If Looks Could Kill

💄OUR FILM 💄

If Looks Could Kill is a 12 minute short film where the pomp of historical aristocracy meets the vanity of modern social media influencing.

In an alternate 19th century world, Pandora idolises the glamorous yet putrid Duchesses, rulers of the social media sphere. Her obsession spirals out of control, forcing her to confront the cost of conformity. 

The film fuses historic comedy with body horror to offer a cautionary tale and sharp critique of contemporary social media culture, exploring themes of vanity, self-image, and the pressures to conform to unrealistic standards. 

Captivated by the toxic allure of The Duchesses, Pandora becomes hostage to the ever-changing trends. Will she reject the iron grip of social media, or step into the shoes of what nearly broke her? 

✨ ABOUT US? ✨

This film is being made as part of the Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) programme, at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. Our crew is made up of students from the 2024 cohort, students at Toi Whakaari, VUW undergraduates, and more. 

🎀 WHY? 🎀

Beauty and body image standards are an age old concept, only the way in which these are consumed has developed with the advancement of technology. We thought, why not play around with this idea? And thus, If Looks Could Kill was born. 

Social media can be positive. It can inspire, motivate, and connect people. However, it does also come with a harsh side. 

We live in a world where 10 year olds are using anti-ageing creams, where 74% of young women in our country wish to look like those they see online, where people were sucking drink bottle lids in the hopes of obtaining Kylie Jenner’s plump lips. 

At the core of the narrative is a reminder that what you see online isn’t necessarily ‘real’, and the pursuit for unrealistic beauty is a futile chase. 

💋 YOUR SUPPORT 💋

This is an all or nothing campaign so if we don’t reach our goal, we don’t get anything! Any donation, big or small, will help us get one step closer to our goal and make this project possible. We can’t wait to get started on our filming at the end of October/November! 

Your generous donations will help towards: 

• Paying our Incredibly Talented Cast: These actors aren’t just reading lines - they’re bringing our story to life. Your support means we can pay them fairly. 
• Supporting Our Creative Crew: With your help, we can give our art department the resources they need to work their 19th-century magic. 
• Visual effects: We want to wow you with stunning visuals, and that takes some serious tech and talent. 
• Catering on-set: A full belly means happy crew :) 
• Travel costs like Petrol 
• Other production costs like hard drives
• Film Festival distributions 

CAST

Rongopai Tickell: Pandora
Tara Canton: The Duchess Supreme
Eleanor Squires: Duchess 2IC
Waikamania Seve: Duchess 3IC
Alex Quinn: Postman 

CREW

Amelia Walshe: Director / Writer 
Lauren Hamill: Producer 
Sophie Hampson: 1st Assistant Director 
Director of Photography: Mateusz Mendrun 
Gaffer: Ben Wagstaff 
Editor: Max Norwood 
Sound Recordist/Designer: Theo Johnson 
Production Designer: Seren Ashmore 
1st Assistant Camera: Acacia Wong 
Art Assistant: Max Norwood 
Costume Designer: Maxence Benoist 
Costume Designer: Makini Calliste 
Costume Designer: Hannah van den Eikhof 
Hair and Makeup Artist: Rilee McGlynn 
Hair and Makeup Artist: Emily Calvert 
Hair (Wigs): Murphy 
Script Supervisor: Hazel Perigo-Blackburn 
Photography & BTS: Liam Eagle