Bana and Wasikowska hadnt seen a Blue Groper prior to filming, in fact. Mia, did you spend much time or have a lot of discussions with Robert, Ilsa, or Ariel at all to try and create a through-line of sorts for who Abby becomes from the first act to the last, or was your approach to more focus on where she was during the time you were playing her? Radha Mitchell plays Dora, an environmental activist. And we can see that Erik Thomson is up to mischief even before he turns up in a white suit. waking up, but it's a question of whether it's fast enough to maintain the The film crew on location at Bremer Bay in Western Australia. From the hard-to-find Metal Skin, through Somersault, The Black Balloon and the quietly incredible 2016 Is This The Real World, the Aussies routinely knock absolute gems out of the park. If we change our ways, small or big, we can all collectively impact the environment. "It's a period of "They had no idea Ahead of the release, We Got This Covered had the chance to talk to Bana and Wasikowska about the project, the difficulties of shooting on location during the pandemic, their own thoughts on the perils of climate change and much more, which you can check out below. Winton was the first member of his family to go to university, where he studied creative writing. And I probably would have been sort of nervous to scuba dive if I wasnt pushed to because of this film., She went on to say how surreal it felt to be underwater for 20 to 30 minutes, likening it to going into outer space. udiences open to an ecological ocean drama thats gentler, more grounded and certainly more Strayan than James Camerons. Like in Connollys previous feature The Dry, theres plenty of air in the frame and space for contemplation. Erik Thomson is selfless as the villainous developer and the marvellous Eddie Baroo turns up as school bus driver Merv, investing "tell your mum I said hello" with more pathos and backstory than you'll believe six simple syllables could carry. Abel realises his mother is looking older; she asks him does he think she should sell up and he is shocked. So what did Bana whose international career goes back to 1997s The Castle bring to the project, when cast and crew found themselves filming off Ningaloo Reefs warm waters with whale sharks and oceanic manta rays? This book constantly explores sustainability as Abel and his mother are striving to protect the environment. obligation of stewardship, which requires sacrifice.". Ilsa Fogg plays the teenage Abby in Blueback. Blueback by Tim Winton - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The Western Coast of Australia. As VFX (visual effects) developed, Connolly who describes himself as more an analogue filmmaker was ready. In terms of how it pushed me personally, I got to do a crash course in scuba diving, which I'd never done before. Connolly oscillates between three versions of Abby: child, teen and adult. If I had my way, I'd Mia Wasikowska: So I felt like there was a whole movie that I hadnt been a part of. This film should certainly help in that ongoing fight. I loved its environmental messaging about saving the ocean, and that it took us to a world that is extraordinary Bremer Bay this little bay at the bottom of [Western] Australia, Connolly, who directed and wrote the screenplay, tells The New Daily. And after others told him they were moved to tears by the tale, he thought a master of language who writes unadorned sentences that build in power and YouTube. expected to be read by more than a couple of thousand people, and when you get There's even a fish species named after him you can find the 30-centimetre 'Hannia wintoni' (or Winton's Grunter) swimming in the freshwaters of the Kimberley. awkward in that I don't know who it's for. Tim Winton on Blueback, Ningaloo, and 40 years of writing, Australian Defence Force personnel and aircraft will be involved in the evacuation of residents from remote communities in the NTexperiencing significant flooding, Former government services minister Stuart Robert is being questioned at theRobodebt inquiry, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. Blueback is in cinemas around Australia from 1 January, Irreverent review a Chicago criminal goes undercover down under, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. And there have been plenty of those: his 15 books "Every day was special, his mother always told him this, but it all became much more precious the day he first shook hands with old Blueback" (page 10). The family film will be produced by Arenamedia and directed by Robert Connolly as the follow up to his award-winning box office hit . Please try again later. But, when Abel leaves his mother to go to a boarding school his mother has an encounter withbusinessmen who are trying to get her to sell the bay. Between them, Eric Bana and Mia Wasikowska have starred in billion-dollar franchises, Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar-winning movies, and acclaimed features from some of the biggest and best names in the business, but Blueback sees the duo returning to their roots in a moving independent production shot in their native Australia. The film has a natural rhythm and energy to it, shared Bana. then it's our source, our ancestral life and we are obliged to nourish it.". We again assembled an incredible cast and showing off another very, very interesting part of part of Australia, in another thriller. Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, absolutely. But no really, really excited. "The Perth that my grandparents knew, and that my parents knew, was a foreign place to me, and my children never saw it. They said, Youve got two daughters, Dad! So its a piece of magic, its a little bit of old school filmmaking and puppetry and a lot of beautiful craft work thats gone into it. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/tim-winton-blueback-ningaloo-and-40-years-of-writing/101297058, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article. This story was first published on The New Daily. moral arms. His books have been adapted to the stage and screen, and he's been named a National Living Treasure. There was almost no rewriting, it just came out formed.". His mum had been a swim teacher as a younger woman, but was now too frail to swim on her own. commercially feted, from the first, An Open Swimmer, which was joint An optimistic Robert Connolly hopes his audience is as passionate as he is about these core issues. Verified Purchase. where so much revolved around the sea - in a way, it was a gift and I owe it He is also a strong supporter of marine and environmental conservation. It has been adapted, with Winton's input, by veteran Aussie safe-pair-of-hands Robert Connolly (The Dry, Balibo) who has the true storytellers art of bringing exactly what each film needs to the table and then trusting a perfectly assembled cast and crew to get on with it. was younger and how badly I was paid for my labour - I got $1000 advance for The film is at its best in the watery world luminously evoked by cinematographer Andrew Commis a place where the animatronic puppet that is Blueback mingles happily with the rest of the sea life. Connolly and Winton stay close to the original book, which was released both as a childrens book and a novel several decades ago. can". Using straightforward prose and stark, uncomplicated characters it carries a clear environmental and conservationist message. You can email him here Tim WintonMessages to Tim MY FIRST look at Robert Connolly's film adaptation . their children will have to experience nature in a virtual sense - landscapes Some Blueback fodder that should pique audience interest: Creating Blueback, the hero of the film, was an undertaking. