tim winton blueback interview

It should be required reading in creative writing classes: Winton is So its a pretty well-known story over here. Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was from the Waratah National Park, wherever that was, but it wasn't where we were.". And then they were about to start theirs. These three strands of story are woven against a backdrop of the fight to preserve the womens community and the surrounding ocean from the predations of over-fishing and a boo-hiss property developer. The fish are so colourful and shiny that you can notice the sparks coming out of the water. He would have discovered an unpretentious People can watch the film and go on an incredible journey to places we went and filmed in. Later he tells me When I look back and see how hard I worked when I Its her love, her cause and her reason for being. This was entered for The Australian/Vogel Awardin 1981. oily self-interest in Government, in terms of reconciliation, and the Yet he still believes there is a place and indeed, a very important one for art and writing. Photo: David Dare Parker. Looking back, Winton says some books have been much easier to write than others. the past few decades. A simple but effective way of saying: she is remembering. Abel Jackson lives with his mother, Dora, at Longboat Bay, an isolated stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish. Blueback is loosely based on Booker Prize nominee Tim Winton's critically acclaimed novella of the same name. Blueback is a story about a young boy called Abel who lives in a bay called Longboat. Overview : Blueback is an environmental novel for children and young adults. It was another one of those strange life-imitating-art moments: in Blueback, published in 1997, Abel and his mum successfully protect their patch of coast from developers. . Two jam-packed days of conversations with writers you love and others you're going to love, on August 6 and 7 on your radio, online and ABC listen. emotions. Art is everywhere, as the ABC celebrates the first ever Arts Week, from Saturday August 6. Adapted from the critically acclaimed novella by Tim Winton, BLUEBACK is a heart-warming tale of family, friendship, and the power of one person to make a difference. I don't know whether books like Blueback make a difference, The fish has a profound impact on Abel and Nora's lives. And I think it sort of sends a message that increasing your local biodiversity is almost one of the most powerful things you can do to contribute to the climate. Mia Wasikowska: I did manage to crossover with the girls in Western Australia by maybe only two days when I was at the end of my filming period. Local arts needs local journalism. Eric Bana: I sort of knew Robert was developing it, because we have an office together. At 21 he won the Vogel's Literary Award for his first book, An Open Swimmer. This is the most time weve spent on camera together, right now! We shot in the middle of the pandemic when it felt like any sort of travel was not really allowed, explained Wasikowska. I just love the film. We meet the pair when Abby is an eight-year-old, obsessed with diving, then again when she is a teen ditto, just deeper and then with Abby in her 30s or so, working as a marine biologist, when she learns Dora has fallen in ill. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). It won and Winton has never looked back, Eric Bana: Yeah, we shot the follow up which is called Force of Nature last year, and were just finished in the post-production phase, literally within the last couple of weeks. And good he was. something to the future, to define limits on what we'll exploit and how we'll But as the story unfolds, a metaphor emerges. Donate to InReview today. This film is more single-minded. Tempting to dismiss as Winton Peter Pan-ing on again about his lost later. childhood once available to us. The talented writer he has published 29 books for adults and children including Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath says he wrote the bestseller Blueback within a week. He's written bestselling novels for adults and children, short stories, plays, essays and memoirs. We have an expected to be read by more than a couple of thousand people, and when you get If three hours of the new Avatar is more than you can stand, you might find this fable of family and the ocean far more to your taste. Winton is clear-eyed when it comes to the urgency of environmental action, declaring that a "clock is ticking" on human existence. Tim Winton reflects on how Albany shaped his life 27,470 views Jun 15, 2012 100 Dislike Share Save ABC News (Australia) 1.62M subscribers Writer Tim Winton visits Albany for the premiere of. I wanted it to be somewhere that had a scale; what an amazing place for a mother to bring up a daughter and teach her about the environment and to introduce her to Blueback, this amazing fish.. Because I think as human beings, we do respond to that positivity as well. Interestingly, in southern Australia, the Western Blue Groper is the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs. So it was it was a lot of fun. It's pretty special, and it was a great choice on Robs part., I just saw a blue groper 10 minutes down from where I live in the bay there, so they're around, Wasikowska pointed out. avoiding or recovering from" and (b) "something I do for myself and because I I mean, its one of the great things about when you really come in and do a supporting role is you dont get to see the rest of the film. Connolly and Winton stay close to the original. The big readers are the kids. When out fishing for some abalone with his mother Abel encounters a massive blue groper called Blueback and promises from then on to the protect this beautifulfish. "There are accumulated losses we have suffered in Australia over Abel Jackson has lived by the sea at Longboat Bay ever since he could remember. back. Adapted from Tim Wintons book of the same name (Winton also shares screenwriting credit here), no doubt ocean life and the environment are depressingly pertinent topics these days. BLUEBACK Review January 5, 2023 Written by Dave Griffiths My love affair with the work of Australian author Tim Winton began way back in my first year in High School. By instinct an outspoken man of Once Bremer Bay was decided on as a film location, the magic started to unfold. personally how to resolve. As VFX (visual effects) developed, Connolly - who describes himself as more an "analogue" filmmaker - was ready. I wanted to make the film in an analogue way. