This Australian film won the World Cinema Jury prize at Sundance earlier this year and deservedly so. The story was quite compelling and I was gripped to my seat with all of the twists and turns. In the centre of this story is Josh (James Frecheville); whose mother dies from an overdose and is thrown into an urban war zone and with his grandmother who he hardly knows. This young Aussie actor is superb in his first lead role.

His grandmother (Jacki Weaver) who plays Smurf is brilliant as head of a criminal family; the Cody Clain for which her four (4) sons; Baz (Joel Edgerton) who is thinking of giving up the world of crime; Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) who is just out of prison and lying low; Darren (Luke Ford) who is quiet and withdrawn and Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) a lunatic and is as unstable as they come; all of who form a gang that travel around Melbourne robbing banks.

The gang is pursued by Leckie (Guy Pearce), a detective who is hot on their heels. It was good to see Guy back on our screens and he really does well in this film. Overall, a movie well worth seeing.

Article written by Checkmate

“I liken social change to the shifting of tectonic plates underneath the earth’s surface.  The process is incredibly slow but when the plates collide the results are life-altering earthquakes and tsunamis.  Social change does occur, but it occurs far too slowly.  I’m an impatient man.  I want to see real change in my lifetime, and I want The Other Film Festival to act as an agent for that change.  I want complete cinema access for people with disabilities to be taken for granted in the future.”

This impassioned opening address from festival director Rick Randall kicked off five days of films, forum discussions and after-parties at the 2010 edition of the The Other Film Festival; a fully-accessible (i.e. accommodating every body) festival of new cinema by, with and about people with a disability; the 4^th since its 2004 inception.

The program featured short and feature-length films, and documentaries, from an astounding array of global perspectives – from up and down the Americas, across the UK and Europe, and down through South Korea, India and Australia.  All of the films explored a common theme of what it is like to live with a disability.  The appeal of any film festival is being able to front up unprepared with the confidence that you will be able to see a quality selection of interesting films.  Some of my highlights included:

Coming Out, a quirky British short-film about a young man who is having difficulty revealing to his mother that he is deaf – the film not only serving as a clever twist on ‘coming out’ as a homosexual, but also expressing the common unwillingness from parents to accept a child with a disability.

Rita, a very confronting Italian film shot from the perspective of a young blind girl who is oblivious to violence which surrounds her.  The perspective taken allows for a translucent style, with some shots falling out of frame or focus, creating an intriguing and dark cinematic experience for the audience.

Nobody’s Perfect, a German documentary about a group of people who have been the victim of thalidomide poisoning (the disastrous sedative drug developed in the 1950s that resulted in over ten thousand birth defects in the children of its users).  The group are brought together by the film’s director Niko von Glasow (himself a victim of thalidomide poisoning), who attempts to have them all pose naked for a calendar he is producing.  The director engages in philosophical discussion with the group, exploring – and ultimately breaking down – the feelings of insecurity and isolation associated with being perceived as different.  This documentary was at once uplifting, shocking, sad, and as the festival patron Adam Elliot announced during the closing awards ceremony, it “represented the very ethos of The Other Film Festival.”

The remarkable thing was that despite such a vast spectrum of cultures on screen, there was fluidity across all of the films.  The cultural barrier lifted and we were all engrossed in the age-old art of story-telling; of expressing the human condition through art.  It is this desire to experience other people’s stories that is the reason why millions of Australians flock to cinemas every weekend.  The only difference was that at this particular festival the stories told were the ones that are rarely given a platform to be heard.

Similar to any minority group of people – for example Aborigines, refugees, or the homeless – the most frustrating thing that those with disabilities are confronted with from mainstream society is indifference.  People just don’t take any notice.  This indifference usually stems from feelings of insecurity; of uncomfortableness, fearing the unfamiliar.  The only way to break through those barriers is to put yourself in a position where you are able to engage with ‘the other’.

Through establishing The Other Film Festival, Rick Randall and the team have presented to mainstream society an opportunity to engage with and embrace the unheard stories of proud, strong, and brave people.  The numbers of people attending the festival have doubled with each program, with Rick declaring that this year, “after taxiing across the runway, the plane has finally taken off”.  All the signs are indicating that the next time The Other Film Festival hits our screens the scale will be significantly greater.  I urge you to join in and embrace this film festival, the rewards are rich and transforming.

