http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 195• 25'LUHFWHG E\ 6WHYHQ .DVWULVVLRV!KNNCK@MCR LV D FRSURGXFWLRQ
EHWZHHQ $XVWUDOLD DQG WKH 5HSXEOLF RI $OEDQLD D VPDOO (XURSHDQ
FRXQWU\ QHVWOHG RQ WKH VRXWKZHVW RI WKH %DONDQ 3HQLQVXOD <HW
WKH IRONORUH FXOWXUH DQG KLVWRU\ WKDW OLH DW WKH FRUH RI WKLV ĺOP DUH
WKRXVDQGV RI PLOHV DZD\ t OLWHUDOO\ DQG ĺJXUDWLYHO\ t IURP3GD
'NQRDL@M(2008), the director’s distinctly Australian debut. While
3GD 'NQRDL@M’s title is riddled with the apocalyptic overtones
RI WKH %RRN RI 5HYHODWLRQ LWV IRONORULF DVVRFLDWLRQV ZLWK o%DQMRp
3DWHUVRQpV LFRQLF SRHP o7KH 0DQ IURP6QRZ\5LYHUpXQGHU
score its essential ‘Australianness’.
3GD 'NQRDL@Mtells the story of Christian (Peter Marshall),
ZKRVH WHHQDJH GDXJKWHU -HVVH +DQQDK /HYLHQ KDV GLHG RI D
heroin overdose. When an anonymously sent adult movie called
8NTMF "HSX 2KTSR 2 , which includes footage of a visibly drugged
-HVVH KDYLQJ VH[ ZLWK WKUHH PHQ DUULYHV E\ SRVW &KULVWLDQ LV
sparked into a vigilante mission for revenge. He locates those in
volved in the production and kills them one by one, along the way
gathering information about other guilty parties. On his journey,
he meets teen hitchhiker Alice (Caroline Marohasy) and, through
their relationship, Christian begins to face his grief and guilt over
-HVVHpV GHDWK %XW DV WKH ĺOPpV EUXWDO FRQFOXVLRQ UHYHDOV WKLV
is too little too late, and both he and Alice are forced to face the
consequences of his decision to take the law into his own hands.
/LNH3GD 'NQRDL@M,!KNNCK@MCRevinces an intrinsic fascina
WLRQ ZLWK IDPLO\ WLHV OR\DOW\ GLVUXSWLRQ DQG YHQJHDQFH KRZHYHU
it not only shifts the narrative’s cultural context, but also takes
LWV JHQHULF IRFXV WR XQDPELJXRXVO\ VXSHUQDWXUDO WHUUDLQ 6R KRZ
did an Australian who had never been to Albania before and who
GRHV QRW VSHDN WKH ODQJXDJH HQG XS PDNLQJWKHĺUVW$OEDQLDQ
KRUURU ĺOP^1 and what are the results?
Entering the terrain
6HW LQ D PRXQWDLQRXV $OEDQLDQ YLOODJH ZKHUH HQFURDFKLQJ PR
dernity takes the form of ubiquitous construction,!KNNCK@MCR
IROORZV VWUXJJOLQJ ORFDO EXWFKHU 6NHQGHU ZHOONQRZQ $OEDQLDQ
DFWRU È]LP 5XGL KLV ZLIH 6KSUHVD 6XHOD %DNR ZKR ZRQ %HVW
$FWUHVV LQ WKH oUDYH\DUG 6KLIWp VLGHEDU RI WKH 1DVKYLOOH
)LOP )HVWLYDO IRU KHU SHUIRUPDQFH DQG WKHLU WZR DGXOW FKLOGUHQ
$UWDQ (PLOMDQR 3DODOL DQG ,OLULDQD $OHVLD ;KHPDODM )DFLQJ LP
SHQGLQJ EDQNUXSWF\ DQG ZLWK $UWDQ XUJLQJ KLP WR VORZ GRZQ IRU
WKH VDNH RI KLV KHDOWK 6NHQGHU FOLQJV WR WKH YHQHHU RI SDWHUQDO
authority despite the reality that surrounds the family so visibly
XQGHUPLQLQJ LW +H UHMHFWV 6KSUHVDpV RIIHU WR UHWXUQ WR ZRUN
WR KHOS VXSSRUW WKH IDPLO\ DQG KXVEDQG DQG ZLIH EHFRPH ĺ[
DWHG RQ WKH VXSSRVHG GDPDJH WR WKHLU UHSXWDWLRQ ZLWKLQ WKH H[
tended family that their impending, seemingly inevitable down
IDOO ZRXOG EULQJ
But change is coming whether the family can control it or not.
On the back of Iliriana’s declaration that she intends to move to
Italy with a friend (a mission supported by her mother, without
KHU IDWKHUpV NQRZOHGJH 6NHQGHU DQG KLV NLQ IDFH D PRUH LPPHGL
DWH DQG SHFXOLDU WKUHDW LQ WKH IRUP RI WKH ZLWFKOLNH ĺJXUH NQRZQ
as theRGSQHF@ SOD\HG E\ ,OLUH 9LQFD &HODM 6NHQGHUpV XQWKLQNLQJ
hostilities towards a couple of feral youngsters scavenging for pet
IRRG RXWVLGH KLV VKRS LQDGYHUWHQWO\ UHNLQGOH ORQJKHOG WHQVLRQV
EHWZHHQ 6KSUHVDpV IDPLO\ DQG WKHRGSQHF@, who acts as surrogate
mother to these seemingly homeless young people and some
Opposite:"ELEAGUERED COUPLE 3HPRESA
3UELA "AKO AND 3KENDER 'ęZIM 2UDI
Above, bottom:"AKO%DVIN-USTAFA SPOTLIGHT ON
GENRE FILM