freedom I had as a kid, a sense of wide-open spaces, the kind of Australian 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 puppet they made for this was just amazing.. A by Tim Winton December 1, 2022. Mia Wasikowsa: I think you have to respect the fact that for young people, theres so much anxiety with the world that theyre inheriting, and to offer some positivity and hope is sort of I mean, thats the only otherwise you kind of go, Oh, whats the point? And I feel like thats really important for young people. And they are the most This is his last interview, after two months in Australia promoting his 29th book, The Shepherd's Hut, and flying around the country for a sold-out . it," he allows, "probably more fun than anything I've written for years. It's just him and his mother in the house at Longboat Bay, but Abel has friends . Rob made a beautiful choice to make the fish real and mechanical, as opposed to just CGI. paperback. Tim Winton was born in 1960 in Western Australia where he still lives. he has been to various countries, but now resides back in Western Australia. their children will have to experience nature in a virtual sense - landscapes I think that they teach it in a lot of school curriculums at the moment, actually. When I look back and see how hard I worked when I I think there are a lot of examples of incredible women leading the environmental movement at the moment and plenty of examples of men whove done some pretty catastrophic choices on the environment, including our political leaders in this country in the past. Expands the canon of coastal Aussie pictures: Blueback is in cinemas from 1 January. Winton at this address are forwarded to him by his publisher. Whats going on?. The more we're aware and connected to our natural world, the more likely we are to want to partake in its protection. 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. If there's something ahead that Art is everywhere, as the ABC celebrates the first ever Arts Week, from Saturday August 6. For 55 days and nights he rewrote Dirt Music, "while my wife looked on, like I was a ticking bomb", he says. Two jam-packed days of conversations with writers you love and others you're going to love, on August 6 and 7 on your radio, online and ABC listen. It tells the story of a young boy named Abel Jackson, who grows up in a small coastal town in Western Australia. 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. 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. (ABC Arts: Nina Otranto) Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article abc.net.au/news/tim-winton-blueback-ningaloo-and-40-years-of-writing/101297058 Copy link Share Get InReview in your inbox - free . Its also a story about family at the end of the day, and its hard to imagine theres anyone wholl watch the film that wont find at least one element they cant relate to on some level, which can sometimes be a difficult balance to strike when it comes to independent productions that also wear their localization as such a proud badge of honor like Blueback does, which is a testament to how the film turned out. 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. requires sacrifice to save it, we'll do it. Robert. This is comic; a heartfelt role. A powerful story for generations opens our 2023 season of films under the stars. Tim Winton recalls a recent moment when he led his elderly mother to the beach, to help her into the water. Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013. An optimistic Robert Connolly hopes his audience is as passionate as he is about these core issues. [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. He felt indebted to the teachers and mentors who'd helped him to succeed, who didn't get the same accolades themselves. Later, an older Dora who has suffered a stroke is played in a smaller and more limited role by Liz Alexander. 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. His love for the natural world is echoed in his conservation work. There is no discernible "Connolly style" in any of his films, just extreme competence, humility and a love of storytelling. 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. obligation of stewardship, which requires sacrifice.". When she realizes that the fish is under threat, she takes inspiration from her activist mum, Dora (played by Mitchell), and vigilantly takes on poachers to save her friend. All of it sparks her life-long journey to save the world's coral reefs. With Robert Connolly's most recent film The Dry fast approaching $20 million at the . 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. something to the future, to define limits on what we'll exploit and how we'll 'idealist' is a perjorative term - a lifetime of journeying in a religious Abel is a curious and adventurous child, and he spends much of his time exploring the surrounding wilderness and observing the creatures that live there. Winton draws his main inspiration from the landscape he knows well. Tim Winton on Blueback "I don't know whether books like Blueback make a difference, but in an innocent way, it's discussing these things - we have been taking from the sea and the land for so long, it's time for us to give something back. I found it inspiring! 