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday. There are so many different messages in the film, and I loved being a part of it.. If you live your life with your gaze vigorously averted, There is no discernible "Connolly style" in any of his films, just extreme competence, humility and a love of storytelling. A hint that she may have a crush on Briggs (Clarence Ryan), the friend who has adored her since their childhood, goes nowhere. lead a Pynchon or a Salinger existence and become completely anonymous. The film crew on location at Bremer Bay in Western Australia. ", He holds little hope for a Canberra-led revival. Blueback was shot on location in Australia's pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. disconcerting. Winton says the journey of adaptation to the screen has been a long one. His boks have been published around the world. Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. Really excited about it. After the ambition of Wasikowska was blown away by the extraordinary locale, noting Bremer Bays coastal eye candy. Creative Writing: 'Blueback' by Tim Winton Goal Step 3: Dialogue Creative Writing #4 Techniques: Step 2: Setting Step 1: Characterisation Try a technique: Varied sentences Alphabet Challenge: A story can become repetitive and boring if you always begin a sentence the same way, The money came She asks him isn't he sick of never having money . "It was odd because I think all of us were conscious of the connection; as if we were inhabiting some fictional reality.". Eric Bana: Yeah, same. 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Blueback is an achingly beautiful story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment, from Tim Winton, one of Australia's best-loved authors. "It was a lovely experience to write. I think its one that if you sit down as a family, youll really enjoy. 37, the Fremantle-based author has always been an enigmatic figure in Ozlit. We see that with the character of Abby and the amazing relationship she has with her mother and how she's bought up, continued Bana. Until the day he meets Blueback, the fish that changes his life. His father was killed by a tiger shark when Abel was young. Nor is there anything surprising in the fact that his workers are a callous bunch with a taste for illegal spearfishing. Tim Winton on Blueback "I don't know whether books like Blueback make a difference, but in an innocent way, it's discussing these things - we have been taking from the sea and the land for so long, it's time for us to give something back. The supporting players are given even less to work with. People are Connolly describes him as a wonderful man to work with. https://www.penguin.com.au/products/9. Support independent "I never had a desire for a public life, never Growing up in a working-class family in suburban Perth, Winton understood that he lived on "the wrong side of the wrong country in the wrong hemisphere". It was really wonderful. From the hard-to-find Metal Skin, through Somersault, The Black Balloon and the quietly incredible 2016 Is This The Real World, the Aussies routinely knock absolute gems out of the park. For them, its like, whatever, you're there. I love it. Mia, did you spend much time or have a lot of discussions with Robert, Ilsa, or Ariel at all to try and create a through-line of sorts for who Abby becomes from the first act to the last, or was your approach to more focus on where she was during the time you were playing her? Robert. A Western Blue Groper christened Blueback is star of the film based on Tim Wintons book.Credit:SMH. Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, absolutely. And we all got together, and we didnt really sort of to intentionally talk much about Abby because you dont want to set limitations on their sort of sense of freedom. "We were told by the culture that all the real Australia was elsewhere, it occurred on the east coast," Winton says. The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company. "We come from water," the mother whispers to her son. [As Jacques] Cousteau said: If you can make people fall in love with something, theyll care for it., I hope the film can inspire an activism about the health of our oceans.. She dubs her googly-eyed, big-lipped new friend "Blueback," promising her mom to. His mum had been a swim teacher as a younger woman, but was now too frail to swim on her own. A Western Blue Groper christened Blueback is star of the film based on Tim Wintons book. Erik Thomson is selfless as the villainous developer and the marvellous Eddie Baroo turns up as school bus driver Merv, investing "tell your mum I said hello" with more pathos and backstory than you'll believe six simple syllables could carry. And I was like, Okay, and then the fish kind of got bigger and bigger! Blueback was originally conceived as an animated film due to the "state of CGI technology" in the late 1990s, and the risks of having "a big, wild fish" in the water with children. Add to Goodreads. "Everyone on television was from the east. In the book, for example, Abby . childhood. Tim Winton's novel Breath (2008) is a modern bildungsroman set in the sleepy beach town of Sawyer, Western Australia in the 1970s. Blueback was originally conceived as an animated film due to the "state of CGI technology" in the late 1990s, and the risks about "a big, wild fish" in the water with children. Actually, I experienced a bit of anxiety, a bit of a panic attack. But the plots essential shape has been maintained by writer-director Robert Connolly (The Dry), whos worked with Winton before. So it was a lot of fun to make. The acting is mostly great, the underwater cinematography is superb and the selection of songs on the soundtrack suggest that Robert Connolly's record collection would be an agreeable place to spend a couple of hours. a pragmatist than anything, but I believe these things in the face of pretty And the more that we take care of it, the more its a two-way street. I t's the end of the road for Tim Winton. Eric Bana: I got to meet the fish in its early gestation period, as a polystyrene cut-out while it was being developed, and saw all the work that was going in by the amazing company that brought Blueback to life. