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Face to Face with Justice
Aussie director shoots a film in Melbourne which explores controversial new forms of justice
The Australian director best known for his work on the Battlestar Galactica TV series, Queen of the Damned and his feature film debut Angel Baby, Michael Rymer (pictured), is currently in Melbourne shooting a new Australian film Face to Face which is set to be released later this year.
Adapted by David Williamson from his own play of the same name, and starring Vince Colosimo, Sigrid Thornton and Matt Newton, the film explores the contentious concept of community conferencing, a new form of restorative justice.
The story follows a young construction worker named Wayne who rams into the back of his boss's Mercedes in a fit of anger at being sacked. Rather than going straight to court, he is given the opportunity to discuss his actions in a community conference.
Rymer describes Face to Face as "an ensemble piece, in the tradition of 12 Angry Men about ten very dissimilar Australians bound together by a complex pattern of relationships and shared histories. By turns, hysterically funny and deeply moving, each character's role in the drama peels back another layer as the story digs down to the roots of who these people really are."
Rymer believes the subject matter of this film will be of enormous interest to people. "When I read the play, I laughed, I cried - I couldn't believe that I could ever care so much about such an ordinary scenario. This is a little movie, with big ideas," he says.
The independently financed feature film also utilises DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) technology. Executive Producer Kaz Emanouel says these cameras are a significant step forward in terms of quality from traditional high definition technology but a step down in cost.
"This is the first time in cinema history that a ‘long form,' made for theatrical release film has been shot using DSLR technology for all primary cameras. This has provided Michael Rymer an opportunity to take a brilliant play and tell the story via the cinematic medium in an incredibly efficient way; what Michael is proving out here will be the beginning of a major paradigm shift in film production," Emanouel says.
Picture caption: Michael Rymer at the Australians In Films Pre-Emmy Party, courtesy of Getty images. Photographer: Frederick M. Brown