The Other Film Festival is currently held every two years at the Melbourne Museum.  Keep up to date with details of the next festival here.

Article written by Ryan Nance  /  Photography by Jorge De Araujo (click here for website)

Richard Linklater’s latest offering gives the audience a chance to share in a young man’s theatrical adventure in 1937. Zac Efron’s confident and talented character chances upon Orson Welles outside the Mercury Theatre during rehearsals for what became a legendary production of Julius Caesar. We are then introduced to a backstage world of talent, ego, ambition and pettiness as opening night draws near. No prior knowledge of Orson Welles is needed as we are treated to a mesmerising impersonation of the film and theatrical genius by Christian McKay. Through Zac Efron’s eyes we see a spellbinding and yet disappointing sorceror who despite his personal flaws is able to defy all obstacles to his art and demonstrate why he is still revered.

The 30s soundtrack and the slightly timber grained colour composition give the film an authentic period feel. The script is thoughtful and witty and demands concentration. Although the idea of Welles as an enfant terrible is not new there is little reference to his braoder history. Just as he boasts in the film that he cut “To be or not to be” from Hamlet so the film leaves out the War of the Worlds and Citizen Kane. The brief reference to The Magnificant Ambersons is only used to suggest deep seated insecurity in the great man and otherwise the material is fresh and captivating.

Claire Danes is interesting as a likeable but focused woman who confuses our young man. The rest of the large cast provides a wonderful tapestry set against the backdrop of the gloomy run down theatre where much of the action is set.

There is an intriguing and insubstantial sub plot involving Zac Efron and a young writer which offers a commentary on and contrast to the main plot.

This is a hugely enjoyable film. Its characters and the sense of hope and optimism that it generates in the face of human weakness at a personal, group and political level made viewing this film a rewarding experience.

Article by Brendan Pigott

Directed by David Michôd. Starring Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton 

We certainly like our crime dramas gritty in this country. Michôd’s Animal Kingdom has a familiarity that does not betray the brilliant story-telling at work. It sits proudly among our best such as Blue Murder, Idle Hands and Chopper, if not ahead of the pack. 

It opens to a beautifully haunted montage of grainy surveillance video footage and theatrical music reminiscent of the chilling soundtracks favoured by Coppola.

The story is richly steeped in the battleground climate of mid-80’s Melbourne, when the crims were bad and the cops were worse. Seventeen-year old Josh or “Jay” watches the paramedics wheel his heroin addict mother out a corpse and calls his estranged grandmother (played brilliantly by Jackie Weaver as the matriarch) to ask her what he should do next.   What follows is an intricately told, slow-burning mounting of intensity as Jay becomes enveloped by his criminal family, led by this sickly sweet lioness as they wage war with the police.

The police have picked Jay as the weakest link in the picture, not yet fully indoctrinated in his uncle’s ways they pressure him to assist them which becomes a more and more tempting offer the more violent and threatening things become at home.

The ensemble cast demonstrates the country’s best standard of acting, an artful tableau of a modern day Kelly gang.  Young James Frenchville’s acting debut Jay debuts is exciting alongside the veteran talent of Medelsohn et al. His menacing and paranoid Uncle Pope, captures both the weakness and danger of a scum-bag cornered.  The genius behind this delicate performance is what has you sweaty palmed as you watch this Shakespearian drama inspired by real events such as the 1988 Walsh Street murders, it feels very much like it could be all be true. Like there’s an Uncle Pope in a suburban street near you.

The film attracted ferocious hype after claiming grand jury prizes at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, all well deserved.

Four and a half stars.

As I reflect on the four days I spent at the 2009 Dungog Film Festival, it is the above quote – from festival director Allanah Zitserman – that seems to be the easiest way to describe my experiences to you all.

Dungog is unlike any other film festival I have been to.  I saw many great Australian films, met many interesting people (film-makers, film-goers, and local residents), and listened to many enlightening film industry discussions.  What made it unique was that all of this took place in a small, northern-NSW rural town, three and a half hours out of Sydney.  This was not the Dendy in Newtown (my local inner-city cinema), this was foreign turf, and I was a wide-eyed tourist having my own little personal adventure.  I’m sure that every single one of the 6,000 people that flocked to the festival this year had their own personal adventure as well.  It’s the sort of thing that you really need to experience for yourself.

