PRojects completed

Chris Haywood, Blake Pittman

A film directed by Kevin Lucas

Writer Lyndon Terracini

Composer Elena Kats-Chernin

"gorgeous, poetic, simple and elegant" VARIETY INTERNATIONAL

THE WIDOWER is an evocative tale of love and loss from the makers of the award-winning One Night The Moon.  Developed as part of the mdTV initiative (1997) the project was a creative collaboration between Director Kevin Lucas, Writer Lyndon Terracini and Composer Elena Kats-Chernin.  The film is centred around a collection of quintessential Les Murray poems and explores the themes of love, sexuality, ageing, isolation and loss in an Australian rural setting.

THE WIDOWER was first premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2004, then went on to score a nomination for BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY at the 2005 AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards.  It was also nominated in the same category for the FCCA (Film Critics Circle) Awards, and Director of Photography, Kim Batterham ACS won the Golden Tripod Award at the 2005 National Australian Cinematography Awards for his work on the film.

The Golden Tripod win, combined with the AFI and FCCA nominations, follow on from theatrical seasons of THE WIDOWER around the country, including the Valhalla and Chauvel cinemas in Sydney, the Nova in Melbourne, and Trak Cinema in Adelaide. The film also screened to great critical acclaim in many regional centres in Australia where it participated in the AFC's Big Screen Tour and the Sydney Travelling Film Festival.

On the film festival circuit, in June 2005 THE WIDOWER was selected for the Perspectives Competition at the 2005 Moscow International Film Festival being one of only nine films selected worldwide.  In October 2005, THE WIDOWER was also invited to the Gent International Film Festival in Belgium and took part in the Festival des Antipodes in St Tropez (2005), and again in Cannes (2006).

The film is based on the poems of Les Murray, Australia's only Poet Laureate, whose work is distinguished by his ability to combine the high European artistic tradition with Australia's more vernacular culture.  Murray's poetry has been translated into many languages and he has received prizes in various countries.  His 1998 verse novel, Freddy Neptune, was hailed in Britain and America as a masterpiece of twentieth century literature.  Murray's oeuvre reflects an intensely personal world from which he draws his poetry from.  In 2002 he was a short-listed nominee for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

THE WIDOWER FEATURES CHRIS HAYWOOD, FRANCES RINGS,

BEN HARKIN, MATT DYALL, BLAKE PITTMAN

and DJAKAPURRA MUNYARRYUN

“This gorgeous, poetic, simple and elegant music-drama about familial grief expands cinema's language in seemingly effortless, accessible fashion...its air of psychological insight is deft and haunting...the music is perfectly in synch with the project's desired mix of folkloricism, droll humor, poignancy, eroticism and domestic realism. ”  

- Dennis Harvey, VARIETY INTERNATIONAL (USA)

:: synopsis

The Widower is a poetic tale about a father and son who struggle to reconcile the loss of a loved one.  Following the premature death of his beautiful wife Mary (Frances Rings), a woodcutter Neville (Chris Haywood/Ben Harkin) is paralysed by the pain of his loss and unable to properly care for his son.  The Boy (Matt Dyall/Blake Pittman) is placed in a distant boarding school under the guardianship of an aunt and the Widower is abandoned to his loneliness.

Neville is an emotionally isolated woodcutter with a romantic disposition. His wife was everything to him, and her death plunges him into despair. He escapes into a world of the imagination and never really recovers, living in a suspended reality where dreams are real and life goes on in realms immortal.

When the Boy returns home from boarding school several years later as a young man he is disturbed to see how his father has fallen apart.  There remain unresolved feelings between them about Mary.   Haunted by the memory of his mother the Son is left to brood alone.  The Widower is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and given three months to live.

The Son's efforts towards his dying father remain frustrated by the old man's wandering mind and eccentric ways.

At the Widower's deathbed the love between them is restored.  After the old man dies, the Son is offered a glimpse into his father's sanctuary - a place where eternal love really does exist.

