By Jackie Shannon
A black comedy set during the aftermath of the Cronulla riots, Down Under is the story of two carloads of hotheads – one filled with righteous Anglo Aussies, and the other with equally pissed off boys from Middle Eastern backgrounds – set on a collision course. A volatile mix of in-your-face humour and no-holds-barred social commentary, Down Under is provocative in the best kind of way, peeling back the layers on Australia’s under-the-surface racism, while never losing its sense of humour, or losing touch with its characters. “By tackling the subject matter contained in this film, my aim is to provoke a reaction not usually found in comedy,” says the film’s writer/director, Abe Forsythe. “All my favourite comedies are tragedies, and what happened to our national identity on the day of the Cronulla riots was a tragedy. I can’t wait for people to follow the characters and the world that my cast and crew have helped me build. It’s not that different from the world that we currently live in.”
Check out the first four minutes of this instant Aussie classic – along with the film’s trailer – below.
For FilmInk’s review of Down Under, click here. FilmInk Presents will be holding a special screening of Down Under on August 4 in Brisbane. For all information, click here. Down Under plays at The Melbourne International Film Festival on August 6. To buy tickets to Down Under, head to the official website. Down Under will be released in cinemas on August 11.
