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Kicking off with the wonderfully named Mullet, The Australian Film Festival begins in Shanghai on Friday November 18, at 6:30 pm. The films will be in English with "high-quality Chinese subtitles" (we were told) at the Cathay Theatre. (Festival schedule.)
"Australia has a vibrant and innovative film industry that has made a significant contribution to world cinema," claimed the Australian ambassador to China Alan Thomas.
Well it takes us a looong time to think of our favourite Australian film, so -- maybe he's right? One film that did hit screens elsewhere in the world was Rabbit-Proof Fence, the tale of three aboriginal girls who grew up in the 1930s and, after being forcibly removed from their families to be trained as maids and integrated into white society, walked 1,500 miles home. We were reliably informed that when this film premiered in Australia, several aboriginal dignitaries were invited, along with local university students et al, and on each seat a pack of tissues had been placed. That's right. And while it did not bring a tear to our eye, Shanghaiist thinks that it certainly was an okay film.
You can find some more information at the Beijing Australian Embassy's virtual media centre.
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Given that Australia's population is more or less the same as Shanghai's, the country produces more than its fair share of qaulity films and filmmakers and actors, etc. This article is quite frankly condescending.
My heartfelt apologies to you home.
I'll give you Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, but perhaps you could actually suggest which world-class films, directors and actors are Australian?
I was not suggesting Aus doesn't have it's share of quality, anyway.
I was suggesting that a "significant contribution to world cinema" may be taking it a bit too far.
If you asked people in the street in America, the UK, Europe, what is their favourite Australian film... you'd be waiting a long time for an answer,
As always, thank you for your valuable input home.
I think some guy named Russell Crowe is from Australia. I seem to remember a guy named Mel Gibson, too. And of course there's Jacko and Yahoo Serious.
Actually, for a country with such a small population, Australia does rather well for itself in the entertainment/sports arenas.
Of course I may be biased because I have had a crush on Elle McPherson since I was in the sixth grade.
Not to mention Naomi Watts, Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Toni Collette, Heath Ledger, Guy Pearce, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Eric Bana ... Directors? Peter Weir, Philip Noyce, Gillian Armstrong, Alex Proyas, Baz Luhrmann ... blah, blah, blah. I'd reckon "significant contribution to world cinema" would be right on the money. On the other hand, we tragically didn't have a hand in Bad Boys II.
Glad for the feedback.
It seems I had forgotten many of the colony's talents. Well, when those Aussies travel to America to make it big, they do well.
Favourite Australian film guys???
I may have forgotten the Wachowski brothers... OK I'll give you this one.