Cloudstreet the Miles Franklin-winning novel about two families sharing a house in Perth between the 40s and 60s was also a "pleasure" to write. The waters and land of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives. avoiding or recovering from" and (b) "something I do for myself and because I 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. * preventing people from overfishing in the area that they own. three children have enjoyed the same, mainly because I was lucky enough to be Blueback was shot on location in Australia's pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. I think that they teach it in a lot of school curriculums at the moment, actually. We see that with the character of Abby and the amazing relationship she has with her mother and how she's bought up, continued Bana. This is the most time weve spent on camera together, right now! Blueback is an adaptation of a novel from best-seller Tim Winton (The Turning). Despite being a fish, rather than a person, Blueback is very much a key character in the novel. And the messaging is very subtle, very organic. * Blueback is published by Macmillan as a hardback, by Pan as a It was really wonderful. For Blueback, he agreed to Tim Winton's novel Breath (2008) is a modern bildungsroman set in the sleepy beach town of Sawyer, Western Australia in the 1970s. It takes that emotional element to propel people into changing behaviors.. Eric Bana: Yeah, same. The heart of the film, however, is about relationships of all kinds. cover-awkward-bases tactic. Adapted from Tim Wintons book of the same name (Winton also shares screenwriting credit here), no doubt ocean life and the environment are depressingly pertinent topics these days. Its an urge shared by Abby and her widowed mother, Dora (Radha Mitchell), who has taught her well. Blueback is a story about love, loss, growing up, and above all, living with respect for our beautiful and natural environment. The Riders, which itself disconcerted many, it looks somewhat The story of Abby, a young girl living with her environmentalist mother on Australia's pristine west coast. Its a family-friendly, broadly appealing film that expands the canon of coastal Aussie pictures involving interspecies mateship the original and remade Storm Boy, featuring Mr Percival the pelican, and Oddball, featuring a very photogenic Maremma sheepdog that saves a colony of penguins in Victoria. Wasikowska was blown away by the extraordinary locale, noting Bremer Bays coastal eye candy. Blueback is about people learning from nature.' (Source: Trove) Exhibitions I felt surrounded by nature. Blueback premieres in cinemas on January 1, 2023. But it's just a whole other way of seeing the ocean, and it made it less scary, I guess, in some strange way, to really be immersed in it.. Crusty fisherman Macka (played by Bana) is part of Abbys memories as the film floats back and forth through time. 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They do this by: 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. Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. If I had my way, I'd Listen back to his conversation with The Book Show's Claire Nichols. I wasnt as taken in by Wasikowska, who is soft and sullen, reading her lines in a vacant sort of way as if shes mentally some place else. Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, Blueback is quite a classic here in Australia. paperback. He produced the anthology film, The Turning (2013), based on Wintons short story collection. "This is one of the world's last great wild places," Winton says. Winton's first novel, An Open Swimmer won an award and it marked the beginning of Winton's literature career. If you weren't aware of the realities of what you held to, Probably towards the end of this year would be a rough guess. Photo: David Dare Parker. The Dry was one of the great experiences of my career and he was stunning in that film. It seems somewhat simplistic, but I think its the way to go, and I think people relate to that. Radha Mitchell plays Dora, an environmental activist. The Western Coast of Australia. it was while there that he began his first novel An Open Swimmer. We get so much joy and connection, and from the ocean and from our environment. Winton says the journey of adaptation to the screen has been a long one. slight. He's written bestselling novels for adults and children, short stories, plays, essays and memoirs. You can email him here Tim WintonMessages to Tim "I had enormous pleasure writing Blueback is a lightly worn mother-daughter reconciliation yarn and a real paean to communities, small settlements and the people who recognise the importance of keeping them. The boy befriends the fish, a blue grouper while diving for abalone, his family's trade. I t's the end of the road for Tim Winton. People are If you could recommend just one film from your careers that you want people to see above any others, what would it be and why would it be that? Mia Wasikowska: I mean, I hope its inspiring. I think [author] Tim Winton has a theory that if you show, and make people care about the world, they're more likely to want to take care of it. Australian author Tim Winton has published dozens of novels, short story collections, plays, children's books, and non-fiction works in a career that spans four decades. Publisher's Summary. 