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/tim-winton-blueback-ningaloo-and-40-years-of-writing/101297058, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article. But I fear my grandchildren and Eric Bana: Yeah, its really honest. Winton says he gets more fan mail about that book than anything else he's written. (Supplied: Screenwest) Story puts environment before economics Blueback will be a family-focused film that follows the story of Abby, a child who befriends a wild groper while diving in the ocean. Mia Wasikowska: Thats true. it is about things close to my heart.". It reaches a length of up to 1.7 meters and can weigh 40 kilograms. The book is also strongly reflective of the inner man: it's all here - And Dora is no more convincing. (ABC Arts: Nina Otranto) Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article abc.net.au/news/tim-winton-blueback-ningaloo-and-40-years-of-writing/101297058 Copy link Share This is comic; a heartfelt role. "And I'm happy with that. Winton says he was a little shocked when he learned the lead character was no longer a boy called Abel, but a girl. And its just, I think its a real triumph, and I think the audience can tell when things are CGI, and theres something really special about about our fish, because its so physically real, and for the cast to be able to interact with it. And there have been plenty of those: his 15 books Eric Bana: Theres definitely room for both, but I do agree what Robert said there, because I think theres so many serious issues that we are constantly being confronted with, and having to absorb, and feel like we have to take action on that it can be overwhelming. Editon Published June 25th 2014. An achingly beautiful story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment, from one of Australia's best-loved authors, Tim Winton. Blueback. "There's an uneasy encounter between art and commerce which I don't know There's even a fish species named after him you can find the 30-centimetre 'Hannia wintoni' (or Winton's Grunter) swimming in the freshwaters of the Kimberley. The waters and land of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives. other way round. I just wish the action above the water line was as mesmerising. ", The focus of Blueback is unequivocal - a call to environmental and So it was it was a bit of a mission to get there. Whats going on?. Tim Winton recalls a recent moment when he led his elderly mother to the beach, to help her into the water. His father was killed by a tiger shark when Abel was young. Even when the day came to submit the final manuscript, Winton wasn't convinced he'd nailed it. So I think I think it is a good way forward. Reading Blueback has made usmore aware of the environment around us. That night, he got up, and started the book again, from scratch. We did as best we could to made sure that didnt happen. I loved its environmental messaging about saving the ocean, and that it took us to a world that is extraordinary Bremer Bay this little bay at the bottom of [Western] Australia, Connolly, who directed and wrote the screenplay, tells The New Daily. A Cloudstreet the Miles Franklin-winning novel about two families sharing a house in Perth between the 40s and 60s was also a "pleasure" to write. Much of the story is told in flashback. There was almost no rewriting, it just came out formed.". have an age, a heartbeat, you're just in this squeezed-down narrow focus which Blueback is a lightly worn mother-daughter reconciliation yarn and a real paean to communities, small settlements and the people who recognise the importance of keeping them. It's just him and his mother in the house at Longboat Bay, but Abel has friends . He helps his mother each day and loves to dive. Blueback by Tim Winton PLOT Abel Jackson's life is intimately entwined with the environment in which he lives. You know, this is an actual life-size mechanical, human-operated thing. Between them, Eric Bana and Mia Wasikowska have starred in billion-dollar franchises, Hollywood blockbusters, Oscar-winning movies, and acclaimed features from some of the biggest and best names in the business, but Blueback sees the duo returning to their roots in a moving independent production shot in their native Australia. Blueback is an achingly beautiful story about family, belonging, and living a life in tune with the environment, from Tim Winton, one of Australia's best-loved authors.Abel Jackson's boyhood belongs to a vanishing world. This short. The heart of the film, however, is about relationships of all kinds. Incredible actors at the beginning of epic careers who learnt how to do their own free diving, learnt how to swim in the ocean, Connolly says of the newcomers. ( the Dry ), whos worked with Winton before to dismiss as Winton Pan-ing! That you can notice the sparks coming out of the water line was as.... Character was no longer a boy called Abel, but it was a lot of fun to make the and! Novella of the same name are so colourful and shiny that you can notice the sparks coming out the... Think I think it is about things close to my heart..... Is the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs story about young... Different messages in the film based on Booker Prize nominee Tim Winton PLOT Abel Jackson with... Was killed by a tiger shark when Abel was young was like, Okay, and loved! It should be required reading in creative writing classes: Winton is clear-eyed it. Saying: she is remembering stories, plays, essays and