Metro No. 206

Felicity Collins Associate Professor, Department of Cinema Studies, La Trobe University Greg Dolgopolov Lecturer, School of the Arts and Media, UNSW Anna Dzenis Lecturer, Department of Cinema Studies, La Trobe University Beryl Exley Professor, School of Education & Professional Studies, Griffith University Trish Fitzsimons Associate Professor, Griffith Film School, Griffith University Lisa French Professor and Dean, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University Dan Golding Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Ben Goldsmith Postdoctoral Researcher in Education, Centre for Education in Media Practice, Bournemouth University Alexandra Heller-Nicholas Adjunct Professor, School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Olivia Khoo Associate Professor, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University Brian McFarlane Adjunct Professor, Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology Jane Mills Associate Professor,…

A screen translation of a supposedly unfilmable Tim Winton novel about separated lovers, Gregor Jordan’s film carries plenty of reverberations for audiences in a time of pandemic-induced mass isolation. Speaking to the director, Stephen A Russell asks about the difficulties of adaptation, the experience of shooting on sacred land in remote Western Australia and the decision to cast two overseas actors in the lead roles. In the canon of Australian literature, Tim Winton is up there with Peter Carey on the list of revered authors whose novels are most often dubbed ‘unfilmable’ (as if cinema isn’t capable of tackling complex and unwieldy ideas, non-linear narratives or impressionistic forms). Nevertheless, Dirt Music (2019) director Gregor Jordan – previously responsible for works including Ned Kelly (2003) and Buffalo Soldiers (2001) – was…

Marrying conventional horror tropes with a sensitive depiction of the impact of dementia on three generations of women, Natalie Erika James’ debut feature gives shape to fears of neurological and physical deterioration, as well as the experience of living in a hostile and unsafe domestic space. As Josh Nelson finds, the film diverges from previous representations of the condition in the horror genre – and cinema more broadly – through its identification with the sufferer. When Japanese-Australian director Natalie Erika James’ Relic premiered at Sundance this year, a number of critics likened the film to both The Babadook (Jennifer Kent, 2014) and Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018).1 Beyond the surface similarities – they’re all horror-themed feature directorial debuts with female leads – what unites these releases at a more substantial level…

What would happen if you used Mike Leigh’s rehearsal process to bring to life a Miranda July project that channelled the renegade, independent spirit of the New Queer Cinema of the 1990s? Chances are it would end up bearing more than a passing resemblance to The Five Provocations (Angie Black, 2018). Until now, the film has screened almost exclusively at film festivals, including the Melbourne Queer Film Festival and Lorne Film; but it has since been picked up by Label Distribution, and was scheduled to be released on multiple streaming services in late September. Audiences will be able to watch The Five Provocations through iTunes, Google Play and Vimeo. While this is writer/director Black’s first feature, the film’s inclusive lens and emphasis on the experiences of social outsiders resonates with…

The first Australian feature to be headlined by an actor with Down syndrome, Paul Barakat’s tale of a young man who dreams of a professional boxing career while coping with prejudice and condescension breaks new ground in representation of disability on screen. The film’s strong performances and evident good intentions can’t, however, wholly make up for the limitations that the narrative itself places on its protagonist, writes Hanna Schenkel. Danny (Chris Bunton) is an accomplished athlete. The defined musculature of his back and arms betrays both physical strength and mental discipline. The shelf next to his bed is heavy with trophies and medals – even at his young age, evidence of a long and successful gymnastics career. But despite his success – or, maybe, because of it – the gymnasium…

A seething commentary on the global migration crisis, fish-out-of-water horror-comedy Two Heads Creek (2019) concerns faint-hearted Polish-British butcher Norman (Jordan Waller), who flees a hostile post-Brexit Britain with his melodramatic sister, Annabelle (Kathryn Wilder), to travel to the titular Australian rural town in search of their birth mother, Mary (Kerry Armstrong). Directed by local filmmaker Jesse O’Brien and scripted by British actor Waller, it’s a film that both knowingly embraces and – thanks to its partially international perspective – overcomes genre-film clichés regarding Australian aggression towards outsiders. I talk to producer Judd Tilyard about the challenges of authentically depicting Aussie national identity on screen and achieving a tonal balance between horror and comedy, and why it’s crucial to understand rather than undermine genre audiences. Oliver Pfeiffer: What attracted you to…