The fish are so colourful and shiny that you can notice the sparks coming out of the water. From The Lord of the Rings to Ulysses, Hemingway and lesser-known gems - these are the books writers revisit for inspiration, comfort and insight. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. Throughout the inevitable rise in interest in him, he has guarded his that writing is (a) "essentially a tedious occupation I spend scads of time 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 could emerge as one of the more embraceable for-the-entire-family films to drop this season. 40 pages. The run of successes in Winton's career is the stuff of only the most fanciful of imaginations. persuasive effect. slight. Winton at this address are forwarded to him by his publisher. So I guess it was a period when I was in my 20s when I wanted to try and capture that.". 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. Its achieved with elegance; temporal displacements feeling less like flashbacks or flash forwards than different refractions of the same prism. Blueback releases in select theaters, as well as on digital and on-demand, this coming Friday March 3. And I think its worth it. 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. The latest film from The Dry director Robert Connolly, starring Mia Wasikowska . "It was odd because I think all of us were conscious of the connection; as if we were inhabiting some fictional reality.". His second novel, about the world I came from, yet were so enthusiastic for the story. On an idyllic stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish, he lives a simple, tough existence. Uploaded by Carys Arnold. 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. family's - and his own - privacy with zeal. The tale revolves around Abby, a young West Australian child (Donoghue), who befriends a magnificent wild blue groper while diving. After it was published, he became part of a real-life campaign to save the reef. Using straightforward prose and stark, uncomplicated characters it carries a clear environmental and conservationist message. Connolly and his editors do a sublime job of getting these three eras to talk to each other. Winton says he gets more fan mail about that book than anything else he's written. 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. A Western Blue Groper christened Blueback is star of the film based on Tim Wintons book.Credit:SMH. Eric Bana: I sort of knew Robert was developing it, because we have an office together. But both the filmmaker and author also wanted to keep the film optimistic to provoke thought and inspire change. Teacher preparation: 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. Tim Winton. Adapted from Tim Wintons 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 lifelong connection forged by young activist Abby and the titular wild blue grouper, which goes on to inform, inspire, and define her entire life. Looking back, Winton says some books have been much easier to write than others. Perhaps it's that simplicity which makes Blueback so powerful for readers young and old. His religious - and social - faith sustains him, he admits, "although at And I knew I knew I was determined. My the kind of money most people toss aside for their drinks bill. McPhee, Hilary (editor) Tim Winton: A Celebration, National Library of Australia. Radha Mitchell plays Dora, an environmental activist. by Tim Winton December 1, 2022. It can live up to 70 years. Starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Crimson Peak), Eric Bana (The Dry, Dirty John), Radha Mitchell (London Has Fallen, Pitch Black), Liz Alexander (The Secret She Keeps), and newcomers Ariel Donoghue, Ilsa Fogg, and Albert Mwangi, Blueback is a coming-of-age story, through and through. times I'm not sure whether it's a balm or just another prickle under the Even when the day came to submit the final manuscript, Winton wasn't convinced he'd nailed it. You know, this is an actual life-size mechanical, human-operated thing. There are so many different messages in the film, and I loved being a part of it.. We also wanted the audience to see the actors jump off boats and swim 20 metres down. you may be able to proceed without disturbance but I can't. Eric Bana: Yeah, similar experience. The Western Coast of Australia. We get so much joy and connection, and from the ocean and from our environment. Star of this marine parade is a huge western blue groper christened Blueback by eight-year-old Abby (Ariel Donoghue) who befriends the fish after being persuaded its not about to swallow her whole. 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. It was gigantic. ourselves. Mia Wasikowska plays a marine biologist in the latest Australian film about interspecies mateship, which is broadly appealing if a little on the nose. (including five prize-winning children's novels) have been critically and He did two weeks [in] quarantine to play a supporting role. Which has tended to obscure the real Abel Jackson's forebears were whalers, his father a pearl- diver whose life was ended by a shark. yearning for yesteryear perhaps? Its a real challenge of how you create the journey of an audience of a relationship between a young person and a marine creature. It gives to us, and we give to it. Winton's first novel, an open swimmer won an award and it marked the beginning of Winton's literary career. The news brings her back to Longboat Bay, the tiny cove off Ningaloo where shes been brought up, and the memories take over. And the messaging is very subtle, very organic. And otherwise, the goal feels like its its not as achievable. "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). 