Melbourne Documentary Film Festival - Exit Wounds
A short, dramatised documentary on an Australian soldier’s response to the Rwandan Civil War,
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Pattie Collins
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks, Carmela. Initially I intended to re-shoot a short drama on war trauma I’d produced several years earlier at film school. When I asked David Villanti to be involved as an actor, he told me about his time as an Army medic with a UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda at the time of the civil war there in the 1990s. Dave’s story inspired me to try and demonstrate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a subject on film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Every day in the news media we see Australians engaged in conflicts overseas in an effort to win the peace and provide stability and good governance. That’s the fact of it, the history of it. The effect on these Australians is another story, and that’s what our film is about.
Post-traumatic stress is debilitating and costly in every sense, both for the individual and the community. When people return home after serving in a conflict zone, the conflict comes back with them. Some manage, others not so much. Symptoms can appear suddenly, brought on by a sound, a smell, a change in the light. Formerly capable and self-possessed people find themselves crippled by flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares, anger, hyper-vigilance, and a profound sense of isolation.
It’s not their fault but they feel it is. At worst, it can cause family breakdown, loss of career and suicide. The homeless person sleeping on the street might once have been a highly-trained soldier.
We live in a sea of stories and they affect us.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I’d say through acknowledgement of shared experience. While it has its own particular characteristics, the war-time experience of one man illustrates that of his colleagues who have worked under similar conditions and share comparable values.
Veterans have a strong group identity. We acknowledge the importance of the group at the end of the film in the form of Dave riding with the Veterans Motorcycle Club. They are an impressive group of people who understand and support one another unconditionally.
We can learn to do the same.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script did a lot of evolving! A script is a living thing that has to find its way through a cluster of facts. Because of the unpredictable nature of PTSD, we had to take it slowly. This meant that the production took much longer than initially anticipated, years in fact.
While frustrating in one way, it became helpful because the longer timeframe allowed the story to emerge in its own time and come alive in my head.
The story is about the impact on a person of witnessing genocide, not the genocide itself. To present such an abstraction, I pared back the material to the absolute basics to allow Dave’s voice to reflect on the things that matter to him – work, family, friendship, community. The material is presented in the form of experimental non-fiction.
I love the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process. Working with a great cast and crew is its own reward.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
There’s been a range of responses – from disinterest, to advice on what I should have done, through to genuine connection and engagement.
Some audience members have said that that they now understand the behaviour of someone they know, and feel a bit more sympathetic towards them. In terms of the film’s production values, a lecturer at a university in the US is using the film as an example of good studio lighting.
I’m chuffed about its selection by 6 festivals in 4 countries – France, UK, Italy and Australia. These include documentary, academic, veterans and arts festivals, a nice range. Also the Australian War Memorial has asked for a copy of the film to be lodged in their collection. Dave and I will do interviews with the War Memorial as part of its oral history program.
I’m pretty happy with all that.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Yes and no. Because the subject matter is a bit tricky and the structure of the film unconventional, I never expected that it would appeal to a wide general audience – although I hoped it would. A film needs an audience to come alive.
Quite unexpected, and very welcome, was the interest shown by the federal government, through the Australian High Commission in London. They asked to use the film in a program for World Mental Health Week and also promoted the UK festival screening on their website.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Two things really: publicity for the screening at the Melbourne Documentary Festival which starts on 9 July, but also to contribute to the ideas, in all their forms, that are explored on this site.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this stage, I’d say journalists and bloggers. We made the film to contribute to the public conversation on the impact of PTSD on individuals, their families and the wider community, so the more people who discuss the issue from their own perspective, the better.
I’m thinking about commissioning a study guide to help the film find audiences in the education and training sectors. The Australian Teachers of Media can produce a guide for $2,000. If anyone knows of a magic place where these funds might be found, I’d love to hear from you info@pattiecollins.com
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I’d like to see the film contribute to greater public acknowledgement of the mental illness that can result from military service. Soldiers are trained to perform under difficult and dangerous conditions but can anyone be trained to withstand the witnessing of genocide?
Too often people feel isolated and ashamed by their response to horror. We can change this by more open and frank discussion of mental illness and its causes. Acknowledgment is a form of validation. This might help to ease the burden on those managing PTSD.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
A key question for me is how does a person diagnosed with long-term PTSD transform that suffering into a new and better way of being in the world?
Dave manages his condition through a combination of medication, psychotherapy and acting, plus engaging with the culture of the performing arts and the friendship of other veterans. I would add the qualities of courage, persistence, resilience and good humour.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Graham Gall, the multi-talented lead actor, also works as a filmmaker, stills photographer and teacher. He regularly appears in television commercials and in productions for the corporate sector. At present he is editing two music videos for the artists Michael Cullen and Marji Curran, both of whom will release EPs later this year www.grahamgall.com
David Villanti, the subject of the film, is a professional actor based in Sydney. He regularly appears in television commercials, corporate productions and television programs like the ABC’s Rake. His great love is the theatre. In a recent stage production of Legally Blonde, he performed with his assistance dog Harper www.davidvillanti.com.au
As for me, I’m preparing to spend more time writing. I have a rough draft of a feature film on the abuse of power that I’d love to get back to, and other ideas to play around with.
Interview: May 2017
_______________________________________________________________________________
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
_______________________________________________________________________________
Exit Wounds
A short, dramatised documentary on an Australian soldier’s response to the Rwandan Civil War,
Length: 10 mins 30 seconds
Director: Pattie Collins
Producer: Pattie Collins
Writer: Pattie Collins
About the writer, director and producer:
Pattie Collins is an independent media producer based in Canberra. She has worked on a diverse range of productions including features, shorts, music and sports events.
Key cast: Graham Gall, David Villanti
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
I’m looking for funding to cover the cost of a study guide ($2,000). A study guide produced by the Australian Teachers of Media can link the content of the film to the curriculum in secondary and tertiary institutions and training organisations.
Other: www.pattiecollins.com
Made in association with: David Villanti
Where can I see it in the next month? The film will screen at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on 9 July at 11 am.
More info: Stills -
http://www.ianmarshall.photography/