Directed by Sarah Watt

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The short synopsis for this film is – one family, one year, no sex. But that doesn’t mean that it is not crammed full of plenty of other things – children, nits, birthdays, Christmas, football, job insecurities, faith, more nits and continual references to all things sexual. Writer/director Sarah Watt (Look Both Ways) again explores the lives of ordinary Australians and finds humour in places where most of us wouldn’t even consider looking. Natalie (Sasha Horler) and Ross (Matt Day) have two children, a dog and a mortgage and would be considered as “battlers”. We follow their antics as they stumble through a year, laughing at their foibles and ridiculous situations that arise, and Watt is even able to make us laugh when things take a tragic turn.

Surrounded by advertising that uses sex to sell and even asks if you want longer lasting sex, Natalie finds herself in a position where having sex could be fatal. Apart from the potential of sex being fatal, many of the situations Natalie and Ross find themselves in are easy to relate to. Watt reserves her animation to entertaining interludes that introduce the months as the drama continues over a year. What emerges is a warm love story that validates its characters and celebrates family and friends. So you get to feel really great at the end of the film even though there wasn’t any sex!

On her recent visit to Perth, Watt said that she was interested in how we get through our days and whether they are any better or worse for having been examined. “I was interested in whether we earn our good or bad luck, or whether it’s random. We’ve been told for many years that we earn it, and if we earn it, then we deserve everything, from luxury cars and upgrades of everything, to complete and constant happiness.”

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