{{Use Australian English|date=October 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox film | name = Alexandra's Project | image = Alexandra's Project.jpg | alt = <!-- see WP:ALT --> | caption = Theatrical film poster | director = Rolf de Heer | producer = Rolf de Heer<br>Domenico Procacci<br>Julie Ryan | writer = Rolf de Heer | starring = Gary Sweet<br>Helen Buday | music = Graham Tardif | cinematography = Ian Jones | editing = Tania Nehme | studio = Vertigo Productions Pty. Ltd.<br>The Australian Film Commission<br>Fandango Australia<br>Hendon Studios<br>Palace Films<br>The South Australian Film Corporation | distributor = Palace Films<br>20th Century Fox Home Entertainment | released = {{Film date|2003|05|08|Australia|df=y}} | runtime = 103 minutes | country = Australia | language = English | budget = | gross = A$844,494 (Australia) }} '''''Alexandra's Project''''' is a 2003 Australian drama thriller film written and directed by Rolf de Heer and starring Gary Sweet and Helen Buday.
==Plot== Upon returning home from work on his birthday, Steve, a middle class husband and father of two, finds the house dark and his family not home. He notices a chair, his television set, and a video tape obviously set out for his viewing. He turns the TV and VCR on, and begins to watch a tape made for him by his wife, Alexandra. The first clip shows his wife and children wishing him a happy birthday, but after the kids leave the room, Alexandra begins a striptease, and it appears to be nothing more than a birthday gift. As it progresses, however, it becomes clear that the tape is designed to humiliate and torture Steve for marital problems that Alexandra has been stewing about for years. As part of her 'show', Alexandra feigns breast cancer, has sex with their neighbour, and tells Steve that neither she nor their two children are ever coming home.<ref name=CP>{{cite web|last=Khoi Do|first=Anh|title=Alexandra's Project (2003)|url=http://anhkhoi.blogspot.com/2010/09/alexandras-project-2003.html|date=10 September 2010|work=The Cultural Post|accessdate=2 December 2013}}</ref>
== Cast == * Gary Sweet as Steve * Helen Buday as Alexandra * Bogdan Koca as Bill * Jack Christie as Sam * Samantha Knigge as Emma * Eileen Darley as Christine * Geoff Revell as Rodney * Philip Spruce as Taxi Driver * Nathan O'Keefe as Man at Door * Peter Greena as Chairman * Martha Lott as Female Worker * Cindy Elliott as Female Worker * Gemma Falk as Female Worker * Nicole Daniel as Female Worker * Duncan Graham as Male Worker * Michael Ienna as Male Worker
==Production== De Heer originally wanted to make the film so he could use a single location and use up various fragments of ideas he had accumulated.<ref>[http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=7343&s=Interviews Andrew L Urban, "DE HEER, ROLF: ALEXANDRA'S PROJECT", ''Urban Cinefile''] accessed 11 November 2012</ref>
==Release== The film's world premiere was 14 February 2003 as part of the Berlin International Film Festival<ref>[http://www.berlinale.de/external/en/filmarchiv/doku_pdf/20032555.pdf Alexandra's Project - Berlinale 2003]</ref> and was released regularly as Cinema release on 8 May 2003 in Australia.
==Reception== ===Box office=== ''Alexandra's Project'' took $844,494 at the box office in Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://film.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf |title=Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office |access-date=9 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218045303/http://film.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf |archive-date=18 February 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Critical reception=== On Rotten Tomatoes the film has rating of 53% based on 19 reviews, with an average 5.56/10 rating.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/alexandras-project// | title=Alexandra's Project (2003) | publisher=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> The Cultural Post gave it three out of five stars.<ref name=CP />
===Accolades=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Award ! Category ! Subject ! Result |- |rowspan=10|AACTA Awards<br><small>(2003 AFI Awards)</small> |rowspan=3|Best Film |Rolf de Heer |{{nom}} |- |Domenico Procacci |{{nom}} |- |Julie Ryan |{{nom}} |- |Best Actress |Helen Buday |{{nom}} |- |Best Editing |Tania Nehme |{{nom}} |- |Best Original Music Score |Graham Tardif |{{nom}} |- |rowspan=4|Best Sound |James Currie |{{nom}} |- |Rory McGregor |{{nom}} |- |Nada Mikas |{{nom}} |- |Andrew Plain |{{nom}} |- |Berlin International Film Festival |Golden Bear |rowspan=5|Rolf de Heer |{{nom}} |- |Chicago International Film Festival |Gold Hugo for Best Feature |{{nom}} |- |rowspan=9|FCCA Awards |Best Director |{{nom}} |- |Best Original Screenplay |{{won}} |- |rowspan=3|Best Film |{{nom}} |- |Domenico Procacci |{{nom}} |- |Julie Ryan |{{nom}} |- |Best Actor - Male |Gary Sweet |{{nom}} |- |Best Actor - Female |Helen Buday |{{nom}} |- |Best Supporting Actor - Male |Bogdan Koca |{{nom}} |- |Best Editing |Tania Nehme |{{nom}} |- |Golden Trailer Awards |colspan=2|Best Foreign Dramatic Trailer |{{nom}} |- |rowspan=5|Inside Film Awards |Best Direction |Rolf de Heer |{{nom}} |- |Best Actress |Helen Buday |{{nom}} |- |rowspan=3|Best Sound |James Currie |{{nom}} |- |Nada Mikas |{{nom}} |- |Andrew Plain |{{nom}} |- |Montreal World Film Festival |Golden Zenith for Best Film from Oceania |rowspan=2|Rolf de Heer |{{won}} |- |rowspan=2|Valladolid International Film Festival |Golden Spike |{{nom}} |- |Best Actress |Helen Buday |{{won}} |- |}
==Home media== ''Alexandra's Project'' was released by Fandango Australia / Palace Films as a DVD in 2003.
==See also== * Cinema of Australia * South Australian Film Corporation
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.vertigoproductions.com.au/alexandras_project_overview.php}} * [https://archive.today/20121126222512/http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=710823;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 Alexandra's Project at the National Film and Sound Archive] * {{IMDb title|0338706|Alexandra's Project}}
{{Rolf de Heer}}
Category:2003 films Category:Australian thriller films Category:2003 thriller films Category:Films directed by Rolf de Heer Category:Films set in abandoned houses Category:Films set in South Australia Category:2003 English-language films Category:Films scored by Graham Tardif Category:English-language thriller films