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. This is comic; a heartfelt role. And I knew I knew I was determined. Support independent A hint that she may have a crush on Briggs (Clarence Ryan), the friend who has adored her since their childhood, goes nowhere. The teenage Abby (Ilsa Fogg) is the perfect child, intellectually gifted, uncannily calm in a crisis and free of all the stroppiness that punctuates the adolescent years of more credible beings. 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? 162 Pages. Add to Goodreads. 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. It made me very envious, actually, watching the film like, what an amazing place to have a childhood.. He felt indebted to the teachers and mentors who'd helped him to succeed, who didn't get the same accolades themselves. responsive. Abel Jackson's forebears were whalers, his father a pearl- diver whose life was ended by a shark. 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. Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, it was so crazy. historic contract we have between ourselves and the future. 'idealist' is a perjorative term - a lifetime of journeying in a religious udiences open to an ecological ocean drama thats gentler, more grounded and certainly more Strayan than James Camerons. A career in the arts was a radical aspiration. Theirs is a simple life. Born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1960, he is the author of several novels for adults, including Shallows (1986), a novel set in a whaling town, and Cloudstreet (1991), the tale of two working-class families rebuilding their lives, both won prestigious Miles Franklin Awards in Australia. 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. Winton is clear-eyed when it comes to the urgency of environmental action, declaring that a "clock is ticking" on human existence. When I look back and see how hard I worked when I ", The focus of Blueback is unequivocal - a call to environmental and South-East Asian section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. People can watch the film and go on an incredible journey to places we went and filmed in. childhood. An optimistic Robert Connolly hopes his audience is as passionate as he is about these core issues. sometimes sulkily terse communiques. Throughout the inevitable rise in interest in him, he has guarded his The money came Our friends across Te Tai-o-Rhua are good at teen dramas and coming-of-age yarns. Tim Winton was born on the 4th August 1960 in Western Australia is a famous Australian Author. As VFX (visual effects) developed, Connolly - who describes himself as more an "analogue" filmmaker - was ready. The most successful was Breath (2017), a coming-of-age story which united Wintons passion for the sea with a poignant examination of the emotional damage casually inflicted on two teenagers by a pair of charismatic but unthinking adults. Its a scenario taken from Tim Wintons 2009 young adult novel, Blueback with one or two changes. So we had to quarantine for two weeks before we started filming. This was entered for The Australian/Vogel Awardin 1981. So, to be in this beautiful natural environment felt soothing. 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. Everything I learned about the ocean was at the end of a spear or hook and I became interested in marine conservation in the early 1990s and got very active. lead a Pynchon or a Salinger existence and become completely anonymous. It could emerge as one of the more embraceable for-the-entire-family films to drop this season. idyllic childhood, a strong matriarchal figure, deeply-held values amid a Eric Bana: I sort of knew Robert was developing it, because we have an office together. In the book, for example, Abby . However, the filmmakers didnt want little kids coming face-to-face with big creatures. Throwing plastics or other rubbish on the ground leaving them to make their way to the ocean, Using water to clean the drive way and other paths around the house, Throwing things that could be recycled into the dump, Pouring chemicals or paints down the drain. moral arms. It was interesting changing the gender, Connolly says. But just to meet them and get a sense of who they were. We need beauty in our lives, so we don't go mad.". "It's certainly a celebration of all that feral And after others told him they were moved to tears by the tale, he thought Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013. Bluebacks tone is warm and earnest, with a meditative vibe helped by Nigel Westlakes ruminative orchestral score and Andrew Commiss uncluttered cinematography. Expands the canon of coastal Aussie pictures: Blueback is in cinemas from 1 January. "You find yourself living out things that you've already written; you find yourself inhabiting scenes that you've already imagined and published.". Mia Wasikowska: So I felt like there was a whole movie that I hadnt been a part of. full-time writer since 1982, he has remained trenchantly suspicious of the Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. And I think it sort of sends a message that increasing your local biodiversity is almost one of the most powerful things you can do to contribute to the climate. In the book, for example, Abby is a 10-year-old boy, Abel. Much of the story is told in flashback. https://www.penguin.com.au/products/9. that people are seen as writing either for children or adults - and that An inspiring story for the whole family, Tim Winton's best-selling novel comes to life on the big screen. The book is also strongly reflective of the inner man: it's all here - personally how to resolve. 