A traditional musician is torn between his Uyghur homeland in northwestern China, his ties to Japan where he once was famous and suburban Sydney where he now lives with his family.

Interview with Director/Producer Jon Mark Oldmeadow

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I first began making Adrift back in 2014. I reached out to multicultural music producer, Richard Petkovic from the Cultural Arts Collective and he introduced me to Shohrat Tursun who quickly became the subject of the film. After spending a day with Shohrat, hearing him sing and listening to his story, I was hit by the power of his music and fascinated by his multi-faceted identity. I have been interested in themes of multiculturalism, migration and creativity for a number of years. During my time as a visual artist, I explored these themes through multi-channel video works and short films. Coming from a rather dull Anglo-Saxon background, I am intrigued by people who recently migrated to Australia, their experience of living here, their backstories and how they adapt culturally.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Adrift will give you an insight into the life of a traditional musician whilst exploring the complexities of being a migrant in modern-day Australia and what it's like to leave past lives behind. Shohrat Tursun was once famous in Japan and in his homeland of Uyghur in north-western China, but is relatively unknown in Australia where he now lives with his family. This short documentary presents the audience with both an intimate portrait and a man's quest for self-discovery.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Identity plays a big role in the film. Adrift really questions whether or not identity is fluid and if it can change depending on place and time. We investigate how identity evolves as someone adapts to living in a new country. Other secondary themes include fame, success, belonging to a place and the passing of time. We discover that Shohrat yearns for the success that he once had in Japan in the 1990's when he frequently appeared on Japanese TV, written about in newspapers and featured on subway billboards.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Before filming commenced I had a basic idea of possible storylines and themes that I wanted to explore, but the narrative of Adrift unfolded in front of the camera almost entirely during production. I visited Shohrat a number of times over 18 months, sometimes more frequently than other times. It was only in December 2015 that we wrapped up the production of the film and began to focus more on the edit.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The response has been great so far. It seems to strike a chord with Australian audiences in particular and especially multicultural viewers. We were lucky enough to win the Audience Choice Award at St Kilda Film Festival in Melbourne and were also nominated for Best Documentary.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The main thing that has surprised me is the communities involvement in the film. Shohrat and other people with family from Uyghur seem to relate to the film and its themes.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We are hoping to gain a bit of publicity for Adrift in the lead up to film festival screenings. The film was recently selected for the short film program at Australian Music Week in Sydney and will be screened on November 3rd, 2017.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Ideally, we'd love a distributor to come on board. We are currently looking into our options for broadcast and online distribution.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

We would like Adrift to reach a larger audience than just film festivals. Particularly those who are interested in multiculturalism, world music, ethnic minorities, western Sydney, the Uyghur region of north-western China and, of course, Shohrat Tursun himself!

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

How does somebody's identity evolve as they adapt to living in a new country and how do they reconcile with their past lives?

Would you like to add anything else?

We hope you enjoy the film! And if you do live in Sydney, please come along to one of Shohrat Tursun's concerts.

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Jon Mark Oldmeadow (director, cinematographer, co-producer and co-editor of Adrift) is from Melbourne but is now based in Paris. He is working on a healthy mix of documentaries, advertising and music videos. He recently worked as a cameraman on documentary series The Archibald, broadcast in Australia by Foxtel Arts and Inside Dior commissioned by Channel 4 in the UK.

Caitlin Farrugia (co-producer) is based in Melbourne. She has recently produced feature films So Long, Lazybones and Wolf.

Miška Mandić (co-editor) was born in Ex-Yugoslavia and lives in Sydney. She has edited and directed a number of films and music videos. She was assembly editor and edit assistant on Australian feature films Paper Planes and These Final Hours.

Shohrat Tursun is a world-renowned vocalist and musician who has performed around the world. Born in Uyghur, north-western China, he now lives in western Sydney. He frequently plays solo gigs in addition to concerts with the Cultural Arts Collective and the Sydney World Music Chamber Orchestra.

Interview: October 2017

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. 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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Adrift

A traditional musician is torn between his Uyghur homeland in northwestern China, his ties to Japan where he once was famous and suburban Sydney where he now lives with his family.

Length: 15 min 24 sec

Director: Jon Mark Oldmeadow

Producers: Jon Mark Oldmeadow & Caitlin Farrugia

About the writer, director and producer:

Jon Mark Oldmeadow is a director and cinematographer originally from Melbourne and currently based in Paris. Passionate about creating poetic and crafted images that tell a story he shoots documentaries, advertising and music videos. He's also completed projects for a number of art museums, cultural organisations and non-profits. Jon is a graduate of the Australian Film and Television Radio School (AFTRS) Sydney.

Key cast: Shohrat Tursun

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): distributors, sales agents, film festival directors

Social media handles: #adriftdocumentary

Facebook: @jmoldmeadow

Instagram: @jmoldmeadow #adriftdocumentary

Other: www.j onmarkoldmeadow.com/adrift/

Funders: Self-funded

Where can I see it in the next month?

Australian Music Week in Sydney. Screening at 8:30 pm on November 3, 2017 at GU Filmhouse Cronulla