Where The Water Starts
After seeing the destruction of Australia's Snowy Mountains fragile alpine ecology first hand, Richard Swain decides to speak out.
Interview with Writer/Director Mandy King
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Myself and my partner, cinematographer and producer, Fabio Cavadini started filming in mid 2019 to create a documentary focussing on the environment in Australia through stories about our precious and fragile high country. Not having spent much time in the Australian Alps we were intrigued to be hosted by Indigenous Ambassador, Richard Swain to see how the 34 mostly small and fragile animal and plant species that are unique to this part of the world, are threatened largely by habitat destruction caused by a feral animal. Astonishingly one of those, the feral horse is protected by state legislation.
After three months of filming, our main protagonists and most of the rest of the country was engulfed in wild fires never seen on such a scale or intensity before. Much of the alpine region was severely burnt. While the immediate issue for our participants was the highly destructive impact of feral animals in Kosciuszko National Park, the fires brought the larger picture of climate change into sharp focus. Our intention is to inspire communities to take a different approach and work alongside Indigenous communities speaking out about environmental degradation and threats to life, water and country.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Where The Water Starts highlights the strong Indigenous voices speaking out about highly sensitive environmental and cultural concerns in a very small yet vital part of the Australian landscape - its High Country, its alpine region. Richard Swain, the Indigenous Ambassador with the Invasive Species Council with the support of his wife, Alison decide to highlight the threats to the viability of the headwaters of three iconic rivers caused by the protection of a feral animal and the growing impacts of climate change. The challenges facing Kosciuszko National Park have resonances for those campaigning around water and feral animal issues around the country.
“This environment is meant to be pristine, and we can no longer ignore the damage being done. It is the responsibility of all Australians to accept this land as your heritage, caring for it and protecting it as your culture.” - Richard Swain, Indigenous Ambassador, Invasive Species Council
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The personal themes centre around the courage and tenacity of individuals to speak out about environmental and cultural issues they are passionate about despite social media harrassment and threats.
The universal themes at the core of the film are the environment and the cultural context of colonial heritage which has denied First Nations existence and their experience of colonialism for centuries. The Care for Country concept that Aboriginal people offer the wider community in Australia is beginning to receive acceptance and recognition. The core theme of caring for our water sources and the native species and habitat that play a vital role in the health of that environment.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We started filming in mid 2019 to produce a documentary focussing on the environment in Australia through stories about our precious and fragile alpine region. Not having spent much time in the Australian Alps we were greatly concerned when hosted by Indigenous Ambassador, Richard Swain to see how the 34 mostly small and fragile animal and plant species that are unique to this part of the world, are threatened largely by habitat destruction caused by a feral animal. Astonishingly one of those, the feral horse is protected by state legislation to roam freely throughout the Park. After three months of filming, our main protagonists and most of the rest of the country was engulfed in wild fires never seen on such a scale or intensity before.
Much of the alpine region was severely burnt. This compelled us to incorporate the broader issue of climate change and the effects of global warming as a theme which interweaves through the film. While the immediate issue for our participants was the highly destructive impact of feral animals in Kosciuszko National Park, the fires brought the larger picture of climate change into sharp focus.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film is attracting like minded people who are concerned about all natural rivers in Australia and restoring them to full health. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many people are emotionally moved. During Q&A sessions they are strongly motivated to explore the complexities of the environmental and cultural issues. Many audience members embrace Richard's message, "It is the responsibility of all Australians to accept this land as your heritage, caring for it and protecting it as your culture." Requests for screenings are strong.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback has been very positive. The film does not attempt to represent a traditional journalistic approach of the balance of differing viewpoints. It strongly represents voices, many of whom are not regularly heard, that are critical of the conservative political agenda that has led to the protection of a feral animal in a national park, their dismissing of individuals who challenge them and their lack of action on climate change.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
With any film, opportunities to increase one's audience and public debate and discussions round the issues it highlights is crucial. We hope that We Are Moving Stories as recommended by the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival will play an important role to draw more attention to and interest in our documentary.
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 following an intensive film festival strategy and with our distributor, Fan Force we are more interested in having journalists and critics to preview the film and write about it. While it hasn't yet had a free-to-air broadcast in Australia, often a prerequisite for effective educational distribution, we anticipate constructive reviews and critiques will harness more interaction with, and heighten distribution of the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Where The Water Starts takes the audience on a discovery tour of the Snowy Mountains from perspectives rarely heard. It highlights the voices of a range of respected Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, giving insight into the vital ecological, cultural and historical context of the themes in the film. These different perspectives come together to illustrate that the best of Aboriginal connection and the best of regenerative science can work together for a better future for the mountains and the planet.
We hope this film will inspire communities to take a different approach and work alongside Indigenous communities speaking out about environmental degradation and threats to life, water and country. It is a positive and constructive impact we envisage that encourages both respect, listening and allyship with Indigenous peoples' who are showing leadership on environmental disputes.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How do we protect our vital natural resources for future generations?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
We are working on a couple of documentary projects; a labour history themed film about the attempt to eliminate union representation, in fact the unionised workforce itself, from the Australian wharves in the late 1990's. Another, the story of a fiercely independent journalist who worked with whistleblowers and under-represented communities to tell their stories.
Interview: June 2022
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
Where The Water Starts
Length:
1:11
Writer/Director
Mandy King is an Australian filmmaker who has been producing documentaries since the late 1980's. Her interests range from contemporary issues such as the environment, Indigenous rights and independence struggles, through to the arts and labour history. She works closely with her partner, Co-Producer and Cinematographer Fabio Cavadini, as the partnership Frontyard Films. They have produced a number of documentaries based in the Pacific as well as social justice, labour history and arts themed films.
Producer
Fabio Cavadini began his career as an independent Producer-Director and Cinematographer in the late 1970’s. He produced his first film, Il Rovescio della Medaglia, (The Other Side of the Coin) in the 1980's. Since the late 1980’s Fabio has been producing with partner, Mandy King on a string of documentaries with Indigenous rights, environmental and arts themes.
Key cast:
Richard Swain – Indigenous Ambassador, Invasive Species Council
Richard has worked for 25 years as an Indigenous guide within Kosciuszko National Park. Having spent his life in the Snowy Mountains he has seen first-hand the huge impact feral animals are having on the park and the threatened species that rely on Kosciuszko for survival. He is passionate about educating the public on the true history of landscape changes and degradation over the past 230 years.
Looking for:
journalists
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wherethewaterstarts
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/FrontyardFilms_
Hashtags used:
#WhereTheWaterStarts
More info - Screens at:
23July2022/Melbourne Documentary Film Festival/Cinema Nova