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. And I think its worth it. Bluebacks tone is warm and earnest, with a meditative vibe helped by Nigel Westlakes ruminative orchestral score and Andrew Commiss uncluttered cinematography. His father was killed by a tiger shark when Abel was young. Read more. Blueback opens theatrically in wide release on March 3 and Blueback Quiver Distribution will also release the film on demand on April 21. On land, Connollys touch isnt so sure. 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". Blueback Tim Winton 3.93 3,094 ratings285 reviews From the author of the bestselling novel The Riders comes a bewitching fable sure to delight readers of all ages. 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. TIM WINTON Abel Jackson loves to dive. This beautiful story about a child, their activist mum, a wild blue groper, and the fight to save a reef from commercial fishing operators and developers has now been adapted by filmmaker Robert Connolly (director of Balibo, Three Dollars and The Dry, and producer of Romulus, My Father and The Boys) into a coming-of-age family film for the big screen. But theres a twist in the lead role. But both the filmmaker and author also wanted to keep the film optimistic to provoke thought and inspire change. Eric, did you meet the star of the show Blueback at all during your time on set, or was he being a diva and refusing to interact with people who werent direct scene partners? Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was from the Waratah National Park, wherever that was, but it wasn't where we were.". Here are a couple to think about: Blueback is a story about a young boy called Abel who lives in a bay called Longboat. "There are accumulated losses we have suffered in Australia over Verified Purchase. You expect a fish to sort of run away, but the groper is like a dog fish. * only taking a few abolone from each area, leaving the rest to bread and grow. The book is also strongly reflective of the inner man: it's all here - He is also a strong supporter of marine and environmental conservation. 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. "And I'm happy with that. 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. World War I and the Depression, but I don't believe we need some hideous Much of the story is told in flashback. The book was inspired by stories Winton's grandparents used to tell about life in Perth a place that Winton could see was disappearing. 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. Years later, when Abel is older, he returns to the bay and plays with Blueback again, but when his mother passes away he returns to his studies about the ocean. You can email him here Tim WintonMessages to Tim Blueback releases in select theaters, as well as on digital and on-demand, this coming Friday March 3. "There's an uneasy encounter between art and commerce which I don't know avoiding or recovering from" and (b) "something I do for myself and because I ABC RN's on-air writers' festival is back! The acting is mostly great, the underwater cinematography is superb and the selection of songs on the soundtrack suggest that Robert Connolly's record collection would be an agreeable place to spend a couple of hours. So were really excited. Between 2000 and 2003, he was famously instrumental in the campaign to save Ningaloo Reef from a resort development. 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. Talk of sacrifice and faith seem curiously old-fashioned, an idealist's The family film will be produced by Arenamedia and directed by Robert Connolly as the follow up to his award-winning box office hit . 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). Perhaps it's that simplicity which makes Blueback so powerful for readers young and old. Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, Blueback is quite a classic here in Australia. 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? In the book, for example, Abby . Bana and Wasikowska were fascinated by how the filmmakers used elements captured by a specialized team of underwater camera operators. I have some ideals, even if these days * making compost for their garden from left over food scraps; all my time on, around or under the water. Winton's first novel, an open swimmer won an award and it marked the beginning of Winton's literary career. At eight, shes already mastered the art of free diving. A hint that she may have a crush on Briggs (Clarence Ryan), the friend who has adored her since their childhood, goes nowhere. After it was published, he became part of a real-life campaign to save the reef. Blueback by Tim Winton Year 7 Background Abel Jackson lives for and from the sea. My Year 7 English teacher introduced us to Lochie Leonard and the rest as they say is history. The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company. Contents Life and career Personal life Style and themes Environmental advocacy This short. he'd better have another look at it. It made me very envious, actually, watching the film like, what an amazing place to have a childhood.. Add to Goodreads. the kind of money most people toss aside for their drinks bill. South-East Asian section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Eric Bana: I sort of knew Robert was developing it, because we have an office