Six Indigenous youth, build three boats, in two weeks.

Interview with Director David Longden and Assistant Director Isabelle Thomas

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

DAVID: We wanted to donate our time as creatives to the Indigenous community here in Australia. For myself, I wanted to learn more about the country's history and oldest living culture. I also felt like working on a community project and doing some good. Having worked mainly in advertising for the past year, I wanted to help tell a real story.

ISABELLE: I learned about the project 'Eden Canoes,' and that it was to be a new form of educating and certifying school-leavers who are disengaged with school generally; or learning with textbooks, did not highlight their talents or showcase their abilities. This project came about through a close friend, whose parents now live in Eden. Immediately I wanted to go down and be a part of 'Eden Canoes' as I am passionate about the strength community has to change the lives of the people who may be oppressed or misunderstood by the mainstream way of doing things - in this case, it was both Australian society and the curriculum.

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

DAVID: At its core, it's a simple story of a boat building project for 6 Indigenous youth in a rural town. But the story grows into so much more than that. One of healing through learning and the passing of knowledge. It shows the strength in the community and the support it offers its members. Coming from a big city, that was really beautiful to me.

I hope it will push others to take part in community projects especially relating to Indigenous culture. I am so very humbled to have learned so much regarding Indigenous culture during the two weeks of filming. I hope that in your watching of the movie I get to share some of that.

ISABELLE: You should watch this film because it shows how beautiful things can happen when people come together with a common goal for improving society. It shows the magic in humans and the importance of all generations coming together. Australia's dominant society has a lot to learn from Eden's community, and in particular, the Yuin people. There was no greed, no need to assert dominance, no rushing to be anywhere, all of our hearts and minds were on one goal, and that was to create a space where six gorgeous young adults built three boats in two weeks.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

It is a simple observational piece. We observe a two-week boat building project for Indigenous youth. Michael and Ossie created a safe cultural space for learning and sharing. We simply observed the space at work.

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

DAVID: Trying to stay honest has been so important for me. I really wanted to tell the story the way we saw it. Simply allowing this documentary to be Michael and Ossie's platform for their messages.

ISABELLE: To be completely honest, the documentary was filmed in an observational way, the story was clearly evident during the filming process. And so, David followed this storyline in the editing. This approach was pivotal to our creative process, as it isn't our story to tell - it would be inappropriate to put our own spin on someone else's story.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

DAVID: Only positive feedback from people inside and out of the Indigenous community.

ISABELLE: Very positive so far, from both the people involved and people who were separate from the project.

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

I am hoping to attract international attention to Australia's Indigenous community and to the amazing boat building project.

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

I would love more eyes on the project. To do so building some ''journalistic hype'' around the project could help. I am conscious this is a very Australian story and may not be suited to an international market. But I am also aware of the parallels between American and Australian Indigenous cultures and what they went through during colonisation. Such topics are touched on in the documentary and therefore could still interest an international market.

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

DAVID: I simply want to educate people on the effectiveness of community projects, healing through learning and what Indigenous Elder Ossie Cruse thinks of the past and future of his culture.

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

Is community lost in our modern world?

Interview: August 2021

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

Eden Canoes

Length:

38:18

Director

David Longden

I am a self-taught director/director of photography. I found my passion for filmmaking at a young age on the ski slopes of Andorra where I once lived with my father and brother. My younger sibling and I would film each other freestyle skiing in the hope of landing sponsors and becoming pro athletes.
I began to enjoy spending time behind the camera more than skiing, and here I am.

Producer

Jackson Lindsay

David's long time friend and film nerd. Jackson and David had worked together at David's production company before embarking on this journey together. Jackson is an incredible problem-solver and outdoorsman. He kept the team going and happy throughout the project.

Looking for:

Journalists

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/edencanoes/

More info:
micaproductions.com