Oleum
A bold reimagining of opera
Directed by VERSUS
(Tanya Babić and Jason Sukadana)
Commissioned by the Sydney Opera House as part of A Sydney Opera, Oleum, directed by the creative duo VERSUS (Tanya Babić and Jason Sukadana), reframes operatic tradition through a distinctly contemporary Sydney lens - experimental, narrative-driven, and emotionally resonant.
Oleum is as much about human connection as it is about the ways we make meaning through sound and image. It’s a work shaped by Sydney rarely seen on screen: one forged by migrant communities, working-class realities and artistic voices pushing the city forward.
Oleum feels like a dreamscape grounded in real emotion, how did the idea of reimagining opera through a contemporary Sydney lens first come to you? Were there certain things you wanted to disrupt or preserve about the genre?
We’ve always had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve. Our approach to Oleum has always been driven by a spirit of experimentation and honouring Sydney. It’s not just about what ends up on screen, but the way we create, constantly pushing boundaries, rethinking the rules, and playing with the unexpected. From the start, we saw the idea of bringing opera to the screen via a unique Sydney lens as an act of reinvention. Rather than a direct adaptation, we wanted to reframe the genre itself, questioning its conventions and imagining how its grand emotions could exist in a contemporary Sydney space. This became a process of discovery for us, both artistically and collaboratively, as we worked alongside a diverse range of local artists.
We weren’t interested in distancing opera fans; in fact, we hoped to offer them something new to appreciate within the form while also reaching out to an entirely new audience. But we also had a clear desire to challenge and disrupt parts of the opera tradition. The concept of A Sydney Opera felt like a perfect chance to decontextualise both the art form and the city itself, through a lens that hadn’t been fully explored before. We wanted to show a side of Sydney that’s rarely seen internationally. There’s a side of this city that doesn’t revolve around the beach or the harbour—one that’s shaped by migrants and working-class communities. That’s the Sydney we wanted to represent, the one that fuels so many of its most interesting and inspiring creatives. This approach, both in the story and in the artists we chose, was integral to our vision and something that really resonated with everyone involved.
There were definitely things we wanted to preserve: the sense of scale, the unapologetic drama, the musical ambition, the creative collaboration. But we also wanted to disrupt the conventions that often make opera feel inaccessible. So it wasn’t about throwing the form away, but reshaping it in a way that feels honest and new.
How did your collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Corin Ileto, influence the emotional architecture of the film?
We’ve been fortunate enough to work with Corin before and we have long been huge fans of her groundbreaking work—there’s truly no one else making music like her. We chose Corin as the composer because her sound carries something inherently operatic, and we knew she’d find a way to reference traditional operatic tropes while completely subverting them to create something modern and extraordinary.
Corin doesn’t just compose music, she builds worlds. From the start, we knew Oleum needed a score that could hold contradiction: beauty and brutality, restraint and chaos, silence and eruption. Corin instinctively understands that tension.
The process of working with Corin was incredibly collaborative, with each of us giving room for one another’s ideas to breathe and evolve. There was a deep respect for each other’s craft, and that respect allowed us to push boundaries together. While we had a clear vision for the emotional direction of the score, we always knew that Corin had the ability to take that vision and elevate it in ways we couldn’t have anticipated.
What were you looking for when casting for this film? Can you also share with us a bit about how you worked with your cast to balance performance with that almost operatic restraint?
When casting for Oleum, we brought Kevin Stathis of Shady Nasty and Maina Doe on board early in the process. It was crucial that the film reflected them as artists, and their input during the scripting stage was invaluable. Kevin was particularly involved and imparted lots of ideas. We also mostly cast prominent Sydney musicians, tying into the operatic tradition where musicians take on acting roles. This choice wasn’t just practical, it was a deliberate statement. We wanted the film to feel intrinsically connected to Sydney, merging the authenticity of the city with this experimentation in opera.
Our casting process was about finding performers who could embody both Sydney's raw energy and the larger-than-life intensity opera demands. The key was balancing the intensity of the material with the quiet restraint that makes opera’s emotional moments so impactful.
You’re known for striking visuals in your work. What were some guiding visual references or emotional cues that helped you and DP Tyson Perkins shape the cinematography?
Our long-standing working relationship with Tyson Perkins made the entire process feel incredibly fluid. Over the years, we’ve developed this intuitive understanding with him, almost like an unspoken language, so we were all aligned from the get-go. Tyson always brings a wealth of creative input that pushes the project forward. We all came to the table with different ideas and visual references, but it was through collaboration that we really refined and distilled the vision into something that was uniquely ours. It wasn’t just about executing a plan, it was about creating something we were all excited about, and that energy made the whole process a truly rewarding experience.
For Oleum, we wanted the visuals to feel like they were part of the emotional landscape, sometimes sharp and aggressive, other times quiet and haunting. The visual cues had to reflect the tension and rawness of the narrative but also echo the operatic qualities of the music.
We talked a lot about light as a weapon, a way of framing emotions rather than just illuminating the space. We also had lots of visual references for the contrast between slick, almost sterile modernity and raw, gritty textures that we channeled in Oleum. Tyson’s ability to make all of this feel cohesive, crafting this stripped-back yet complex visual language, was incredible.
“It’s not just about what ends up on screen, but the way we create, constantly pushing boundaries, rethinking the rules, and playing with the unexpected.”
Your award-winning work includes campaigns for international brands such as Nike, Google, Airbnb and YouTube as well as original commissions from institutions such as Sydney Opera House, Powerhouse and Phoenix Central Park. What's next for you?
We are currently working on a couple of really exciting new commissions due out in late ‘25 and early ‘26 respectively. We are always working away on commercial work too. So we have lots of good stuff to share in the coming months.
VERSUS
Director
Tanya Babić
Writer
Jason Sukadana
Writer
Autumn Loveday
Producer
Maina Doe
Key Cast
Kevin Stathis
Key Cast
Corin Ileto
Composer
Tyson Perkins
Director of Photography