Status: In Development

The Making of an Australian Myth

The tragic, vulnerable image of Lost Children has long haunted the Australian imagination, in art, film, literature and the media. From colonial times to the swinging 60s, the romantic otherworldliness of Picnic At Hanging Rock to the shocking true story of the Azaria Chamberlain case, this is the story of how one simple image has come to define the tensions, anxieties and ideals of a nation.

From colonial Australia to the present day, incorporating dramatic recreations, music, film and literature, a world of Lost Children is revealed. The horror of a lost child is one of the few experiences we still share with our colonial past. Despite all our modern technological advances, we’re often still forced to use old fashion search and rescue methods. Faced with an untameable terrain, we are as vulnerable as our colonial ancestors were 200 years ago, and the fear of the unknown keeps coming back to haunt us. We need look no further than the children’s classic, Dot and the Kangaroo, first published in 1899, which became a successful cartoon film series in the 1970s and 80s. Lost Children stories keep coming back.

In colonial times, much like today, large volunteer groups would mount searches on foot and horseback. Many Aboriginal trackers used their skills to find lost children. This could have been an opportunity for reconciliation, but it was never taken. Why? The indigenous role, so anonymous and yet so crucial, is an important aspect of the story. Indigenous children were rarely reported “lost;” they were too frequently stolen. Indigenous communities wisely taught their children to stay in the centre of the group; they knew the dangers of straying too far. For inexperienced settler children, the bush was just one big playground. And often a deadly one.

For the “lucky” children that are found, life is never the same again. This film traces the lives of some remarkable people throughout history whose lives were changed after their experience, from the 19th century heroine who lived financially from her fame to the “little boy lost” who inspired a #1 pop song in the 1960s and was forced to become a recluse. 

No matter how “civilised” or developed Australia becomes, lost children in art, literature and film keep the image alive, as children in every generation continue to disappear. Writers, art historians and social commentators describe the strength of this image and its possible meanings.

The innocent, wistful figure of a lost child, both beautiful and tragic, seems to reach out from Australia’s colonial past and into the present day. Lost children narratives are no longer a series of tragic stories; they have become Australian folklore. Why are we fascinated by this symbol of wasted youth? Does our largely migrant population still feel “lost” in an alien land? This powerful symbol still haunts us today and Haunted Playground draws on some of Australia’s most familiar and potent images on film, in books, in literature and in art to create a stylish, beautiful and thought provoking docudrama that questions the very meaning of being Australian.

Status: In Development

To celebrate the end of their university lives, five friends set sail on a private luxury yacht.  After a night of wild partying, they wake up to discover a teenage girl – invited along for the ride – lying face-down in the water.  Each of the students, in some small way, is implicated in her death.  With promising careers and reputations on the line, what will these brilliant young minds do next?

A Still and Awful Red is a psychological suspense thriller laced with survival horror elements.  The story explores what happens when a group of young adults summons the raw power of Nature.  What is the line that separates civilisation from savagery?  What happens when five kids decide to play God?  This is a cautionary tale about essentially good people who attempt to wash their hands of moral responsibility.  Every decision binds them closer together as friends.  Every decision draws the audience into the complicity of their actions. 

For those onboard, there is a lot at stake.  All five students have grown up inside a cocoon of wealth and privilege.  There is Stephen who has taken the family boat on a cruise of the open seas without their permission.  There is Ryan, the spoilt son of a family of doctors.  There is Erika whose father, the State Opposition Leader, is embroiled in a fiery election campaign.  There is “Mac” McGregor who grew up on a cattle farm and is now keenly sought after as a Robotics Engineer.  And finally, there is the mysterious and slightly unhinged Paige.  All these characters are on the cusp of extraordinary careers.  All of them are about to undergo a horrifying rites-of-passage.

A Still and Awful Red is a grim and sometimes gut-wrenching descent into existential despair.  In this Nietzchean universe, pride and self-interest quickly give way to more atavistic impulses.  Ironically, as their social pretences are stripped away these five young men and women discover their true human selves.  But is it too late to undo their diabolical pact?

Status: In Development

A series that explores the energy and spark that connects the performer and their audience.

For as long as there has been live entertainment, artists have struggled to gather and maintain an audience.

In today’s world people no longer have to leave their homes to be entertained.  Televisions and computer screens seem to provide everything we need. So what makes audiences get off the couch to see an act? Give it to me captures that elusive spirit which keeps live entertainment fresh and alluring: the performer/audience dynamic.

Their stories are told across 4 x 25 minute episodes, each episode following four groups of performers and their audiences as they prepare for a live gig. With observational, fly on the wall filming it captures the excitement and tension of touring and performing as their stories unfold. From Aussie larrikinism to alternative pop, Give it to me LIVE examines exactly what it takes to put on a live show, be it a couple of comedians, a government subsidised travelling show or an independent rock concert.