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. Mia Wasikowska: I mean, I hope its inspiring. But no really, really excited. ABC RN's on-air writers' festival is back! Interview: Tim Winton, 27 Oct 2012; The Guardian - Waiting for the new wave: an interview with Tim Winton, 28 Jun 2008; The Age - The sea side of Tim Winton, 26 Apr 2008 . The series will be narrated and written by renowned, award-winning Australian author and conservationist, Tim Winton. His books have been adapted to the stage and screen, and he's been named a National Living Treasure. Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. On an idyllic stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish, he lives a simple, tough existence. "far more than for other fatter books". They said, Youve got two daughters, Dad! A wise exploration of the difference between the acquisition of information and the quest for knowledge, Tim Winton's gem-like ecological fable will warm the hearts of his fans. Feature | 100mins | Completed. 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. Its clear that the impact on the environment is something you both feel strongly about, and even though its a uniquely Australian tale in terms of setting and story that speaks to the feelings a lot of people in the country have and have had for some time, the themes and messages are universal, so what do you hope audiences take away from the film by the time the credits come up? Blueback PG. So it is universal, and then also quite focused locally. . She meets ol mate Blueback as a youngster (played as a child by Ariel Donoghue and as a teenager by Ilsa Fogg) and, as an adult (Mia Wasikowska), becomes a marine biologist caring deeply about the state of the reef. How can we help the environment? 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. MY FIRST look at Robert Connolly's film adaptation . * making the coastal area they own a National park, stopping deforestation so that industries or parks could not be made; the past few decades. So, to be in this beautiful natural environment felt soothing. children's literature is the little league, adults the big. His boks have been published around the world. At eight, shes already mastered the art of free diving. But theres a twist in the lead role. TIM WINTON'S BLUEBACK AND STAGE 4 STUDENTS Luke Bartolo F inding the right novel for a Year 7 class can be quite a tricky task. Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Blueback like the great big fish it is named for is a story that needs a few decades to make its purpose known. strongly-held views, he has restricted his public utterances to reluctant, Blueback was shot on location in Australia's pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. So it was it was a lot of fun. environment everything is about balancing the books, of looking after It's a scenario taken from Tim Winton's 2009 young adult novel, Blueback - with one or two changes. Local arts needs local journalism. 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. BLUEBACK, SAYS TIM WINTON OF HIS NEW NOVEL, is "one of those odd books that just show up". Based on the best-selling novel by Tim Winton, BLUEBACK is a timely tale about the ocean, a beautiful marine creature, and a young girl's power to change the world. Blueback by Tim Winton PLOT Abel Jackson's life is intimately entwined with the environment in which he lives. Connolly describes him as a wonderful man to work with. it was while there that he began his first novel An Open Swimmer. They're really unflappable. But as the story unfolds, a metaphor emerges. 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. Mia Wasikowska: I did manage to crossover with the girls in Western Australia by maybe only two days when I was at the end of my filming period. paperback. later. The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company.Credit:Roadshow. 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. Despite being a fish, rather than a person, Blueback is very much a key character in the novel. Mia Wasikowska: Thats true. The story of Abby, a young girl living with her environmentalist mother on Australia's pristine west coast. Photo: David Dare Parker. winner of the 1981 The Australian/Vogel Award. Verified Purchase. And He laughs, denies he's a romantic. In an early scene, after examining a piece of coral, she delivers sad news to fish on her boat: Your home is dying and I dont know how to help. It signposts the film as an environmentalist statement you could describe as a little on the nose, though it (like the Avatar movies) has good reason to be bold with its messaging, given our dramatically escalating climate crisis and a myriad reasons to be concerned about the state of our oceans. And I was like, Whats with the polystyrene fish? And, and somebody in my office said, Ah, thats Robs next project.. My Year 7 English teacher introduced us to Lochie Leonard and the rest as they say is history. ", Blueback is subtitled "a fable for all ages", a marketing Winton's passion for Ningaloo has only grown in the years since the campaign. A hint that she may have a crush on Briggs (Clarence Ryan), the friend who has adored her since their childhood, goes nowhere. We have an Neither Mitchell and Wasikowska can do much to enliven dialogue that is more bound up with the life cycle of a groper than the shifting emotions involved in being human. Whats going on?. And it was so emotional. And the more that we take care of it, the more its a two-way street. Tim Winton born on 4 August 1960 in Western Australia is a famous Australian author. 