The life of one of Kiama’s most well-known residents, Charmian Clift, is coming to television screens. 

“Charmian Clift: Life Burns High” is a new documentary created by producer and director Rachel Lane, co-producer Sue Milliken and story consultant Nadia Wheatley about the life of the prolific writer and essayist.

Born in Kiama in 1923, Charmian grew up in a quarry workers’ cottage at the southern end of Bombo Beach and based many of her writings on her experiences growing up in our community, including her first solo novel ‘Walk in Paradise Gardens’. 

Charmian is perhaps best known for more than 500 essays and columns published in the Sydney Morning Herald, which can be considered some of the earliest published works on feminism in Australia. Her work continues to inspire new generations of writers fifty years after her death, which is what captivated the filmmakers to document her life.

“In every generation there are certain writers who function as national weathervanes, recording change in the social and political climate. Charmian Clift was one of those,” said Nadia Wheatley, the film’s story consultant, who also wrote the biography The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift.

The film’s production was funded by Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF), which has a unique position that allows all donations to be 100 per cent tax deductible in the year it’s made.

However, the film is still in the final stages of post-production, and the filmmakers are still seeking a minimum of $165,000 to complete the film, including $125,000 to pay licensing fees for archived material used in the film.

The film has already been picked up for distribution by Jonathan Page of Bonsai Films and will be broadcast on FOXTEL in March 2024, as well as at various national and international film festivals.

It’s auspicious timing for the film’s creators, as a co-production between Canada and Norway is creating a TV series about Leonard Cohen and Marianne’s love affair in Greece for 2024, which includes a depiction of Charmian Clift by Australian actress Anna Torv.

You can donate to help the film’s completion here.