The Umbra

(2023)

06:24 minute single-channel film.

Curators can request a preview link by emailing hayleymillarbaker@gmail.com

The Umbra casts an ethereal light during the witching hour, that liminal moment when the veil between the physical and spiritual realms becomes almost invisible. Rooted in Indigenous cosmologies, where time is cyclical and existence is deeply interconnected, The Umbra follows the astral journey of a young Aboriginal woman as she experiences one of her first encounters with astral projection, alongside a fledgling spirit. Together, they navigate the ‘in-between,’ a realm that mirrors our world but follows its own laws, where life, death, and the afterlife blur and converge.

Drawing from Aboriginal concepts of non-linear time, The Umbra explores the ongoing dialogue between the living and ancestral spirits, illuminating the boundless nature of existence.

Resisting the boundaries of horror, fantasy, and documentary, the work unfolds as a contemplative, almost hypnotic passage through dimly lit corridors and shadowed spaces. Guided by instinct, the young woman moves with cautious curiosity, unsure yet drawn to a spirit who is also uncertain of where she has been called. Their slow, mirrored steps pulling them towards each other begin to reveal the connection between their worlds.

This coming-of-age journey is both unsettling and awakening. It marks a gentle initiation into the enduring magic of Aboriginal culture, revealing her natural bond with ancestral traditions and the spirit world.

The Umbra embraces temporal slippages as intrinsic truths. Time folds, overlaps, and loops back, dissolving the boundaries between past, present, and future.

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