Willow Court scene for a psycho chill as setting for new Tasmanian film

NIGHTMARES come in various forms, many of which can be told through those stuck in the depths of a mental asylum.

NIGHTMARES come in various forms, many of which can be told through those stuck in the depths of a mental asylum.

That sentiment makes the former Willow Court mental asylum at New Norfolk the perfect setting for budding film director Erin Graham’s new psycho thriller film, Alptraum.

Alptraum, which is German for “nightmare”,is about four mentally ill people who escape a corrupt mental asylum in the 1950s.

They take refuge in an abandoned house and try to become mentally “healthy” on their own terms.

However, one of the pat­ient’s nightmares keep drawing them back to the asylum.

Director, writer and producer Graham, a Rosny College student, said she always had a fascination for horror films and mental asylums.

She is hoping to enter the film, which is a school project, into international competitions.

“I can tell you with Alptraum that not everything is what it seems and everything in the film has a reason — from people’s names to the style and colour of clothing they’re wearing,” she said.

The main asylum will be the nurses’ quarters, with the ­ladies’ cottage and morgue also playing a part in filming.

Graham said she had researched the supernatural aspect of Willow Court after it closed in 2000 and had spoken to people about their volunteering experiences at the site.

The cast includes six lead and three minor roles from Hobart-based Cooper Screen Academy, with their names and histories thoroughly researched. The script took 17 drafts before it was ready.

It will be shot over five days at Willow Court as well as Ridgeway, for forest scenes, and one other site.

The film’s crew is also searching for males over 20 to serve as the asylum guards. Filming dates at Willow Court are July 9-10.

Email thedirectorproduct [e-mail] or search Alptraum on Facebook to apply.