions. A development and reading of Mohammads play Harami debuted at Sydney Theatre Company in 2023, alongside award-winning director Tasnim Hossain.

A NSW State finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam, Mohammad has also been honoured as Australia's National Youth Poetry Champion. He has also featured in the Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Mardi Gras and World Pride, Art Gallery of NSW, The ICC, The Iconic West Ball, Big Thick Energy, Sydney Living Museums - After Dark, Out for Australia's ‘30 under 30’, The Vanguard and Giant Dwarf Theatre. As well as being featured on ABC’s hit TV Show Space 22, The Drum and SBS.

Diamond Tat

Marrow

Diamond Tat (she/her) is a visual artist practicing storytelling through filmmaking and cinematography. Trained in Media Arts production in Sydney, she works across multiple genres e.g, narrative, documentary, music and art installation She is deeply interested in human-focused stories that explore the vast and rich human experience. Inspired by her upbringing in a mix-cultured environment, influenced by Chinese, Vietnamese and French cultures, she holds a deep interest in ideas of identities emerging, merging and shifting through time and space.

In her previous works and collaborations with a peer filmmaker - Baro Lee: Bimok (2022) and Hiruaerak (2019), Diamond explores aspects of navigating challenging and ever-shifting identities through grief and love. With her collaboration with Huy Nguyen in Minh Exhibition (2023) for Fairfield Museum, she once again has the chance to explore her family’s immigration experience like forging identities and quiet perseverance.

In informing and training her technical skills, Diamond works within the camera and video department across a few sectors in the industry: studio feature-length narrative e.g, Thor: Love and Thunder (dir. Taika Waititi) and TV-series drama e.g, ABC’s Soundtrack to Our Teenage Zombie Apocalypse.

Diamond has also been working as MediaLab Video Specialist Professional staff at the University of Technology Sydney, facilitating filmmaking workshops especially in the field of cinematography and supporting Media Arts students and staff with their research and projects.

Carielyn Tunion

i am a deepsea fisherwoman, but i do not catch fish

Carielyn Tunion (she/they) is a writer, videopoet, educator and cultural worker. She has worked in the arts & cultural sector, the community services sector, and has experience using creative strategies in grassroots community organising.

Carielyn is interested in ideas of radical softness, rage, and nostalgia from an anti-colonial, diasporic perspective. Her work has been published in kindling & sage, Mascara Literary Review, Emerging Writers Festival, SBS Filipino and KAP Magazine. She is a participating artist for Curious360 by CuriousWorks, and is currently doing a Master of Arts in Literature and Creative Writing at Western Sydney University. Carielyn’s ancestral roots are in the archipelago of the so-called Philippines, and Kowloon, Hong Kong. She currently lives, studies, works and treads respectfully on unceded Burramattagal on Dharug country.

Artist statement

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