THE FLOOD: THE VICTORIA WHARFE MCINTYRE INTERVIEW

Victoria Wharfe McIntyre has crafted a truly unique Australian film with her debut feature, THE FLOOD. Pulsating with the energetic genre beats, it is also a muscular pushback to how First Nation People have too often been portrayed in contemporary cinema. Set during the years of WWII, The Flood is the story of Jarah (Alexis Lane, in a star-making debut), an Indigenous woman who unleashes fury when colonial Australian society inflicts upon her and her people one injustice too many. Which sounds like a template for a ‘vengeance western’, and it’s certainly a fine one of those, but The Flood also explores themes of redemption, reconciliation and forgiveness.

Having shot her film in the magnificent Kangaroo Valley hinterland in southern New South Wales, Victoria Wharfe McIntyre is now on the promotional trail, supporting her work’s  theatrical season ahead of the January 6 digital release via Madman Films. She spoke to SCREEN-SPACE about the passion she has for meaningful storytelling and how it brought her first film to life...    

SCREEN-SPACE: What aspect of Australia's relatively young history - the treatment of our Indigenous culture; colonisation and integration; patriarchal dominance - most inspired the narrative of The Flood?

VICTORIA: The very first moment of inspiration was a desire to see Australia’s First Nation People represented as powerful, wise, culturally profound spiritual warriors who kick arse on screen. I wasn’t seeing films with Indigenous heroes who come out on top; those characters often seem to reside in the position of victim or without real agency, so I wanted to make something in partnership with as many First Nation People as possible that captures country, tenacity, majesty and power. (Pictured, right; Alexis Lane as Jarah)

I’m also fascinated by life at home during the world wars. War films generally depict the battlefield on foreign soil, [while] the home front rarely gets a look in. Those years are such potent times socially and culturally. My short film Miro, about a returning Indigenous soldier and his journey to right the wrongs done to him and his family, was very well received. That made me wonder about the experience of a woman of colour in that era, a time long before women thought of chaining themselves to the bar or burning their bras. Putting those inspirations together and a fire in the belly [to address] social, political, cultural, economic and environmental injustice forged our narrative.

This country [has] the most ancient, powerful, insightful, spiritual culture on the planet with so many exotic, pristine and unique wild places. Our nation has these great gifts, jewels in our crown, and we don’t appreciate how truly blessed we are. Showing the beauty of our country and First Nation People is at the heart of the film.

SCREEN-SPACE: And what about film history, both Australian and internationally? What are the works that have inspired you and might sit alongside The Flood when it is considered in a cultural context? 

VICTORIA: So many films and filmmakers have inspired me and both consciously and unconsciously play out in my creative vision. Tarantino’s Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds; Jane Campion’s In The Cut and The Piano; David Lynch’s Blue Velvet; Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and 2001 A Space Odyssey. Works by Denis, Almódovar, Armstrong, Cameron, Thornton, Weir, Bigelow, all lodge in the psyche. There’s a touch of Mad Max and I Spit On Your Grave, too. But the film that started it all….Star Wars. 

I’m not sure there are particular films that sit alongside The Flood (will leave that to others); rather it dabbles and plays and embraces something from all of the films that have stayed with me. Films reference each other; art works are built on top of our collective canon and we aim to achieve fresh combinations of ideas, themes, forms and ways of seeing. (Pictured, left; l-r, Shaka Cook, Dalara Williams and Alexis Lane) 

SCREEN-SPACE: Some commentary cites a Tarantino-like 'revisionist history' element. Do you agree? Should cinema go down this path, or is that exactly what cinema should do?

VICTORIA: The film is revisionist in the sense that it subverts the dominant paradigm of Anglo Saxon supremacy that litters our nation’s cinematic oeuvre. Justine Brown Mcleod, one of our Yuin Nation creative producers, said the other day that, “it was inevitable that people would come, that we would be invaded, but it is how we survive the invasion that is important”. The Flood is a microcosm of that survival story; yes, First Nations People have lived under an invading regime but their culture, stories, languages, wisdom, lore, spirit remains strong and our heroes live in that world throughout the film.

Cinema should go down any, every and all paths. We need to look at every aspect of human and planetary life from what currently is to what we want or envision it to be. If you see yourself on screen as a hero then, in that moment, you too are heroic and that is something we all have the potential to be in our lives. We need to see different representations of that.

SCREEN-SPACE: There's an element of fearlessness in your directing; the shifts in tone, the location work, the performances you draw, all suggest you were swinging for the fences on your first feature film. What was/is your directing ethos? 

VICTORIA: (Laughs) I actually thought, "this might be my only opportunity to make a feature," so I wanted to give it everything. Go bold, go epic, be brave, always with truth, passion and aliveness being the most important things to capture. My producing partner Armi Marquez-Perez totally trusted [my] vision and had my back through some hairy times. Thanks to him we could make the film that was calling us to meet it. (Pictured, right; Victoria Wharf McIntryre, on-set) 

I have two highly influential long term creative partnerships. Composer Petra Salsjö will often write music off the script and we can then work on set with that music. In this case, she had to write diegetic pieces for the film particularly for the Mackay Gang who have their own version of a theme song. The score is also fearless and the strength and support of our partnership encourages each of us to operate with creative freedom. I love the magic that comes from that. Petra’s score is truly incredible and will be released to coincide with the film’s digital release in January.

And DOP Kevin Scott and I prefer to be dynamic and fluid in the moment. We work with the actors on set, see how they are going to play it and from there, determine how we will shoot the scene in the most creative way possible. We wanted to press on with our extended ‘oner’ style, shooting every scene in one shot wherever possible. We have an absolute ball on set and are extremely honest with each other and that fosters courage and the strength to trust and go for it.

Film is a giant collaborative work with a large collection of highly talented artists. Nothing excites me more than the crucible of the set, running with the energy, creativity, vitality of the moment. I’d forsake a ‘perfect shot’ for some raw passion or truth any day of the week.

THE FLOOD is currently in national theatrical release via FanForce and will debut on digital on January 6 via Madman Films.