The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2018 - New Island Home
Venturing inside the inner sanctum of the Dudley United Football Club during the 2017 campaign, New Island Home reveals Kangaroo Island’s unique community spirit and the bravery of a group of talented indigenous footballers who cross an ocean to start new lives and, at the same time, change others.
Interview with Director Daniel Clarke and Producer Amy Pysden
Watch New Island Home on Vimeo on demand
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Our previous film work has focussed on telling indigenous stories from the remote desert but having lived and worked part-time on Kangaroo Island we were naturally led to this heart-warming story of reconciliation. It was an untold tale of a small island community banding together to provide a unique opportunity for young Aboriginal men to start new lives. We felt it was the perfect example of how long-standing prejudices can be so quickly forgotten through a shared love of Aussie Rules. Through the community’s patience, kindness and generosity, cultural and environmental barriers were overcome; changing lives in the process.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Dudley United Football Club was on the brink of extinction; it’s A-Grade side sitting on the bottom of the ladder and player numbers at an all-time low. In desperation, the small Kangaroo Island club enlisted the help of legendary AFL recruiter John Turnbull and together they hatched a unique plan that would change the island forever. In a radical and somewhat controversial move, young indigenous footballers were recruited from regional and remote Australia to help turn the club around.
Not only did the local community welcome the young men into their club, they took them into their homes, fed them and found them work that has helped advance their work skills and career opportunities. Whether you love sport or not, this is an uplifting and captivating story that follows the team through the 2017 campaign and uncovers engrossing characters and relationships that are truly unique. The film also reveals a stunning part of the Australian landscape that is relatively unknown to most.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Cross-cultural barriers are overcome and personal journeys of self-discovery of both indigenous and non-indigenous people unravel during the film. At its heart, this documentary is a story of sporting triumph but it is the personal relationships between white and black that provide the colour and meaning. The bravery of these young Aboriginal men to leave their families in their tiny desert communities to cross an ocean and start new lives on a foreign land is inspiring.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
One of the main risks of this documentary was the unknown success or otherwise of the relocation program and the team during the 2017 season. We did not know if the young indigenous men would become engaged in their new community, nor how the Dudley United Football Club would perform. Without giving too much away, we were fortunate enough to follow the story through to the Grand Final in which both teams named indigenous players. Ultimately, the slow reveal of the boys’ personality as they grew in confidence in front of the camera and with their peers was the glue that held the story together.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback to the film has been hugely positive and we have to thank the local Kangaroo Island community for their trust and patience in allowing us to tell their story. Most viewers have commented on how engaging the characters are and how exciting the footage of the indigenous men playing is. Local community members agree the film has helped put Kangaroo Island on the map for a unique reason.
The film is being used to inspire other young Aboriginal men in remote communities to follow their dreams and take a leap of faith to expand their skills and experiences outside of their home country. New Island Home has also importantly inspired other football communities to offer the same opportunities for indigenous players.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We have been surprised about how fascinated people have been with the various island characters. Having lived and worked on Kangaroo Island for a number of years we have probably grown accustomed to the nature of the local people but their kindness and positivity does shine through in this film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are looking for exposure for the football program and for positive indigenous stories. We want to inspire young Aboriginal men and women and showcase the impact they can have outside of their communities. As a small independent film company Ninti Media also hopes to attract more interest in our uplifting indigenous stories as we would love to expand our work around Australia.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We would love sales agents and distributors to take an interest in this film as we believe it contains universal themes of human compassion and reconciliation with First Nations people. We envisage journalists and the Australian sports industry in general will take notice of the film’s impact and message.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
To entertain and educate audiences in how reconciliation can be achieved in unique and positive ways. Ultimately we would love to see other small country football and netball leagues recruit indigenous players from across the country and offer them work experience in the local community. This film proves it can be done in a highly engaging and successful way.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Can a conventionally racist island community overcome prejudice by welcoming indigenous footballers into their local football club?
Would you like to add anything else?
We very much appreciate the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival selecting New Island Home to screen at their event. As the self-described capital of Australian Rules Football, we expect Melbourne audiences will love this film.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are currently completing the edit of two short documentaries for NITV and are hoping to secure funding to make our first television series focusing on the rehabilitation of a former wildlife sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills.
Interview: May 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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New Island Home
Venturing inside the inner sanctum of the Dudley United Football Club during the 2017 campaign, New Island Home reveals Kangaroo Island’s unique community spirit and the bravery of a group of talented indigenous footballers who cross an ocean to start new lives and, at the same time, change others.
Length: 62 minutes
Director: Daniel Clarke
Producer: Amy Pysden
About the writer, director and producer:
Daniel Clarke is a professional journalist and award-winning filmmaker whose documentaries focus on telling unique indigenous stories from around Australia.
Amy Pysden is a professional photographer and award-winning filmmaker who jointly runs companies Ninti Media and Ad Hoc Docs with Daniel Clarke.
Key cast: Leroy Turner, Hakeem Flowers, Nathan Campbell, Jeff Howard and Robby Hill.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Sales agents, buyers, distributors, festival directors, journalists.
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nintimedia/
Other: www.nintimedia.com
Funders: Community Broadcasting Foundation, Dudley United Football Club, SeaLink
Made in association with: Channel 44
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? 7pm on July 10 at Loop Bar as part of the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival.