When asked to play the starring role in a short film about motherhood that involved a lot of dancing, Chloe Bayliss hesitated.
Yes, she's a graduate of the National College of Dance in Newcastle and an experienced choreographer. But the actor best known for her role as Hayley in Logie Award-nominated drama Doctor Doctor had some doubts about being, in her words, "match fit".
She was also concerned playing the role of a first-time mother being pushed to her limit as she struggles to connect with her newborn baby might hit a little too close to home. Bayliss has been open about her battle with auto-immune disease lupus that has caused her kidneys to fail more than once and landed her in intensive care.
She has also spoken publicly about her decision to freeze some of her eggs at the age of 29 after being told by a doctor she would be unable to carry a child.
She hopes to find a surrogate when the time is right.
However, true to form, Bayliss accepted the challenge and MumLife was selected for this year's Cannes International Film Festival. It is also screening at the Sydney Film Festival this month. Not bad for a film made on a tight budget between lockdowns.
"The script resonated with me, even though I haven't had children yet," she tells Weekender.
"Post-natal anxiety is something that hasn't really been seen on screen before. I mean, people talk about post-natal depression, but the anxiety side of it is a huge thing as well.
"Being able to tell the story in a way that hasn't been told before, through an on-screen musical, was also very appealing. It was daring and original and also a little bit scary."
In MumLife Bayliss plays the role of Sarah, a first-time mum with a gorgeous baby, a caring husband and fun-loving friends. But beneath her smiles, she is having a really hard day. Through song "dreamworlds" we discover that she's struggling to navigate post-partum life.
Set across the day of Sarah's 30th birthday, her best friend, Derek, a social media make-up influencer, arrives to glam her up for a 'small family gathering'. Already feeling overwhelmed by her parents group, Sarah is pushed to the edge when she arrives to discover a large surprise party.
Read more: Doctor Doctor star opens up about her life-threatening illness
"I think that when you're an artist you need to experience a bit of life to bring that into your roles otherwise it's not quite as authentic," Bayliss says.
"I've had to deal with my own thoughts on motherhood, what is the best direction to go for me, and how I go about it, so it brought up a lot of my own anxieties - all the egg freezing I've gone through and figuring out how in the world I am going to become a mother myself.
"It did bring up a lot, you know?
"We had newborn babies on set and that again kind of triggers things, it's like 'Is this ever going to be a possibility for me?'. When you have to work so hard to actually have a child it brings up a lot of emotions and I hope that came across on screen."
Is this what they call suffering for your art, I ask? Bayliss laughs. "I know, I know," she replies, "but it was all worth it in the end."
MumLife was directed by Ruby Challenger and written by Gerard Dewhurst from a story by Ruby Challenger and Claudia Shepherd. They made the film while Masters students at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.
"After having my first baby, my body seemed to become public property," Challenger says.
"Overnight I lost my vocabulary and I was plagued by a niggling feeling of deep insecurity that I was doing it all wrong, that I wouldn't be enough for my daughter.
"On top of that, I was wearing adult diapers and my nipples leaked breastmilk through every top. And yet it was also the greatest time in my life filled with the most glorious joy. Through the haze of hormones it was like I had to rebuild myself from the ground up.
"With MumLife, I hoped to hit that deep bittersweet feeling that I experienced through those early months of bringing my first-born into the world."
Challenger's career in the film industry began in the art and costume departments, which took her all around Australia while she learned the ropes of filmmaking. Her first short film as producer, writer and director, Daily Bread, played at festivals around Australia and the world and won awards including the St Kilda Film Festival People's Choice Award. While at the Australian Film Television and Radio School, she also directed a horror short film, Hyde, which is also enjoying a festival run.
Bayliss says she and the team were "shocked but very excited" MumLife made it to Cannes.
"Every actor, every filmmaker, always dreams of having their film in Cannes, the biggest film festival in the world," she says.
"The MumLife team is over there at the moment - to screen in front of all those people and for them to walk the red carpet, it's just incredible.
"There were over 200 admissions from all over the world in our category, and I think they choose about 10."
She has since worked on a TikTok drama series with the MumLife team and is branching out to producing her own content.
"I went to them and said 'I've loved working with you, I have this idea, what do you think?' and they were all on board," she says.
"We've actually formed a really good friendship and we're hoping to bring more works to life for audiences.
"With the TikTok drama it's the first time I have stepped into a producer role and created something from the ground up. I've always wanted to produce and tell my own stories."
