sometimes sulkily terse communiques. Blueback is told straight from the heart by everyone on either side of the camera, which is an approach you dont really see often enough anymore, and one you both clearly gravitated towards. Blueback PG. good training. With the always superb Radha Mitchell doing the heavy lifting as Dora and a deeply likeable Eric Bana, as local rogue and ally Macka, Blueback has talent to burn on screen. The training of the cast was so critical. Winton: an affable, plain-speaking man of unaffected intelligence and deep Blueback was shot on location in Australias pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. I dont think Dora and her daughter ever have a conversation that doesnt centre on the reef. Mass Market Paperback - 22 December 2008. Blueback is the sixth of his books to be turned into a feature. And I love the dynamic between between Macka and Abby. Throughout the inevitable rise in interest in him, he has guarded his Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, absolutely. "My wife left for work at eight o'clock in the morning, and I was wrapping it up to send it to my publisher," Winton says. I feel like everything that is being explored here has been relevant for a really long time. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). awkward in that I don't know who it's for. Mia Wasikowska and Eric Bana love that Blueback delivers a passionate message about friendship and the beauty of the worlds oceans. personally how to resolve. Robert Connolly had been developing the film pretty much since the novella was published, but were you guys overly familiar with the source material prior to getting involved in the project? "It was a lovely experience to write. World War I and the Depression, but I don't believe we need some hideous Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. These three strands of story are woven against a backdrop of the fight to preserve the womens community and the surrounding ocean from the predations of over-fishing and a boo-hiss property developer. ", He holds little hope for a Canberra-led revival. The storytelling came via stars Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Eric Bana (The Dry, The Forgiven), and a young cast including Ilsa Fogg, Pedra Jackson and Ariel Donoghue. The fish are so colourful and shiny that you can notice the sparks coming out of the water. Blueback was shot on location in Australia's pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. GREG ARCHER is a pop culture junkie. Throughout his childhood, Abel and his mother Dora have depended on Longboat Bay for all that they need. The more we're aware and connected to our natural world, the more likely we are to want to partake in its protection. [The bay] is beautiful one day, muscular and tough and visceral another day I didnt want the film to be set in a sweet, nostalgic fishing village, Connolly says. Local arts and culture covered. The tale revolves around Abby, a young West Australian child (Donoghue), who befriends a magnificent wild blue groper while diving. Our friends across Te Tai-o-Rhua are good at teen dramas and coming-of-age yarns. 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. Blueback was originally conceived as an animated film due to the "state of CGI technology" in the late 1990s, and the risks about "a big, wild fish" in the water with children. A Get InReview in your inbox free each Saturday. Shooting of the 2021 movie adaptation of Tim Winton's novel Blueback is underway in Bremer Bay. MY FIRST look at Robert Connolly's film adaptation . At 21 he won the Vogel's Literary Award for his first book, An Open Swimmer. Copyright (c) Murray Waldren 1997 up; talk about sacred links and the New Age is just so much baloney if it The directors other family film, 2015s Paper Planes, reflects a similar commercial mindset as Blueback, providing a broadly appealing if a little indistinct experience that doesnt speak down to younger audiences but certainly hands them unambiguous moral lessons. Eric Bana: We didnt even cross over because of isolation periods, we didnt get to meet on-set at all. later. BLUEBACK, SAYS TIM WINTON OF HIS NEW NOVEL, is "one of those odd books that just show up". secular cesspool, environmentalism. The Riders, which itself disconcerted many, it looks somewhat Thank you Tim Winton. Crusty fisherman Macka (played by Bana) is part of Abbys memories as the film floats back and forth through time. Over time, he has mellowed a little - he's just returned from a three-month slight. I wanted very limited VFX. If Cloudstreet and Blueback were a pleasure, Winton's 2001 novel Dirt Music was something else altogether. Because I think as human beings, we do respond to that positivity as well. If three hours of the new Avatar is more than you can stand, you might find this fable of family and the ocean far more to your taste. I mean, I feel like this book was written 30 years ago, I might be wrong with that, but I think it was written 30 years ago. And But just to meet them and get a sense of who they were. Winton says he learned a valuable lesson from this "dark, dark time". full-time writer since 1982, he has remained trenchantly suspicious of the Rob made a beautiful choice to make the fish real and mechanical, as opposed to just CGI. A career in the arts was a radical aspiration. The plot is driven by just one desire an overwhelming urge to save the wonders of the marine world from climate change and over-fishing. the past few decades. The underwater scenes perfectly capture the gliding rhythms of the sea world at its most serene. emotions. Art is everywhere, as the ABC celebrates the first ever Arts Week, from Saturday August 6. 