The Curb

• Sydney Film Festival Interview: Gabrielle Brady on the art of liberating the viewer's gaze in The Wolves Always Come at Night

  As I tell Gabrielle in the following interview, when a new Gabrielle Brady film emerges into the world, it is like the arrival of a gift, one that pulls us into a mindset of considering the lives of others, including those of the crabs of Christmas Island, or maybe the horses of the Gobi Desert. It's one that encourages us to see the world of truth differently. That notion of truth is something I've asked filmmakers a lot lately, and I'm conscious of its almost accusatory nature, as if documentary filmmaking must adhere to one True Reality. But it's impossible. The truth can never be captured on screen, and truth is in itself a falsity. After all, as soon as you put a camera on an event, or slice it with an editing suite, or apply a score to it, you are skewing reality away from the truth. Documentary storytelling is, by its own creation, not the truth. Yet, the emotions that we're left with and the memories that linger in our mind after the film has long played out, become a source of truth. Yet, as I slip into this spiral a little further, it's clear that co-authored filmmaking like that of Gabrielle Brady's exists to explore versions of the truth, to bring stories of subjects and collaborators to life, and to enrich our collective world.These notions are underpinned by Gabrielle's choice to study at the prestigious La Escuela Internacional de Cine in Cuba, a place which fosters the notion to 'defend the rights to ones own image' and to 'liberate the viewer's gaze'. These are ideas that I ask Gabrielle about in the following interview, which gives way to an open conversation about her creative process, and what it means to be able to work alongside people like Poh Lin, Davaa and Zaya, and Michael Latham, on her films.This interview was recorded ahead of Wolves' screenings at the Sydney Film Festival on 10 and 12 June. This is a film I urge audiences to see in a cinema, let it overwhelm your senses. Let it change you. If you're interested in reading about how the film changed me, then you can read my review here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Sydney Film Festival Interview: Ellis Park director Justin Kurzel on being in the orbit of Warren Ellis

  Director Justin Kurzel has crafted a filmography built on exploring the impact of trauma and violence on a nation. Whether it be his excoriating debut film Snowtown or the acts of cautionary storytelling with Nitram and The Order, Kurzel’s work questions how violence and trauma lingers in our bodies, our minds, and in our lands. That’s a notion that he explores with impressive strength with his first foray into documentary filmmaking, Ellis Park.There’s catharsis in Ellis Park, partially because of Warren Ellis and his healing violin, but – as the man says himself – his presence is minimal compared to the presence of Femke and the conservationists. Yet, when paired with Kurzel and editor Nick Fenton, they collectively bring light to a horrifying trade that scars the environment. I’m shaken by Ellis Park because of its presentation of trauma, but equally so for its depiction of empathy, consideration, and support.This is, oddly, my first time talking to Justin Kurzel. Having listened to and read countless interviews by him, I was aware that I would be engaging with someone who is a deeply empathetic soul, yet I was still left disarmed by his connection to his openness about his connection to his work, his family, and to the art of cinema.To support the film, Warren Ellis and Justin Kurzel will be running Q&A sessions around the nation. All of the details are in the show notes, but make sure to pick up tickets in advance when the film kicks off with a virtual Q&A with Warren Ellis at Perth’s Luna Leederville cinemas on 5 June, concluding with a Sydney Film Festival and Vivid Sydney exclusive event on 8 June at the State Theatre. Ellis Park then releases wide across Australia on 12 June 2025.The Ellis Park sanctuary is part of the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, a non-government, non-profit organisation that was established in 2004 to protect Indonesian wildlife, with a focusing on animal cruelty and rescuing animals from the noxious illegal animal trade network. To support the organisation, visit EllisPark.org.For the month of June 2025, every dollar from Patreon will be sent as a donation to Ellis Park sanctuary, so please consider joining and supporting the Curb and the sanctuary.Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your film loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us on the podcast player of your choice. Every review helps amplify the interviews and stories from storytellers to a wider audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Sydney Film Festival Interview: Tony Gardiner and Lachlan Marks on the bloody and bonkers short DIY

  There's a delirious level of dark comedy that thrives in the new short film DIY from director Tony Gardiner and writer Lachlan Marks. A woman, played with a disarming ease by Claire Lovering, is mourning the passing of her dog. As she drills into the wall to hang up a picture of her pup, she is surprised to find blood coming out of the hole. Heading to the other side of the wall, she finds the dead body - the first of the dilemmas she encounters. The next is Damon Herriman's organised crime cleaner. From here, DIY unfurls in a delirious level of bleak comedy that splashes the audience with acidity as we're invited to laugh along with the depths that Tony and Lachlan's characters fall into.I caught up with Tony and Lachlan ahead of DIYs screenings at both the St Kilda Film Festival on 8 June and the Sydney Film Festival on 14 June, where the film is a finalist in the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films. In the following interview, Tony and Lachlan talk about their collaborative approach to horror-comedy filmmaking, while Tony talks about shifting from working on industry testing grounds like Neighbours and Home & Away onto projects like DIY. The two also talk about the political nature of filmmaking and how reflective and responsive the creative process can be.DIY is an absolute treat of a short film - the kind that blitzes by in a moment, leaving you with a giddy sensation at its close after having left you gasping for breath with its ability to draw laughs out of dark situations. This is the kind of film that thrives with an audience, and no doubt those who are in attendance at either St Kilda or Sydney will love the film.To find out more about the film, follow both Tony and Lachlan on Instagram.Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @thecurbau. We are a completely independent and ad free website that lives on the support of listeners and readers just like you. Visit Patreon.com/thecurbau, where you can support our work from as little as $1 a month. If you are unable to financially support us, then please consider sharing this interview with your podcast loving friends.We'd also love it if you could rate and review us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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