BTS & Film Stills: Australia

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked if I wasAustralian, I’d probably have enough money to buy a first-class round-trip ticket there. But I’m not and had never been, so it was with great excitement that I boarded the plane to Darwin in the Northern Territory. The whole experience was a wild and eye-opening ride. We shot in Katherine and Batchelor, two towns with a predominantly indigenous population, hours on the one road that cuts through the outback. I learnt a lot about racism, Australian politics, crocodiles, and how much I hate drones.I was there to direct a film a wonderful gentleman called David, who suffered from sleep apnea. He lived “way out in the never never” and had been a farmer his whole life. Life was pretty tough for the family - some years crops are more bountiful than others - but he lived an honest and content life. Most importantly, he was a great sport and let the crew and I into his family, home, and life; and let me run him ragged ‘acting farming’ for days!I really hope our film does him proud. Cheers to Ben Swinnerton, my long-suffering photographer, who let me steal these pics of myself from him.

The Never Never [Dir. Cut]

australia_sleep_monatge

IMG_3119

emily_benswinnerton_4

emily_benswinnerton_2

emily_benswinnerton_3

I’m posting this photo at the risk of being ridiculed for my outfit, but it brings back so many happy memories that I can’t not.