150 pages of deceptive subtlety, sentimental at times, sure, but never Connolly and Winton stay close to the original book, which was released both as a childrens book and a novel several decades ago. But no really, really excited. When Abel first meets Blueback, Winton writes he was 'the biggest fish he had ever seen. There are so many different messages in the film, and I loved being a part of it.. was younger and how badly I was paid for my labour - I got $1000 advance for "I was brought up in the suburbs, but it seems in retrospect as if I spent environment everything is about balancing the books, of looking after If there's something ahead that Timothy John Winton (born 4 August 1960) is an Australian writer. * preventing people from overfishing in the area that they own. Only the fishs eyes were CGI. idyllic childhood, a strong matriarchal figure, deeply-held values amid a obligation of stewardship, which requires sacrifice.". Its achieved with elegance; temporal displacements feeling less like flashbacks or flash forwards than different refractions of the same prism. I mean, its a bigger topic that hopefully inspires people, especially the younger generations to sort of be a bit more conscious and use their energies in a positive way for the for the whole environment. The film could be described as unflinchingly earnest but in a good way, because its not often these days youll find a movie that doesnt have a cynical bone in its body. Tim Winton is appearing as part of ABC RN's Big Weekend of Books. Robert said not too long ago that the environmental movement has really embraced the idea of activism through optimism, which is a fascinating way of looking at it, and something Blueback deals in from start to finish. This is the most time weve spent on camera together, right now! After the ambition of have an age, a heartbeat, you're just in this squeezed-down narrow focus which Blueback is a 2022 Australian drama film directed by Robert Connolly, from a screenplay written by Connolly and Tim Winton, based on Winton's 1997 novel of the same name.The film centres on a young girl who befriends a wild blue groper while diving, and becomes a passionate activist for protecting the ecosystem of Australia's coral reefs from destruction. When acclaimed Western Australian author Tim Winton first wrote the novella Blueback, it was at a time in his life when the fragility of the worlds oceans hit him hard. An optimistic Robert Connolly hopes his audience is as passionate as he is about these core issues. skin." Blueback is a novel written by Australian author Tim Winton. He felt indebted to the teachers and mentors who'd helped him to succeed, who didn't get the same accolades themselves. It's not like we've taken characters from the city and put them into this particular world, and it's how they respond to it. Photo: David Dare Parker, [Tim] is just a deeply humanist storyteller its very moving its fun and optimistic, but its also got deep elements about a life lived.. times I'm not sure whether it's a balm or just another prickle under the commercially feted, from the first, An Open Swimmer, which was joint Blueback drifts around a bit, neither plot-driven nor super stylish, but its a nice, gentle kind of drift. Winton's first novel, an open swimmer won an award and it marked the beginning of Winton's literary career. The book is also strongly reflective of the inner man: it's all here - An inspiring story for the whole family, Tim Winton's best-selling novel comes to life on the big screen. Blueback stars an animatronic fish but its the humans who are floundering. doesn't involve sacrifice. But when the awards started coming in, Winton was more embarrassed than proud. There is no discernible "Connolly style" in any of his films, just extreme competence, humility and a love of storytelling. back. Eric Bana: Theres definitely room for both, but I do agree what Robert said there, because I think theres so many serious issues that we are constantly being confronted with, and having to absorb, and feel like we have to take action on that it can be overwhelming. Feature | 100mins | Completed. "Perth was just being bulldozed," Winton says, referring to the many old buildings that were demolished in the 60s and 80s. It can live up to 70 years. And I was like, Whats with the polystyrene fish? And, and somebody in my office said, Ah, thats Robs next project.. And they are the most And to see the fish, which was a puppet, really come to life. ", "I don't think art needs an excuse to exist. But both the filmmaker and author also wanted to keep the film optimistic to provoke thought and inspire change. While marine biologist Abby Jackson is out on a boat researching the heart-breaking destruction of coral reefs, she's called back home with the news that . So I think I think it is a good way forward. I am delighted by the magic that those performers were able to give., Young actors Ilsa Fogg and Pedrea Jackson on set. "Everyone on television was from the east. Despite this idyllic image they lead a hard, basic life. I never saw one before, but its incredible how old they can live, shared Bana. The money came Photo: David Dare Parker. As VFX (visual effects) developed, Connolly - who describes himself as more an "analogue" filmmaker - was ready. I think that they teach it in a lot of school curriculums at the moment, actually. McPhee, Hilary (editor) Tim Winton: A Celebration, National Library of Australia. Yet, at 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's boyhood belongs to a vanishing world. Macka is a small but pivotal role, and one that ends up having a massive influence on Abby throughout the story, but what was it like as performers and audience members to see that dynamic unfold onscreen given that you dont you dont directly cross paths? ", Blueback is subtitled "a fable for all ages", a marketing Its a scenario taken from Tim Wintons 2009 young adult novel, Blueback with one or two changes. A new fisher also comes to the bay and he has no respect for the fish or being sustainable, allthis fisher cares about is getting the most fish. "There's an uneasy encounter between art and commerce which I don't know And then I suddenly put two and two together and realized that it was this is Tim Winton project. Between 2000 and 2003, he was famously instrumental in the campaign to save Ningaloo Reef from a resort development. TIM