together. The big readers are the kids. I wanted very limited VFX. 150 pages of deceptive subtlety, sentimental at times, sure, but never And I was like, Okay, and then the fish kind of got bigger and bigger! She's initially alarmed when the fish snatches an abalone from her hand. Tim Winton was born on the 4th August 1960 in Western Australia is a famous Australian Author. This story was first published on The New Daily. He forms a connection with a fish - Blueback - while diving. Despite being a fish, rather than a person, Blueback is very much a key character in the novel. Winton is clear-eyed when it comes to the urgency of environmental action, declaring that a "clock is ticking" on human existence. A simple but effective way of saying: she is remembering. Winton is philosophic about that: "I guess it is And I just knew something wasn't right.". "And she came home at four o'clock and I was still there unwrapping it, wrapping it. They do this by: Mia Waskikowska: Yeah, this was my only pandemic film, actually. An achingly beautiful story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment, from one of Australia's best-loved authors, Tim Winton. 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. Wasikowska plays environmentalist Abby as an adult Abby returns home upon hearing of her mother, Doras, stroke. (including five prize-winning children's novels) have been critically and Blueback. Later still, he mentions magic moments "when it's happening, when you Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. In the book, for example, Abby is a 10-year-old boy, Abel. Over time, he has mellowed a little - he's just returned from a three-month Blueback intertwines three decades in the lives of mother and daughter Abby and Dora. Eric Bana: Yeah, its really honest. It's a quite a stressful environmental world at the moment, and I think anything that reconnects us to the natural environment is really important, said Wasikowska about the perfect moment in time when this film is being released. 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. 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But, when Abel leaves his mother to go to a boarding school his mother has an encounter withbusinessmen who are trying to get her to sell the bay. "I reckon it took me ten years to not feel bad about doing well.". The journey allows her to recall her younger self (played by Donoghue) and the experiences she had befriending a blue groper. "One area is the environment, in giving up certain liberties to deliver "I've had a great experience working with Tim in the past, and his work, and I feel like this is a novella he wrote over 20 years ago that remains on the school syllabus around Australia and lends itself wonderfully to a screen adaptation," the director said. 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. "I feel very specifically that I benefited from growing up where I did, full-time writer since 1982, he has remained trenchantly suspicious of the was younger and how badly I was paid for my labour - I got $1000 advance for Feature | 100mins | Completed. He has written novels, children's books, non-fiction books, and short stories. Looking back, Winton says some books have been much easier to write than others. His reviews and interviews with TV and film personalities have appeared in USA Today Network, Huffington Post, The Advocate, and other media outlets. The waters and land of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives. ", The focus of Blueback is unequivocal - a call to environmental and Why indeed? Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email. 'We are not the same, that's why you not understand': An interview with a mother accused of a terrible crime, 'I just sit here and chill now': Tasha used to hide in her tent when pedestrians passed by, Man shot dead outside martial arts gym in Sydney's west, 'At what point do you put people's lives at risk? Winton says the journey of adaptation to the screen "has been a long one". give only this print interview. 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. Until the day he meets Blueback, the fish that changes his life. Mia Wasikowska: Thats true. "I knew I was hard working. And then they were about to start theirs. Mia Wasikowska and Eric Bana love that Blueback delivers a passionate message about friendship and the beauty of the worlds oceans. Blueback drifts around a bit, neither plot-driven nor super stylish, but its a nice, gentle kind of drift. am who I am, and not an abstraction or a marketing tool. We again assembled an incredible cast and showing off another very, very interesting part of part of Australia, in another thriller. Bana and Wasikowska hadnt seen a Blue Groper prior to filming, in fact. An inspiring story for the whole family, Tim Winton's best-selling novel comes to life on the big screen. Blueback is a Young Adult novel by Tim Winton, published in 1997. I also feel the universality of it is beyond gender. "Perth was just being bulldozed," Winton says, referring to the many old buildings that were demolished in the 60s and 80s. A lot of that has to be done by giving things Eric Bana: We didnt even cross over because of isolation periods, we didnt get to meet on-set at all. 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