After sold out previews at the Croatian Film Festival in Sydney, Turningpoint are delighted to announce the cinema release of the new documentary COUNTRYMAN starting with special screenings that bring the film back home to where the Australian story began.
The series of Q&A community engagement screenings of the new documentary COUNTRYMAN will launch in the Northern Territory on 9th April at the Araluen Arts Centre and 13th of April at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre in Tennant Creek.
At both screenings the film makers Joseph Williams and Peter Pecotić will appear live for a Q&A.
“As a film we hope that COUNTRYMAN connects communities, cultures, countries and also connects us to Country.” Said Peter Pecotić, Director and Co-Producer of COUNTRYMAN
“We are really excited to bring this film back to the families and communities in the NT that shared their stories and to introduce this adventure to cinema audiences across Australia.
“With the support of an impact campaign through Documentary Australia and as Associate Members of Independent Cinemas Australia we are raising funds to host community screenings around Australia and New Zealand, raise awareness of how indigenous and immigrant cultures enrich our experience as Australians and make it possible for Joseph to travel for the first time to Croatia, birthplace of our immigrant fathers.”
Joseph Williams, Artist and Co-Producer of COUNTRYMAN is keen to screen the film to his local community and said “Countrymen travelling together, for the world to see, giving understanding and realistic approach, of bloods of heritages strong together.”
Felicity Green, Senior Director of Araluen Arts Centre said “I believe Araluen Arts Centre is a wonderful place to experience COUNTRYMAN in Alice Springs for the first time and am excited to host a Q & A with Peter and Joseph on 9th April.”
“We are really looking forward to hosting the screening of COUNTRYMAN at Tennant Creek.” Said Kate Riethmuller from Nyinnka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre “We will put on a great party in celebration of the release to our community.”
COUNTRYMAN is being supported by Documentary Australia.
“We’re pleased to support COUNTRYMAN, as it begins a screening tour which reflects the impact it hopes to make – bringing communities together to share and learn from each other.
Documentary Australia is committed to supporting films and filmmakers who are driven to tell powerful stories for social change – and COUNTRYMAN certainly fits the bill.” Said Clara Williams Roldan, Impact & Education Director, Documentary Australia
Special screenings are available at participating Independent Cinema Australia locations with a general release to follow in cinemas from May 10th.
About COUNTRYMAN
Synopsis: Retracing his late immigrant father’s footsteps, a traveller from the urban coast embarks on a 10,000km road trip around Northern Australia. In remote desert country he encounters an emerging Warumungu artist whose father was also a migrant. Through their growing friendship they discover the living history of each other’s Indigenous and Mediterranean ancestry re-igniting connections along the way.
About Peter Pecotić
Peter Pecotić is an emerging film maker and adventurer entrepreneur, Australian born of Croatian/Dalmatian decent. As an entrepreneur he opened a communications agency specialising in live business, cultural and political events which expanded into operations around the Indo-Pacific region. He was based in Shanghai and on the Board of the Australian Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai for many years and moved back to Australia before the COVID pandemic hit. Fascinated with the human condition and its transcendence into many cultures and forms he has embarked on making films to explore these themes.
About Joseph Williams
Joseph Williams is Warumungu artist and poet who has worked in various roles in Tennant Creek throughout his career including Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation, Papulu Apparr-Kari Aboriginal Corporation, Barkly Regional Arts and Nykinnka Nyunyu Arts and Culture Centre.
He currently a board member of Desart, the advocacy body for art centres in the Central Desert Regions of Australia. He is a master carver who has a long experience of traditional and modern carving and sculpture in Tennant Creek. He started to practice carving with his grandfather when he was a teenager and has gone to develop his career as an artist with the Tennant Creek Brio artist collective. The group, a mix of fringe dwellers and cultural leaders have continued to work together and often collaboratively, forming unique and cutting-edge art. Their work pushes conventions, drawing on imagery and traditions from the Wirnkarra (Dreaming), the Old Testament and mythic iconography from around the world. Their action paintings and performance represent the enthusiasm and dedication of the collective as they continue to develop a cathartic visual language fuelled by the complexities of life in Tennant Creek.
Link to Araluen Screening
https://araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au/whats-on/countryman
Link to Nyinnka Nyunyu Screening
https://www.nyinkkanyunyu.org.au/events-exhibitions
Link to Documentary Australia
https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/countryman/