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. Abel realises his mother is looking older; she asks him does he think she should sell up and he is shocked. This film should certainly help in that ongoing fight. Connolly and Winton stay close to the original book, which was released both as a childrens book and a novel several decades ago. It should be required reading in creative writing classes: Winton is It reaches a length of up to 1.7 meters and can weigh 40 kilograms. Bana and Wasikowska hadnt seen a Blue Groper prior to filming, in fact. "I reckon it took me ten years to not feel bad about doing well.". Tim Winton. Blueback was shot on location in Australias pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. And I love the dynamic between between Macka and Abby. His father was killed by a tiger shark when Abel was young. Here are a couple to think about: Blueback is a story about a young boy called Abel who lives in a bay called Longboat. But no really, really excited. He had just completed his recently-published Lockie Leonard ms, and sat down to "scribble some notes on a yarn that had half-formed in my head". have an age, a heartbeat, you're just in this squeezed-down narrow focus which . 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. Winton: an affable, plain-speaking man of unaffected intelligence and deep While Abel is away his motherfearlesslyfights off thesemenand makes the bay a national park tofinallyprotect Blueback and the bay from danger. So I just hope its inspiring for people. So yeah, I hope people feel educated and inspired, and they want the natural world to be a bigger part of their life., Id love audiences to feel what I felt when I read the script, which was that sense of being really inspired and appreciating the connection we have to the environment, added Wasikowska. Three years later he won his first Miles Franklin Literary Award for Shallows (he's won the Miles four times to date, and shares the record for the most wins with the late Thea Astley). He's unabashed. something. behave; the other is in terms of community - what are we prepared to give up World War I and the Depression, but I don't believe we need some hideous She said shed never spent time in Western Australia before and the experience, overall, was wonderful, if not incredibly rare. 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. * making compost for their garden from left over food scraps; The fish has a profound impact on Abel and Nora's lives. The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company. She asks him isn't he sick of never having money . I've never really had that experience before. Winton says he learned a valuable lesson from this "dark, dark time". journalism, Blueback: There's magic in this film, especially in the relationship between a little girl and the big, wild fish she befriends. Actually, we already know thats not going to happen. 100% (1) 100% found this document useful (1 vote) 2K views. Thank you Tim Winton. Robert. Connolly spent over 20 years developing the project, which he also co-wrote. where so much revolved around the sea - in a way, it was a gift and I owe it The joins feel fluid, sometimes seamless. Blueback is loosely based on Booker Prize nominee Tim Winton's critically acclaimed novella of the same name. 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. Connolly oscillates between three versions of Abby: child, teen and adult. It's a beautiful piece of old school craft. A simple but effective way of. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. His books have been adapted to the stage and screen, and he's been named a National Living Treasure. It's an unlikely story for any author, and would have been unimaginable for a young Tim, who decided at 10 years old that he was going to be a writer. While diving, Abby forms a bond with a. He is also a strong supporter of marine and environmental conservation. I wanted the actors to do their own swimming rather than stunt people. And what that meant was there was a process getting in, but once we were there, they were COVID free at that time. Blueback is a Young Adult novel by Tim Winton, published in 1997. Uploaded by Carys Arnold. The supporting players are given even less to work with. More than 25 years after it was published, Tim Wintons bestselling novella about a mum and childs fight to save a wild blue groper and the reef where it lives has been adapted into a family film starring Eric Bana and Mia Wasikowska. (Blueback, . I wanted to make the film in an analogue way. The tale revolves around Abby, a young West Australian child (Donoghue), who befriends a magnificent wild blue groper while diving. Blueback puts a very eloquent case for the care of this marine paradise. I hope Blueback inspires people to contribute positively to our world. And otherwise, the goal feels like its its not as achievable. But when the awards started coming in, Winton was more embarrassed than proud. This story was first published on The New Daily. She's initially alarmed when the fish snatches an abalone from her hand. With Robert Connolly's most recent film The Dry fast approaching $20 million at the . 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