Outback stories Jan Merry

Friday, September 7, 2012

Film Fest Australia



There is a great range of films from Down Under to see this September. Now showing at the Picturehouse Cinemas in Clapham and Hackney, make the effort to catch them while you can because Australian films no longer seem to have a long season in the UK. FFA 2012 will open with the European premiere of Not Suitable for Children, starring Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Home & Away).

ryan kwanten


Why not revisit some of those all time Aussie classics. My favourite is The Year My Voice Broke .


Awarded Best Film of 1987 by the AFI, this gem still sparkles like the classic it is. Set in 1960s small-town Australia, and filmed in NSW’s rolling Southern Tablelands, this is so much more than a coming-of-age film. Universal themes of male and female identity, and the challenges life throws your way, see Danny (Noah Taylor), Trevor (Ben Mendelsohn) and the enchanting Freya (Loene Carmen) struggle to shape their world and find a sense of belonging. Vulnerable and set-apart, each responds differently to the small town hypocrisy and repression surrounding them. Inspired acting and a wonderfully haunting music score ensure director John Duigan never dips into sentimentality despite such a strong emotional core. In a precursor to how their careers would develop, it’s a treat to see Mendlesohn and Taylor play these early roles.