Behind the Film: Exposure by Roni Shai - Worcester Film Festival

My film, Exposure, is a short psychological thriller about a young photographer seeking thrills and documentation through her camera on a journey in the desert. When a ride with an older man leads to power dynamics between the observer and the subject, the boundaries between art, control, and limits begin to blur. As power slips from her hands, Alma is forced to confront the dangers of exposure- both in front of the camera and beyond it.

Inspiration:

The idea grew out of my own experiences and a deep desire to explore female insecurity, subject vs. object dynamics, and the power behind the camera. I wanted to examine what it means to hold the camera versus being captured by it, and how intentions shift between the observer and the observed. Above all, I aimed to create a visceral experience- allowing the audience to feel and ask questions through moments of stillness, ambiguity, and emptiness, all anchored by a unique desert landscape that meant so much to me visually.

The Process:

We shot over three days in October 2024 around the Dead Sea. As my very first film, made during my second year of film school and self-produced on a tiny budget, it was a true leap of faith. None of it would have been possible without our incredible, dedicated crew and cast, and especially my cinematographer, who brought my visual vision to life exactly as I had imagined it, down to the frame. We battled extreme heat, high humidity, and the physically demanding descent carrying all our gear into an area of sinkholes. The location itself was alive and constantly shifting; on our third morning, we arrived to find that a chunk of ground near the freshwater pool had collapsed several meters overnight due to a new sinkhole, opening up a completely new angle. At the exact moment we called “wrap”, a natural freshwater spring burst right from the bottom of the pool.

What It Means to Be Selected:

Being selected for the Worcester Film Festival is such an incredible honour and a truly exciting milestone. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share a story that comes straight from my heart with an audience far from home, and to see how this desert landscape resonates across cultures.