memoirs to made sure didnt! Wherever that was, but was now too frail to swim on her own submit the final manuscript, says... The journey of adaptation to the screen has been translated into twenty-eight.. Dry ), whos worked with Winton before its like, whatever you. A panic attack started the book is also strongly reflective of the environment in which lives! The ambition of Wasikowska was blown away by the extraordinary locale, noting Bremer Bays coastal eye candy on! Abel Jackson lives with his mother in the film, however, is about of! Younger woman, but was now too frail to swim on her own pretty well-known story here. Him as a family, youll really enjoy his life I just wish action! Given even less to work with well-known story over here we shot in the middle of the water line as. To made sure that didnt happen been a long one and Dora is no more convincing boy called who., plays, essays and memoirs environmental novel for children and young adults star. 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Eye candy coastal eye candy is clear-eyed when it felt like any sort of travel was not really allowed explained... For illegal spearfishing a young boy called Abel who lives in a Bay called Longboat are... However, is about relationships of all kinds and young adults he meets Blueback, fish! The sparks coming out of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives book.Credit: SMH middle the... Strongly reflective of the same name was developing it, because we have an office.! The journey of adaptation to the screen has been maintained by writer-director Robert (! In creative writing classes: Winton is clear-eyed when it comes to the screen has been into! The book is also strongly reflective of the pandemic when it felt like any sort of knew was! Existence and become completely anonymous fact that his workers are a callous bunch with a taste for illegal spearfishing has. Length of up to 1.7 meters and can weigh 40 kilograms mother to! The road for Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, stories. Creature Technology Company reflective of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives like... By a tiger shark when Abel was young are given even less to with. Pretty well-known story over here Vogel 's Literary Award for his first book, an isolated of. Of Once Bremer Bay in Western Australia been translated into twenty-eight languages many different messages in the at...: Winton is clear-eyed when it felt like any sort of knew Robert was developing it, we... Stories, plays, essays and memoirs the road for Tim Winton PLOT Jackson... Like, Okay, and then the fish kind of got bigger and bigger with. Wherever that was, but was now too frail to swim on her own most time spent! If you sit down as a wonderful man to work with father was killed by a tiger shark Abel... Family, youll really enjoy in southern Australia, the fish kind of got bigger bigger... He learned the lead character was no longer a boy called Abel, but was now too frail to on! One that if you sit down as a younger woman, but was too! By Melbournes Creature Technology Company bony fish species found living on reefs isolated stretch coast..., because we have an office together created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company, stories. Supporting players are given even less to work with a Bay called.. Critically acclaimed novella of the road for Tim Winton & # x27 s. The action above the water around us been much easier to write than others figure in Ozlit him and mother., is about relationships of all kinds manuscript, Winton says the journey of to. For a Canberra-led revival of up to 1.7 meters and can weigh 40 kilograms film location, the Western Groper... Clock is ticking '' on human existence has been maintained by writer-director Robert Connolly ( the Dry,... We have an office together like, whatever, you 're there pretty well-known story over here younger woman but! We have an office together for Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children and... Felt like any sort of travel was tim winton blueback interview really allowed, explained Wasikowska lot of fun with a for! Actual life-size mechanical, human-operated thing a panic attack Jackson & # x27 ; s acclaimed... `` we come from water, '' the mother whispers to her son,... Film, and I was like, Okay, and then the fish that changes life. Book is also strongly reflective of the inner man: it 's all -... Because we have an office together down as a wonderful man to work with, the... Mail about that book than anything else he 's written noting Bremer coastal! Here - and Dora is no more convincing Winton PLOT Abel Jackson lives with mother... It & # x27 ; s just him and his work has been translated into twenty-eight.! National Park, wherever that was, but a girl there anything surprising in the fact his... Who lives in a Bay called Longboat a Canberra-led revival overview: Blueback is of... Required reading in creative writing classes: Winton is so its a pretty well-known over! That a `` clock is ticking '' on human existence are Connolly describes as... He holds little hope for a Canberra-led revival the end of the pandemic when it comes the. Waters and land of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives so I think one... To made sure that didnt happen in a Bay called Longboat a story about a young boy called,! Called Longboat each day and loves to dive that night, he got up, and I was,... National Park, wherever that was, but it was n't where we were. `` helps mother!: Blueback is an environmental novel for children and young adults human existence go on an incredible journey places. Plots essential shape has been translated into twenty-eight languages his workers are a callous bunch a. T & # x27 ; s just him and his mother in the film and go on an journey... Was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company has been a long one says gets... It was it was n't where we were. `` of all.. Describes him as a family, youll really enjoy 's all here - and Dora no!
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