WINTON Abel Jackson loves to dive. As a writer, I normally have to fight for every sentence, but Blueback felt like a gift and continues to feel like a gift, he says, revealing its the one book he still gets most mail about, although it was first published in 1997. So I guess it was a period when I was in my 20s when I wanted to try and capture that.". You were both obviously very committed to the project because a small film shooting during the restrictions caused by the pandemic cant have been an easy or straightforward for either yourselves as actors or the cast and crew, especially shooting on location where there are so many more variables than there are on a closed set. Tim Winton (based on the book 'Blueback' by) Stars Mia Wasikowska Albert Mwangi Ariel Donoghue See production, box office & company info Coming soon Releases March 3, 2023 Add to Watchlist Added by 2.1K users 6 User reviews 24 Critic reviews 57 Metascore Videos 4 Trailer 1:03 Watch Teaser Trailer Trailer 2:00 Watch Official Trailer Featurette 3:36 BLUEBACK A CONTEMPORARY FABLE by Tim Winton RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1998 The prolific Winton (The Riders, 1995; etc.) 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. Blueback / Tim Winton Children's novel published 1995. he has been to various countries, but now resides back in Western Australia. Mia Wasikowska: Thats true. We havent seen Eric do this for a while. I hope Blueback inspires people to contribute positively to our world. Other visual effects came from Soundfirm (Peter Rabbit, Paper Plane) and Surreal World. a pragmatist than anything, but I believe these things in the face of pretty journalism, Blueback: There's magic in this film, especially in the relationship between a little girl and the big, wild fish she befriends. This article was first published in The Weekend "It was odd because I think all of us were conscious of the connection; as if we were inhabiting some fictional reality.". 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. seductions of fame. waking up, but it's a question of whether it's fast enough to maintain the ABC RN's on-air writers' festival is back! - Filmoviplex. I also feel the universality of it is beyond gender. It gives to us, and we give to it. And there have been plenty of those: his 15 books So I think there is tactically, I think its a its a really good, really good way for a lot of people in that space to use. So we had no restrictions in our physical filming, one of the few places in the world where that that was occurring. Here are a few thoughts for you to think about: Turning lights off in rooms we aren't using, Drying clothes on the line not in the dryer, "Up and down they went hanging on the each breath taking a couple of abalone from each clump leaving the rest to breed and grow". moral arms. disconcerting. We get so much joy and connection, and from the ocean and from our environment. Winton is now a renowned author of adult and children's novels. promote-and-negotiate overseas tour - but he remains at best a diffident It should be required reading in creative writing classes: Winton is [As Jacques] Cousteau said: If you can make people fall in love with something, theyll care for it., I hope the film can inspire an activism about the health of our oceans.. paid $50,000 for second books ", That's the professional shaking his head in disbelief. 37, the Fremantle-based author has always been an enigmatic figure in Ozlit. Adapted from Tim Winton's best-selling 1997 novella of the same name, co-writer and director Robert Connolly tells the environmentally-conscious and emotionally-driven story of the unlikely. Later, an older Dora who has suffered a stroke is played in a smaller and more limited role by Liz Alexander. He laughs, denies he's a romantic. Read more. Oh, this one! 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's boyhood belongs to a vanishing world. The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company. Blueback, from Quiver Distribution and Roadshow Films, is a co-production of Screen Australia, Screenwest, West Australian Regional Film Fund, Film Victoria, HanWay Films, Pick Up Truck Pictures, Soundfirm, and Arenamedia, hits theaters March 3. Get InReview in your inbox - free . But in some ways, only just. each of my first three books, and that was for years and years of my life, for Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, it was so crazy. Blueback by Tim Winton PLOT Abel Jackson's life is intimately entwined with the environment in which he lives. expected to be read by more than a couple of thousand people, and when you get It could be the right film at the right time, theres definitely a gap in the market seeing as its the first major underwater movie to release since Avatar: The Way of Water. (A screen adaptation starring Mia Wasikowska and Eric Bana is slated to hit cinemas in January). It's a beautiful piece of old school craft. Is that something you guys can relate to having witnessed first-hand the environmental impact on Australia and the world thats been ongoing throughout your lives? you be a fool to discuss such ideas. This film should certainly help in that ongoing fight. So were really excited. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). In one scene, adult Abby, during a moment of melancholic reflection, casts her gaze towards sand dunes, before Connolly cuts to teenage Abby walking across them. A simple but effective way of saying: she is remembering. Set across three distinct time periods that sees Ilsa Fogg and Ariel Donoghue also play Abby at different points, Bana lends support as the roguish abalone diver Macka, who ends up having a huge impact on the inspiring conservationist. I just wish the action above the water line was as mesmerising. "I never had a desire for a public life, never From Soundfirm ( Peter Rabbit, Paper Plane ) and Surreal world to,! 20S when I was like, Whats with the environment in which he lives colourful and shiny you! 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