FRONTLINE: THE ADRIAN POWERS AND JOHAN EARL INTERVIEW

It is the Australian film garnering headlines around the world but barely making a dint with local distributors. Forbidden Ground, a World War 1 drama that captures both the torment of the trench-bound troops and the anguish of their loved ones back home, is the work of co-directors Johan Earl and Adrian Powers (pictured, left-to-right below). Having debuted to critical acclaim throughout Europe ahead a meagre Australian cinema release before seguing onto DVD in late 2013, the directorial duo share their memories of the film's inspiration, production and legacy with SCREEN-SPACE...

What was the most crucial aspect of this generation's experience that you were determined to get on-screen?

Adrian: We wanted to capture the fundamental, raw human elements of the war, (reflecting) the incredible predicament that all young men were faced with. This is one of the reasons we chose not to identify a particular Battalion or Regiment. It didn’t matter if the men were British, Australian, Canadian or American. It’s somewhat of an artistic impression of what we as Directors thought life during WWI was like. We absolutely respect that some die-hard military purists have criticized the film for a lack of detail, but that’s not really what this film is about.  When we look at old pictures from that era we see boys caught up in an adventure they knew nothing about. Frightened men and petrified women. We see more than soldiers. We want the audience to connect with the emotion and hopelessness that lies beneath their eyes, because that’s where the real story is.

You take a non-Antipodean approach to the tragedy of the First World War, but the subplot involving the main character’s partner ‘back home’ conveyed the dramatic impact felt by a generation of one of the world’s youngest nations.

Johan: Part of (the plot) has to include the experiences of those left behind. War impacted on everyone, not just those on the battlefield.  As I was writing it, my research uncovered that some 40,000 women died from ‘back yard’ abortions during the period.  Men in trenches were also far from faithful to their partners back home, with STD’s being one of the highest treated illnesses on the battlefield aside from war injuries. Remembering and honouring the lives and deaths of these men and women doesn’t mean we have to sweep their transgressions under the carpet, remembering only their dashing bravery, but rather, let’s try to understand the horrendous conditions in which they lived, learn from them and feel compassion.

Forbidden Ground draws on a great and powerful cinematic portrayal of wartime. What films inspired you to become filmmakers and influenced Forbidden Ground?

Adrian: No particular film as such inspired it. Both of us are big fans of intelligent modern action films like’ The Bourne Trilogy’ and that has no doubt inspired some of the coverage on the battlefield and in the action scenes. We wanted a more modern cinematic feel, so our men are charging into gunfire, weaving around obstacles, dropping by the dozen. The filmmakers who inspired us are the ones that infuse a reality and real sense of research and craft into a compelling, emotional experience, like Michael Mann, Ridley Scott, Paul Greengrass and Christopher Nolan. 

Johan: I had never imagined making a World War I movie as such, although I have a script for a true World War II story.  It’s also a tragic love story; I’m all about connecting with people’s emotions. I want them to laugh and cry. Even the action films and modern genre films I have in the pipeline deeply connect to the human spirit.

You made a relatively inexpensive film look like a big-budget work; where was money spent to ensure the film had such a cinematic feel?

Adrian: In post-production, essentially. We spent a year and a half in post with a very small team enhancing the film. Visual Effects and the colour grade really help to get us over the line there. If you watch the rushes, the stuff in the trenches (pictured, left: lead actor and co-director Johan Earl on location) or on the battlefield – all of it is the baking sunlight with cows and Australian bushland in the background. Our visual effects team laboured for months to get this to look authentic. (Also), the sound effects and the music are absolutely first rate and they really help to elevate the experience.

It has sold well into international territories. Why do you think it is playing so well internationally?

Johan: Because it connects with people’s emotions.  When people realise it’s not ‘Saving Private Ryan’, and it’s not about massive wartime vistas and showing how epic we can be, they sit back and are surprised that they can actually relate to the characters and the story. And if they allow themselves to, they can feel the pain these characters are feeling. Suddenly they’re immersed in the film and love it.

Adrian: Another big reason I think people are connecting with the film is the tension and suspense. Once we transition into the night stuff, viewers really start to hold their breath. You can always hear a pin drop in the cinema – people are glued to the screen.  When you combine that with an emotionally compelling story with characters that people can connect to, then you will always find an audience.

Screening details and DVD release dates can be found at the Forbidden Ground Facebook page.