Van Diemen’s Land - March 16th, 2009
I’ve just returned from the premiere of my mate Jonathan Auf Der Heide’s film Van Diemen’s Land. It was a fun filled 3 days in Adelaide, of which the Adelaide part was much less fun that the actual film premiere celebration. Well done to all involved, it was a bit of a nerve-racking night (well, only by association for me, really) but a really great move about a past that Australia has yet to really explore properly on film.
Van Diemen’s Land
In 1822. Maquarie Harbour, a remote prison camp guarded by miles of impenetrable wilderness, was feared by convicts banished there as a fate worse than death.Sentenced to slave labour, a work party of eight Irish, English and Scottish thieves attempt the impossible in an infamous bid for freedom.
Totally unprepared for the arduous journey ahead, their escape into the harsh Tasmanian wilderness becomes a futile battle between man and nature.
As supplies dwindle and tensions amongst the group escalate, they soon contemplate the unthinkable.
After working away on the poster and the website for ages, it’s great to finally see the finished film which was completed only a matter of days before the screening at the Adelaide Film Festival.
I’d never been to Adelaide before, i found it to not be “the most fun place in the world”. It was like hobart city, but a bit taller. I’m sure it’s nice once you get out of the city. The Fringe festival opening was one one of the nights that we were there too. It was quite hostile, not unlike a New Years Eve celebration in the middle of Hobart. I did see a guy sitting out the front of a Hungry Jacks wearing a t-shirt that said “pull the trigger, bitch” though, so that was a bit of a highlight. There were fist-fighting girls, packs of dudes singing and swinging and a general lack of order or police. We finished up pretty early that night, quite shagged from the premiere the night before anyway, went back to the hotel for a quiet red and then headed home the next day to rest up before the triathlon.
Update: The Cast and crew screening was last night at Cinema Nova in Carlton. After seeing the film a few times now it’s good to be able to look upon it a bit more objectively and not be so worried about jonno, or what people are thinking of their performances. I’m sure i’m still pretty biased, but i think it’s a great film. Look out for it showing at a film festival near you.
Visit the Van Diemen’s Land website
[ i really must get around to putting the audio from the short film site onto the feature site, it makes a load of difference ]