A Brief Innings with Ted Wilson: Under the Cover of Cloud

By Anthony Frajman

How does a first-time feature filmmaker, who made a film starring himself react to being selected for MIFF? We chatted to Ted Wilson, whose debut feature, Under the Cover of Cloud, was selected for the festival this year.

How long was the shoot?

About twenty days all up. Fourteen, and then another six when we found out Boonie was onboard. What a guy.

How did you get David Boon to be in the film?

Normal channels.

How important is cricket to you?

I love cricket. So good. Australian cricket was at its best when we had Boonie and/or Ponting. Mainland cricketers don’t understand ethics, so they end up cheating. Tasmania has always saved cricket. Here, we’re doing it again.

What motivated the choice to make the central character yourself?

I’m such a cheap actor… I wanted to make a film I could afford. Screen Australia don’t know much about the artform of cinema. They’re bureaucrats and they only like what they have seen before, so they don’t understand artists. So, I made a film and when people like it they will understand that it is good.

What was behind the look, what motivated you and your DP, Joshua Aylett?

The film is about people, not landscape like many Aussie films. Commonly, Aussie films show landscape when they don’t have enough story, I had story.

How autobiographical is the film?

It’s pretty typical to my average trip home to see my family where I have some new project planned. They are used to seeing me with a new idea.

What filmmakers do you look up to?

James Vaughan [editor on Under the Cover of Cloud], Andrei Tarkovsky, Ozu, John Cassavetes, Hong Sang-soo and Jim Jarmusch.

Did you look to any films for inspiration?

Nah, mostly books. The influences for this film are Gerald Murnane, Nabokov, the Strugatsky Brothers, Dostoyevsky, Herman Hesse, James Joyce et al.

What was your reaction when you got selected for MIFF?

 

 

 

 

What are you working on next?

The International Criminal Court and HBO have just commissioned my documentary series God don’t Save their Queen: England’s Greatest Genocides which is very exciting. It is very exciting to bring history’s greatest genocidal narcissists to account. It will help us all understand the effects of  white supremacism.

Under the Cover of Cloud is screening as part of MIFF.