As I mentioned, the festival is held over four days.  Each day has it’s own timetable of events, including screenings of Australian short and feature-length films (both classic and unreleased, most of which are book-ended by Q & A’s with the film-makers), live readings by actors of finished and unfinished scripts, workshops on video editing and post-production, and also ‘Master-class’ discussions with prominent Australian directors.  All of these events are held across three different venues within the town; the James Theatre (which just so happens to be Australia’s longest running cinema); the Dungog RSL; and a boardroom attached to the local church.  All of these venues are within walking distance of each other, and there is also a shuttle-bus which couriers people to and fro.  Every day there is a hive of activity out on the streets of Dungog: events such as community markets, art gallery exhibitions, arts society painting, and street parades; all of which are within a skip and a hop to local cafes and food stalls.  To cap it all off, there are parties every night of the festival, held in a giant marquee 15 minutes walk from the town square.  If this sounds like there is a lot to see and do over the course of the festival, you are not wrong.  I was intoxicated with inspiration after just 1 hour in Dungog.  After 4 days I was bloody exhausted.

So then, a journey of discovery is probably how I can best describe the Dungog Film Festival.  Actually, an unrelated quote from musician/artist Patti Smith could be applied with greater eloquence:  “Life is an adventure of our own design intersected by fate in a series of lucky and unlucky accidents”.  On arrival at Dungog, we were handed a festival programme.  At any one time, there were 3 different films and/or workshops taking place across the 3 festival venues.  Therefore, how you chose to map out the adventure was in your own hands.  Quite often, fate would intersect in a series of lucky and unlucky accidents…  On the train ride from Sydney up to Dungog, I was sat next to a rather charming man who helped waive off my ‘festival anxiety’ with pleasant chitchat.  Later in the evening, at the opening party gala dinner, I was shocked to see this same man slink onto the stage dressed in burlesque attire, a microphone held like a phallus in his hands.  As it turned out, this anonymous, charming man who kept me company on the long trip up was none other than highly regarded Australian actor/performer Paul Capsis – tonight enlisted to entertain the party guests.

Wait a second… a gay burlesque performer from Darlinghurst chosen to open a film festival held in a rural NSW country town?  Yeah, that also struck me as a pretty risky (or risqué) piece of programming from festival organiser Allanah, and her co-founder partner Stavros Kazantzidis.  I was really pleased to see that this cutting-edge programming approach carried across into many of the films selected for screening.  It doesn’t take a genius to guess that a weekend film festival held in the Hunter Valley region would attract a predominantly white, middle-class crowd.  Screenings of challenging, confrontational, and controversial films such as the Aboriginal ‘stoner’-comedy ‘Stone Bros’, the disturbing and alarming youth homicide film ‘The Dinner Party’, and the bizarre sadomasochistic love story ‘The Sculptor’, were all ways of quietly letting the guests know that a polite wine-tasting excursion was not the order of the day on this particular weekend.  Film should act as a mirror to society, regardless of whether some of us want certain sections of our society hidden, or ignored.  As a credit to the audiences, all of these films were met with cheering receptions, and as ‘Stone Bros’ director Richard Franklin commented, hopefully these types of forward-thinking films will “help plant the seeds of a change in Australia’s national identity; a country where there are 500 Koori cultures, along with all the other cultures”.  I can confidently say that a community festival such as the Dungog Film Festival is definitely one example of an event from which many trees of change will stem.  There were many concerns being aired across the town over the course of the weekend (namely that sourcing funding for Australian films is a real issue), but there certainly appeared to be a shared belief in the pride and worth of an Australian film industry with its own unique voice.  In achieving this sense of positivity and inspiration for the future of Australian film culture, Dungog shines not only as a great and successful film festival, but also as a really important one.

Now I could tell you about my experiences at the parties and with the random locals who welcomed me with open arms (quite literally), but in order to hold on to some sense of dignity and credibility, I’ll instead invite you to join me there next year, because as you will come to realise;

“What happens in Dungog stays in Dungog”.

Article written by Ryan Nance

I heard this quote – by Greek director, Carlos Gavros – via Australian film critic, David Stratton, during one of his film history lectures in 2008.  As some time passed, and my passion for cinema matured, this quote (or even mission statement) has become more and more resonant with me.  Film, as a medium, became more than simply a 90 minute cinema experience; it became an experience which got me thinking about the structure of our society.