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday. With Robert Connolly's most recent film The Dry fast approaching $20 million at the . When she realizes that the fish is under threat, she takes inspiration from her activist mum, Dora (played by Mitchell), and vigilantly takes on poachers to save her friend. All of it sparks her life-long journey to save the world's coral reefs. * making the coastal area they own a National park, stopping deforestation so that industries or parks could not be made; "I'm standing there in the water with my wife and my mother looking at each other like, 'Remind you of anything? 37, the Fremantle-based author has always been an enigmatic figure in Ozlit. And so seeing the film for the first time is like being a normal audience member, but I really love working with young actresses, the young cast were fantastic. Abel is a curious and adventurous child, and he spends much of his time exploring the surrounding wilderness and observing the creatures that live there. I was only there for two weeks, and maybe you were quite similar? Blueback was originally conceived as an animated film due to the "state of CGI technology" in the late 1990s, and the risks of having "a big, wild fish" in the water with children. Talk of sacrifice and faith seem curiously old-fashioned, an idealist's Rob made a beautiful choice to make the fish real and mechanical, as opposed to just CGI. And then I suddenly put two and two together and realized that it was this is Tim Winton project. So it is universal, and then also quite focused locally. And I think its worth it. 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The film drifts around a bit, neither plot-driven nor super stylish, but its a nice, gentle kind of drift. promote-and-negotiate overseas tour - but he remains at best a diffident Blueback is an achingly beautiful story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment, from Tim Winton, one of Australia's best-loved authors.. Abel Jackson lives with his mother, Dora, at Longboat Bay, an isolated stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish. Mia Waskikowska: Yeah, this was my only pandemic film, actually. So getting in was a bit of an ordeal. And I knew I knew I was determined. From The Lord of the Rings to Ulysses, Hemingway and lesser-known gems - these are the books writers revisit for inspiration, comfort and insight. Publisher's Summary. Connolly spent over 20 years developing the project, which he also co-wrote. Despite this idyllic image they lead a hard, basic life. Listen back to his conversation with The Book Show's Claire Nichols. . If the sea is ultimately where we come from, and it seems we did, Its also a story about family at the end of the day, and its hard to imagine theres anyone wholl watch the film that wont find at least one element they cant relate to on some level, which can sometimes be a difficult balance to strike when it comes to independent productions that also wear their localization as such a proud badge of honor like Blueback does, which is a testament to how the film turned out. The supporting players are given even less to work with. Yet he still believes there is a place and indeed, a very important one for art and writing. other way round. historic contract we have between ourselves and the future. The story of Abby, a young girl living with her environmentalist mother on Australia's pristine west coast. Thanks for signing up to the InReview newsletter. Only the fishs eyes were CGI. McPhee, Hilary (editor) Tim Winton: A Celebration, National Library of Australia. One day he meets Blueback, the biggest and most beautiful fish he's . Our friends across Te Tai-o-Rhua are good at teen dramas and coming-of-age yarns. Winton's first novel, An Open Swimmer won an award and it marked the beginning of Winton's literature career. A simple but effective way of. Really excited about it. Overall, you get a sense of how real it all felt when you watch the film and particularly for the cast who had to interact with the fish. We need beauty in our lives, so we don't go mad.". It was interesting changing the gender, Connolly says. Even when the day came to submit the final manuscript, Winton wasn't convinced he'd nailed it. Blueback opens theatrically in wide release on March 3 and Blueback Quiver Distribution will also release the film on demand on April 21. Winton says he gets more fan mail about that book than anything else he's written. A powerful story for generations opens our 2023 season of films under the stars. ABC RN's on-air writers' festival is back! There was also state-of-the-art mechanized puppetry created by Creature Technology Company, who were behind King Kong: Alive on Broadway and the popular arena show version of How to Train Your Dragon. the kind of money most people toss aside for their drinks bill. There is no discernible "Connolly style" in any of his films, just extreme competence, humility and a love of storytelling. Eric, you of course previously worked with Robert on The Dry which was a massive hit in Australia and has become something of an unsung cult favourite around the world, so theres going to be a lot of people excited for the sequel, if youre not forbidden from sharing any details on that. Support independent And they are the most Blueback is a story about love, loss, growing up, and above all, living with respect for our beautiful and natural environment. In 1997, he was named a Living Treasure by the National Trust of Australia, and has won the Miles Franklin Award four times. Blueback releases in select theaters, as well as on digital and on-demand, this coming Friday March 3. While diving, Abby forms a bond with a. Blueback. Two jam-packed days of conversations with writers you love and others you're going to love, on August 6 and 7 on your radio, online and ABC listen. Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award, as did Cloudstreet Thank you to Penguin Books Australia. avoiding or recovering from" and (b) "something I do for myself and because I childhood once available to us. Winton: an affable, plain-speaking man of unaffected intelligence and deep My only pandemic film, actually stage and screen, and he is shocked story for generations opens our season. Friends across Te Tai-o-Rhua are good at teen dramas and coming-of-age yarns been to various countries, but was too! 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