:: financiers

The Widower 2004
Finance: Australian Film Finance Corporation, ABC Television, Opera Australia, Australian Film Commission, Film Victoria, SVT Sweden.
World Sales Agent/Distributon: Digital Classics (UK)

:: AWARDS & FESTIVALS

WINNER: GOLDEN TRIPOD for Kim Batterham ACS

2005 NATIONAL AUSTRALIAN CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARDS

NOMINATION: 2005 AUSTRALIAN FILM INSTITUTE AWARDS

Best Adapted Screenplay

NOMINATION: 2005 FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS

Best Adapted Screenplay

Festival des Antipodes - Cannes, France

(May 2006)

Culture Arte Societe - Montparnasse Paris France

PROJECTION EXCEPTIONNELLE DE FILMS MUSICAUX AUSTRALIENS

For 20 Year Retrospective  (March 2006)

Festival des Antipodes - St Tropez, France

(October 2005)

Gent International Film Festival - Belgium

World Cinema - A Look Apart (October 2005)

Vladivostok International Film Festival

Special Vision (September 2005)

Moscow International Film Festival

Perspectives, IN COMPETITION (June 2005)

Vancouver International Film Festival

Cinema of our Time (September 2004)

Montréal - Festival des filmsdu Monde

Cinema of Oceania (September 2004)

Brisbane International Film Festival

Talking Australian (August 2004)

Melbourne International Film Festival

Australian Showcase (August 2004)

::REVIEWS

"This gorgeous, poetic, simple and elegant music-drama about familialgrief expands cinema's language in seemingly effortless, accessible fashion...its air of psychological insight is deft andhaunting...the music is perfectly in synch with the project's desired mix of folkloricism, droll humor, poignancy, eroticism and domestic realism."

Dennis Harvey - VARIETY  Sept 04

"a beautiful, moving and original piece of filmmaking."

Anne Démy-Geroe - Artistic Director BIFF

"The stunning cinematography and rustic production design of The Widower are both top-notch,..."
Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun Melbourne July 7th 05

"The Widower, shot by Kim Batterham, strikingly conjures up a sense of place: the isolated dwelling, bush surrounds, interiors, belongings that are talismans of memory.  It's a rich evocation of the past, idealising even as it recalls pain and loss. The film is haunted by the vivid beauty of Mary,..."
Phillipa Hawker The Age July 7th 05

"The film is stunningly beautiful at times, and wildly ambitious, an attempt to be both wordless and wordy, to get to the hypnotic state that poetry and music can induce..."
Paul Byrnes Sydney Morning Herald June 30th 05

"Propelled by beatiful images, original music and excellent performances, The Widower is quietly gripping..."

Sacha Molitorisz Sydney Morning Herald June 25th 05

"The score is by Elena Kats-Chernin and, like the cinematography by Kim Batterham, it is beautiful.  It is part of everything from a country barn dance to the deepest elegy. The Australian bush and particularly the beautiful mountain ash forests of Victoria have never looked so good."
Julie Rigg ABC Radio National June 27th 05

"...the Australian bush has possibly never looked so beautiful..."
Bush Telegraphy Radio National June 30th 05

"It's deeply poignant material, and Australian legend Chris Haywood gives an aching heart and weather beaten face...The Widower has a redeeming and otherwordly beauty."
Julian Shaw Filmink June 05

"...together with cinematographer Kim Batterham they've created a really really lovely experience …It's like a mini opera on film…I thought that this language was really beautiful.   And the other fantastic thing about this film is that it has some of the best sex scenes of any Australian film."

Margaret Pomeranz At The Movies June 29th 05

"...the great thing about this film is it's beautifully photographed..."
David Stratton At The Movies June 29th 05

"The composition of Elena Kats-Chernin is hauntingly beautiful - totally in keeping with the cinematography of Kim Batterham."
Antonette Collins Screen June 15th 05

:: DISTRIBUTION/SALES

GIL SCRINE FILMS

Ph: +61 7 3391 0124

E: gil@gilscrinefilms.com.au

www.gilscrinefilms.com.au