I recently traveled out to Bankstown (a suburb in Sydney’s west, and one of Australia’s most culturally diverse areas), to see the Australian film ‘The Combination’.  The film is set and shot in another western Sydney suburb, Parramatta.  In fact, it was screened exclusively in these suburbs (apart from one inner-city arthouse cinema) – with distributors deciding that only those residing there would want to see it.

Put simply, ‘The Combination’ is not a technically brilliant film, it will not revolutionise Australian cinema (at least not in the conventional sense).  Yet David Stratton awarded it 4 ½ stars.  This is because the film explores issues both real and relevant – the structure of contemporary Australian society: where we are at as a country, and what the concerns are as the cultural demographics evolve.

‘The Combination’ focuses on the clash of cultures between Lebanese-Australians and white Anglo-Australians.  It is set during 2005, at the time of the infamous race-related riots in Cronulla, in Sydney’s south.  The story – written from personal experience by George Basha – follows the struggle of 2 Lebanese brothers as they try to find their place within Australian society.  Established Australian actor, David Field, directs the film; a role he gravitated towards because he strongly felt that similar social struggles could be understood by Vietnamese-Australians, Indian-Australians, African-Australians, South American-Australians, and so on and so on.  During meetings with George Basha, Field was surprised to learn that Basha had not seen the Australian films he was raising for discussion.  “Why would I, we [Lebanese-Australians] aren’t in any of them”, Basha retorted dismissively.  Field was silenced, as he realised that Australian films were not adequately portraying contemporary Australian stories.  It was this realisation that further solidified his drive to get the film made, despite a total lack of support from the Australian film industry funding bodies.

Australian cinema has a proud history of making quality human dramas; films which can confidently stand up to the esteem of European productions.  It would be great if we can continue this tradition with our eyes and ears open to the constantly changing nature of the structure of our society.  In doing so, we would be inviting our culturally diverse peoples to participate in, and embrace, our film industry.  ‘The Combination’ is one example of a full-length Australian feature film which explores the contemporary issue of racial tensions in Sydney’s western suburbs.  It will also be great when we start to see stories with universal themes (such as love, mistrust, and infidelity) featuring similar minority groups.  I look forward to seeing a ‘Lantana’ set in Bankstown.  Let’s advance Australia with a fair combination of cultures represented in our films.

Article written by Ryan Nance

You can also check out Two Flat Whites interview with one of the stars from The Combination, Clare Bowen here.

Also check out George Basha’s interview here.

Starring Aussie superstar Natalie Bassingthwaighte and US heart-throb Jesse Johnson, Prey is Bassingthwaighte’s first feature film. Of the experience, she says she embraced the challenge immediately and is looking forward to seeing it in cinemas. “I really enjoyed the opportunity and challenges of making my first film; I can’t wait to see it on the big screen. Prey is targeted towards teenagers but it easily appeals to anyone who enjoys thrillers. “This was my first film, so as an actor you tend to pocket your own instincts and rely more on the advice and vision of the film maker. Making Prey was a great experience and I hope it’s well-received,” says Bassingthwaighte.

Filmed in Victoria and central Australia, the film stars Natalie Bassingthwaighte as Kate, Jesse Johnson (Nash Bridges (with father Don Johnson), Redline) as Gus, and in supporting roles, Christian Clark (Squid and Gabriel) as Jason, Natalie Walker as Ling, Ben Kermode as Matt, Kristen Sargent as Annika, with guest appearances by the legendary Nicholas Bell, Dawn Klingberg and world poker champion, Joe Hashem.

Prey premieres in cinemas on the 5th May in Sydney and on the 7th May in Melbourne. The movie will run for a strictly limited season at selected cinemas throughout Australia ahead of the film’s DVD release.

This film hit me where it hurts.

Ever since I was old enough to have even the very beginnings of a social conscience, I felt that the colour of my skin automatically aligned me with a group of people who seemed to consistently invade lands, and hurt the people who lived there. In school you were taught about Australian history as it pertained to settlers migrating from the “motherlands” of England, Ireland, Scotland, etc. Never about how the people who ALREADY lived here used to go about their lives before that migration, *cough*, invasion… Never about their languages, beliefs, customs and traditions. Never.

