AustLit

'A mother of three grown daughters learns that her cancer has returned, so she gathers everyone together for one last Christmas at the family home in Perth; a woman is suddenly widowed when her husband suffers a heart attack, leaving her with four children to support on a rural property in south-east Queensland; a young mother, living a comfortable existence in inner-city Melbourne, is doubly devastated when she learns of her husband's infidelity shortly after her nine-year old son is diagnosed with leukaemia. These plot synopses for, respectively, 'Little Sparrows' (Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen, 2010), 'The Tree' (Julie Bertuccelli, 2010) and 'Matching Jack' (Nadia Tass, 2010) suggest all three films are maternal melodramas. Each film is distinctive, however, in its approach to subject matter that might otherwise be dismissed as sentimental or mawkish. With diverse production and funding bases ranging from micro-budget independent ('Little Sparrows') and art-house co-production ('The Tree') to mainstream studio distribution ('Matching Jack'), this trio of new Australian films tackles the universal themes of death, grief and parenthood. In their search for audiences at home and abroad, these films combine the specificity of their locations with the cross-cultural appeal of their stories.'

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'Tass and Parker's latest film, Matching Jack, skilfully mines the human experience. Brian McFarlane talks to the pair about the film, as well as delving into the intricacies of some of the filmmakers' earlier work.'

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'Acclaimed screenwriter Stuart Beattie discusses adapting John Marsden's classic book, overseas success and the lack of Australian action films with Myke Bartlett.'

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'Despite some missed opportunities and a somewhat American premise, Sean Byrne's prom horror flick certainly doesn't disappoint in terms of entertainment, writes Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.'

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'Acclaimed illustrator Shaun Tan has collaborated on a new short film of his book The Lost Thing. Rjurik Davidson talks to him about his foray into film.'

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'Brian McFarlane celebrates some recent Australian features that take family dynamics as a central theme and are willing to explore the 'indocile' facts of life.'

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'Pre-Raphaelite imagery and a painterly style provide rich insights into character in this haunting film, writes Felicity Chaplin.'

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'Drawing on a range of representations, Allison Craven examines the significant role of landscape in deriving narrative places in Queensland and explores the state's most enduring mythic association.'

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'Reflecting on fieldwork experiences, Sue Beeton identifies the starring role of the high country in 'The Man From Snowy River' and considers the insights afforded by film-related tourism.'

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'The creative duo behind the hit series Wilfred discuss writing comedy, taking risks and the future of the bong-smoking dog with Dave Hoskin.'

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'Paul Goldman's 'uber-femme fatale' offers an alternative view of Australian masculinity, writes Samantha Lindop.'

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