By Erin Free
THE DRIVE
In Samuel Harvey’s highly topical doco The Drive, four young Aussie blokes head cross country to Uluru in four cheap, unreliable cars in an effort to shine a light on this country’s growing issues with make mental health and increasing rates of suicide. A cinematic call-to-action, The Drive is sure to be one of the most talked about films at the festival.
INTO THE UNKNOWN
Documentary films can often take us into unusual worlds with which we’d otherwise have no experience, and Into The Unknown does this in spades with its narrative about a fourteen-year-old Australian boy who travels with his adventurous father to an unexplored region of the Peru Amazon in search of the headwaters of a major river.
BLAK DOUGLAS VS THE COMMONWEALTH
Angelica Cristina Dio’s feature documentary tracks the extraordinary work and creative processes of indigenous artist and Archibald Prize winner Blak Douglas as he prepares for his most emotionally charged work: a portrait of his indigenous grandmother, which was revealed at the National Gallery of Australia’s Indigenous Art Triennial: Defying Empire.
ISLA’S WAY
Almost certain to be one of the most invigorating and enjoyable portrait docos at the festival, Isla’s Way tells the surprising and deeply inspiring story of 87-year-old Isla Roberts, a hard-working rural horsewoman, family leader, and quiet pioneer who came out as a lesbian later in life and bravely defies categorisation at every turn with abundant warmth and humour.
WATCH ME FLY
Lily Drummond’s six-minute documentary short Watch Me Fly focuses on unconventional Paralympian Anu Francis, a champion para-triathlon athlete on her way to the upcoming Paris games who navigates life with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Dystonia, while also challenging society’s views on disability.
HOW TO DRESS LIKE ME
Since 1979, Rose Chong Costumiers have been dealing in elaborate and vibrant maximalist attire for hire, solidly establishing itself as an iconic and legendary staple of Melbourne’s queer scene. This six-minute short doco from Juanita Ebbs and Aaron Alvarez pays tribute to an essential – and very glittery – Melbourne institution.
THE GREAT WHITE WHALE
Complete with Moby Dick-derived title and oodles of oceanic atmosphere, Michael Dillon’s seafaring feature documentary tells of a huge, snowy volcano in the wild Southern Ocean that has cruelled and nearly destroyed the many expeditions that have sought to climb it. The doco focuses on two groups of explorers and their experiences on the volcano.
THE ENDING GOES FOREVER: THE SCREAMFEEDER STORY
Despite its once notoriously conservative government, Brisbane has long been a highly fertile breeding ground for great bands, and one of the best groups to emerge in the 1990s alongside heavy hitters Powderfinger and Custard was Screamfeeder, who – unlike their compatriots – have always remained fiercely and relentlessly independent. This is their story.
TO THANK THE ROOM
Belinda Lloyd’s To Thank The Room documents the courageous and compelling Maggie Fooke, who set up the ten-room Brooklyn Arts Hotel in downtown Fitzroy as a guest accommodation for “artists and lovers of the arts of all kinds – including conversation, activism and philosophy” to stay, when visiting Melbourne.
THE PROMISE
In The Promise, director Jye Currie dives into the personal and inspiring journey of Craig Hamilton as he shares his experiences with overcoming suicidal challenges. Dealing sensitively with big issues currently ripping at the fabric of Australian society, The Promise is sure to provoke a lot of discussion at the festival.
The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival runs from July 1-31 (online) and July 17-31 in-cinema. For all ticketing, session and programming details, click here.