This film depicts the all-to-real reality of what it’s like to be born into a downward spiral. Samson, a 15 year old Walpiri boy, and the film’s leading man, lives a monotonous and isolated outback life. His day begins with a compulsive inhalation of petrol from a can. Whilst a repetitive reggae riff is played outside his bedroom window by his brother’s band. The rest of his days are spent trying to stave off complete boredom – more often than not, unsuccessfully. The altered state of consciousness that petrol-sniffing brings is his only escape – and his only hobby.

In the same town is the teenage Delilah, with whom Samson is completely in love. Delilah is a mature-beyond-her-years young woman, who spends her days caring for her only apparent relative and companion, her nana, Kitty. Delilah wakes Kitty each morning to take her medication. She wheels Kitty to the local health clinic and church, then spends the rest of the day helping her to paint the dot-paintings that are in such high demand. The utter poverty in which they are forced to live is made all the more poignant when, later on, you discover how much these dot-paintings are sold for in the cities.

There is little more than a few sentences of dialogue in the entire film, perhaps less than half of that is in English. The lack of conversation between characters makes every gesture and glance feel as though it were magnified. The director, Warwick Thornton’s, attention to visual detail amplifies this even more. He is also the screenwriter. For someone who loves dialogue and conversation – I was surprised that I didn’t want to hear anyone speak. Like there was a danger it might detract from what was unspoken.

The beaten-black-and-blue love story between Samson and Delilah barely equates to more than a smile and a quick peck on the forehead, but rarely have I been so moved by an on-screen love as I have with these two.

This film must come with a warning: it will confront you and, quite likely, move you to tears, as it did me. You’re likely to feel the absolute desperation that these kids are living. You might ask yourself, ‘how did we come to this?’ and you might, like me, want to slap a few smug cafe-dwelling whities… I guess I should start with myself?

Samson & Delilah opens in Australian cinemas April 30th.

Director: Warwick Thornton
Screenwriter: Warwick Thornton
Cast: Rowan McNamara, Marissa Gibson, Mitjili Napanangka Gibson, Scott Thornton, Matthew Gibson, Steven Brown, Gregwyn Gibson, Noreen Robertson Nampijinpa

Article written by Hayley Van Es. You can catch Hayley on 3CR community radio as a co-presenter on the program ‘Girly is Good’.

‘Samson & Delilah’ follows a straight narrative, with a beginning, middle, and end – or three acts.  The first shots of the film are centred on an adolescent Aboriginal boy, Samson (played by first-time actor Rowan McNamara), as he wakes up in his makeshift single-mattress bed.  The blazing Central Australian sun is streaming into his room, and his radio, tuned to an Indigenous country music station, is bursting with song praising the beautiful new day.  Samson adorns himself in a radiant yellow checked shirt, sweeps his sun-bleached matted hair from his face, and reaches for his morning mug.  These images are all quite delightful, so when we then see Samson engulf his entire mouth and nose in the mug, and inhale deeply, the depressing reality shatters this illusion.  Inside the mug is not freshly brewed coffee, as one may have thought, but greasy, grotty petroleum.  This opening montage sets the tone for the film, and informs the audience that there will be no rose-coloured glasses approach.

Despite this grim introduction, Thornton’s film is still best labeled as a (very raw) love story.  Samson’s clumsy and juvenile displays of affection are directed towards Delilah (also a first-time acting performance, played by Marrisa Gibson) – a girl around the same age, who lives with and cares for her elderly grandmother (Mitjili Naparangka Gibson).  At first, Delilah shrugs off Samson’s persistent advances, although her grandmother cackles at what she sees as an inevitable romance.  It is not until Delilah by chance spots Samson dancing in the middle of the night that she sees something in him that sparks an unconditional love.  Even as a voyeuristic audience member, there is a real feeling of intimacy in watching the half-naked young man express himself free of all inhibition.  Perhaps this outpouring of pure freedom is what ignites Delilah’s senses, and gives her a vision of hope for a brighter future.  In any case, it is a really profound moment and one that will be forever etched into the history of memorable scenes from great Australian films.

It is in the next act that Samson and Delilah’s love begins to take form, and their frustration at living a dead-end, impoverished existence reaches boiling point.  Subsequently they become outcasts from their own community.  The journey that follows is one that will really confront white audiences.  Hopefully it will serve as a wake up call to the continuing apathy displayed by the dominant culture in this country toward the plight of disadvantaged Aborigines.  In the mainly white-populated city of Alice Springs, Samson and Delilah are met with suspicion or indifference whenever they conduct themselves as regular citizens.  I’m sure a lot of people reading this would feel some level of guilt if I were to ask how you respond to an Aboriginal person on the street begging for some spare change.  The second act of this film will forever change how you respond in future.  Thornton achieves this not by shoving the truth down your throat, rather by presenting it in a subtle and understated manner.  There are many non-verbal passages in the film, with most of the communication between the characters done through body language and eye contact.  There are only two or three heavy emotional moments, meaning that when they arrive, the impact will leave you wide-eyed and breathless.