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. faith against the current in the least religious country in the world has been Abel Jackson lives with his mother, Dora, at Longboat Bay, an isolated stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish. Eric Bana: I got to meet the fish in its early gestation period, as a polystyrene cut-out while it was being developed, and saw all the work that was going in by the amazing company that brought Blueback to life. 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. mobile and not have to get into a working rut. Later still, he mentions magic moments "when it's happening, when you Did you already know that as well? historic contract we have between ourselves and the future. There is no discernible "Connolly style" in any of his films, just extreme competence, humility and a love of storytelling. South-East Asian section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Audiences open to an ecological ocean drama thats gentler, more grounded and certainly more Strayan than James Camerons squillion-dollar screensaver can find an appealing if slight companion piece in the latest Tim Winton adaptation, brought to the screen by writer-director Robert Connolly. journalism, Blueback: There's magic in this film, especially in the relationship between a little girl and the big, wild fish she befriends. The film crew on location at Bremer Bay in Western Australia. We had to sort of quarantine because Sydney, or Western Australia, was locked off from the rest of Australia. "And if we lose these places, we've lost everything.". "And I'm happy with that. "You find yourself living out things that you've already written; you find yourself inhabiting scenes that you've already imagined and published.". "I am more 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. Blueback is a story about a young boy called Abel who lives in a bay called Longboat. is timeless. "I was brought up in the suburbs, but it seems in retrospect as if I spent She's initially alarmed when the fish snatches an abalone from her hand. And to see the fish, which was a puppet, really come to life. Its a film about young people having great agency for change, [and] the inspiration they get from their parents, so even though I changed the gender I feel its a film for all young people., Melbourne-based actor Eric Bana on a mission. The story follows Abel Jackson as he and his mother earn a living by finding and selling abalone. Please try again later. So why should I be anxious about categorisation?". She dubs her googly-eyed, big-lipped new friend "Blueback," promising her mom to. The joins feel fluid, sometimes seamless. I t's the end of the road for Tim Winton. And I just knew something wasn't right.". Winton's first novel, An Open Swimmer won an award and it marked the beginning of Winton's literature career. "I'm in the business of useless beauty," he says. give only this print interview. If you weren't aware of the realities of what you held to, 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. Eric Bana: Yeah, we shot the follow up which is called Force of Nature last year, and were just finished in the post-production phase, literally within the last couple of weeks. 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. And I think by offering some hope, and by offering a positive tail on a lot of these stories, it can make it seem less insurmountable. BLUEBACK Review January 5, 2023 Written by Dave Griffiths My love affair with the work of Australian author Tim Winton began way back in my first year in High School. I am delighted by the magic that those performers were able to give., Young actors Ilsa Fogg and Pedrea Jackson on set. It asks us, without ever lecturing, how it is we have designed a world so completely insane, that the concept of "money" is somehow worth more to us than the actual water, air and land that keeps us all alive. 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. When out fishing for some abalone with his mother Abel encounters a massive blue groper called Blueback and promises from then on to the protect this beautiful fish. 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. 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. (Supplied: Screenwest) Story puts environment before economics Blueback will be a family-focused film that follows the story of Abby, a child who befriends a wild groper while diving in the ocean. 37, the Fremantle-based author has always been an enigmatic figure in Ozlit. Robert. 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". doesn't involve sacrifice. something. 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. And, you know, Robs very upfront about the fact that theres no point being ambiguous. Theirs is a simple life. He began his first novel an open swimmer won an award and it the... 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