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. 

VIRTUAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL TO LAUNCH IN RECONCILIATION WEEK

The burgeoning online film festival landscape expands further with the launch of the 2020 Virtual Indigenous Film Festival this week. In conjunction with National Reconciliation Week, streaming provider Fanforce TV will present in-home content that speaks directly to the history, culture and society of Australia’s indigenous people.

National Reconciliation Week aims to teach all Australians about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. This year's theme, #InThisTogether, reminds us that we all shape our country’s journey towards an equitable and reconciled nation. National Reconciliation Week is held annually from 27 May to 3 June, as these dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - respectively, the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. 

The programming of the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival highlights narratives that address the intertwined ancient and contemporary indigenous experience. The six films to screen are Maya Newell’s In My Blood it Runs (pictured, right), a coming-of-age story pitting the traditions of the Arrernte/Garrwa people against state education; Daniel Gordon’s account of footballer Adam Goodes’ journey, The Australian Dream; Paul Williams’ biography of the late singer/songwriter, Gurrumul; Nicholas Wrathall’s Undermined: Tales From the Kimberley, an insight into the industrial exploitation of First Nation’s sacred land; Sera Davies’ chronicle of a family fighting for the return of their patriarch’s legacy, Namatjira Project; and, Aaron Petersen’s moving account of a disenfranchised Aboriginal youth and his rite-of-passage to manhood, Zach’s Ceremony (pictured, top).

In addition to the feature films, Fanforce TV enables audiences to ask questions and discuss topics in real time with the guest speakers and community leaders via live chat and live streaming features. Speakers and panelists include Zach and Alec Doomadgee, the stars of Zach’s Ceremony; Elke Smirl, from Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place; and, representatives from such bodies as the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Reconciliation S.A. and Mallee District Aboriginal Services.

"It will be a great opportunity for us to speak directly to people everywhere about our film and its educational programs that have been making a real impact,” says Zach Domadgee (pictured, right), via press release. “This is what Reconciliation Week is about."

“We are hoping that the Festival will inspire lots of discussion with audiences right across Australia and New Zealand.” says Fanforce founder Danny Lachevre. “At most festivals it is difficult or intimidating for the audience to ask questions or join the conversation. This will remove those barriers and enable everyone to join in from the privacy of their homes.”

The 2020 VIRTUAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL will run May 27 to June 3. Ticket sales and further information are available at FANFORCE TV. 

SCREEN-SPACE acknowledges and pays respect to past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that the festival may contain images or names of people who have passed away.

JASPER JONES: THE RACHEL PERKINS INTERVIEW

The big-screen adaptation of Craig Silvey’s beloved bestseller Jasper Jones is one of the most eagerly anticipated local films of the year. The story has become an Australian classic; the tale of the bookish Charlie Buktin and his unique and moving friendship with Jasper Jones, an indigenous teenager desperate to prove his innocence when a horrible event envelopes an Australian country town in the late 1960s, has earned comparisons to Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. So all eyes will be on director Rachel Perkins when the film premieres to eager home grown audiences this week. SCREEN-SPACE sat with the director of such acclaimed works as Radiance (1998), One Night the Moon (2001), Bran Nue Dae (2009) and Mabo (2012) to chat about the joys and pressures of doing justice to a yarn that means so much to so many Australians…

SCREEN-SPACE: How did you first become attached to the Jasper Jones adaptation?

RACHEL PERKINS: It had sold over half a million copies and everyone had read it by the time it was recommended to me by my partner. He insisted I read it, which, of course, instantly turned me off it, so it went unread for quite awhile. Then, finally, it was sitting by the bed and I couldn’t get to sleep and next thing, it was 4am and I couldn’t put it done. I immediately knew this would make a great film and that, I must admit, my partner was right and I was wrong. So then I reached out to all the people to try to secure the rights, which, because I had messed about for so long, were gone. So I was resigned to the fact that someone else was going to direct it. But I ultimately outlasted the other filmmakers, persisted so much that I eventually got the gig that allowed me to be part of the adaptation

SCREEN-SPACE: What are the key elements of the narrative that connected with you? What made it a story you wanted to film?

A number of elements combined to make it really attractive to me. It was the murder mystery plotting that was the reason I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to solve it, to see it solved, I love a mystery such as the one in the book. But along the way there is this beautiful dialogue between Charlie Buktin and Jeffery Lu, which is laugh-out-loud hilarious. And then there is this great heart to the story, which provides the sort of cathartic, emotional experience that I love in films. (Pictured, right; stars, l-r, Aaron L. McGrath, Levi Miller and Angourie Rice)

SCREEN-SPACE: It’s traditional small-town, coming-of-age story that employs big themes, weighty issues in Jasper Jones. The scourge of racism, the shadow of Vietnam, the sweeping social change of the late ‘60s setting…

RACHEL PERKINS: Having some underlying meaning or providing some commentary on how we can improve the world has always been a part of my work. It might sound a bit naïve, but I think films can change hearts and minds. This film is about a young guy who, when exposed to the world that the character Jasper Jones inhabits, displays a lovely compassion. I think the great thing about this book and certainly a large part of why I love it so much is that it wasn’t just about those big issues. It transcended the themes of racism, class, sexism and abuse to ultimately become a bigger story about empathy and understanding. Most importantly, it’s a ripping yarn, a terrific piece of entertainment, that doesn’t bash you over the head with issues but weaves them into great storytelling.

SCREEN-SPACE: In addition to established names like Toni Collette, Hugo Weaving and Dan Wyllie, the production secured the young Australian stars Levi Miller and Angourie Rice, both on the cusp of international stardom…

RACHEL PERKINS: You can see why they are international names, fronting big films overseas. They have a greatness about them. They have an intelligence that they bring to their understanding of the characters. They have an emotional truth that they can naturally portray, that they can switch on, which they access in different ways but which they convey beautifully. They are incredibly talented young actors who bring with them the experience of having worked on big films, so they have sophistication and sensitivity. It wasn’t a hard casting process.

SCREEN-SPACE: And you also did the unthinkable and actually welcomed the writer of the book and co-writer (with Shaun Grant) of the screenplay, Craig Silvey, on to the set every day. That flies in the face of the Director’s Rule Book, surely?

RACHEL PERKINS: (Laughs) It never happens, really. Maybe the Coen Brothers but, you know, they’re brothers and Craig and I are quite different, obviously. From a director’s point of view, I’m not intimidated by collaboration, by having someone else say, “That didn’t really work for me,” or “No, that’s not how I imagined it,” or “Really, do you think that’s the right thing to do.” If I’m wrong, and I often am, I’m pleased to be corrected so that it becomes right. Who else to judge that and provide a second opinion but the person who has imagined it all and way before me? Ultimately, the director has the final say on set, so I knew I could always just say, “Hey, I’m the director and I’m doing it this way so just shut up!” (Laughs) But that never happened. Craig was great resource, particularly for the actors, who Craig could talk endlessly to about their characters. We got along great. (Pictured, above: Perkins, left, with Craig Silvey)

JASPER JONES is in Australian cinemas from March 2 from Madman Entertainment.