The third and final act is where Thornton reveals his awareness of his most cherished viewer:  his community, and Aborigines in general.  There is a drastic change in tone, and it would seem Thornton’s intention is to provide a feeling of optimism for his fellow Aboriginal people.  Of course, this is a reasonable and even noble way to round off a film about, and for, his people.  The only concern I have is that it will lessen the effect of the first and second act upon all other viewers.  Understandably it is a delicate position that Thornton is in – how best to communicate an important and problematic story to a non-Indigenous audience, whilst still providing his people with a big screen movie that leaves them feeling empowered.

In spite of this slight criticism, there is certainly no disputing that ‘Samson & Delilah’ is a classic Australian film, and one that is essential viewing, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.

Article written by Ryan Nance.

Indeed, there I was – just five days after Hollywood’s night of nights, the Oscars – strolling through the gritty streets of Glebe on my way to a community cinema event put on by Glebe Youth Service.  One of the primary goals of the Youth Service has been to help guide the young (and often disadvantaged) people of Glebe to a positive future.  The youth workers firmly believe that this can be achieved by working with the youth on activities that bring the community together.  Tonight’s event was coordinated by one of their tireless workers, Keiran Kevans.  Keiran is surely one of the most selfless people you’re likely to meet in the welfare industry – and that’s saying something!

One of the movies screened – a short-film called The Badge – was produced by Short Black Films.  Short Black Films is an initiative funded by the City of Sydney Council and run by Australian actor Vincent McManus.  The idea behind Short Black Films is that they go into various inner-west suburbs and work with the local Aboriginal youth to put together short-films.  The young people are involved in all aspects of the process.  This includes initial brainstorming and discussion of themes, through to writing the script, acting in the film, and even producing music for the sound track.  It is through this open collaboration that the great success of Short Black Films reveals itself.  Show me a teenager who wouldn’t be excited to see him/herself in a movie.  Or be thrilled to hear their music accompany a movie.  Or revel in hearing a crowd laugh at a joke they had written.  As soon as any form of ownership is associated with a project, there comes a feeling of pride, worth, and ultimately, inspiration.

Vincent McManus and Keiran Kevans are well aware of this, and while allowing the kids to tell the stories they want to, they cleverly and subtly work in important community-development messages.  The Badge, loosely based on a true story, is about a couple of local Glebe kids who come into the possession of a corrupt policeman’s badge – which they then plan to use for their own benefit.  A chase with the officer ensues, which is followed by some Scorsese-esque violence, and eventually the kids are left to decide whether or not to rid themselves of the badge.  The film is underpinned by a sound track of grimy hip-hop music, produced by local Glebe trio Str8 Balla’z (Vinno aka Lil Cube, Kieron aka Kizz, and Wayne aka Blizz).  This sound track includes their latest track No 1 2 Blame, which was produced in the music studio at Glebe Youth Service.

After a short break, Keiran announced that the mystery feature to be screened would be the award-winning Australian film 10 Canoes.  I couldn’t help but smile at how perfect this choice was.  Not simply because 10 Canoes is a story about the first Aborigines on the continent, but perhaps more importantly because the message in the film was similar to the one contained in The Badge.  At the heart of both movies is the valuable lesson of recognising the importance of responsible decision-making: both individually, as well as part of a community.
I first saw 10 Canoes sitting alongside 1,800 middle-class folk at the open-air cinema at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair.  That experience was nowhere near as poignant as tonight, sitting on a sofa amongst 20 or so Aboriginal kids at Glebe Youth Service.

Cinema has long been about bringing together the community.  In the same week that Hollywood was buzzing over the triumphant success story of Slumdog Millionaire – the film, set in India and starring mainly first-time actors from actual Mumbai slums, collected 8 Oscars – another success story of a smaller scale was taking place in downtown Glebe.  Smaller yes, but certainly no less significant.

Article written by Ryan Nance & Photos taken by Mark Townsend.