“There was this two hour period from 11:30pm at night, when they went missing, until the time of their death at 1:30 pm. It was like this hole opened up in the universe and swallowed them and then spat them out,” said The Speedway Murders co-director Luke Ryndermann.On the night of 17 November 1978 four young employees at the Burger Chef fast food restaurant in Speedway, Indiana went missing. Their deceased bodies were found two days later 32-km away from the restaurant. More than 40 years have passed and the case still hasn’t been solved. But Melbourne writers and directors Luke Ryndermann and Adam Kamien’s new film The Speedway Murders may just represent a huge step forward.“We found it (the case) on Unsolved Mysteries - the old TV show - and I’m a true crime tragic and obsessive. Adam’s background is in journalism and I ended up sending him an email asking if he thought it was something worth pursuing. He then used his skills and ended up in a Facebook group that had relatives of the victims and police officers and potential suspects,” says Ryndermann.“We eventually saved up $10 000, got ourselves a Director of Photography and went over there.”Being Australian gave the duo an advantage as they were investigators with zero ties to the existing case and became a light of hope for the families still begging for closure on the deaths of these young kids.“There was very little movement on the case,” says Kamien. “The strategy of the police was just to hold a press conference every year on the anniversary and hope that some more information would come in that would change the case. So I think the families were really pleased.”The film is structured in a way where you relive the night multiple times from the perspective of each different theory. Kamien and Ryndermann realised that a big issue with the case was that there were different groups of people with alternate theories of what happened, but someone had never collected all of these theories to possibly construct a bigger picture of the case. “We looked at it and thought, if we collated all the information, we could cross reference things then perhaps we could shed some new light,” says Kamien.As you journey through the film you are exposed to the different theories, one after the other, and each time you are convinced that this particular theory will be the one. But then there is always something that doesn’t add up.The film uses interview footage and it also, interestingly, employs actors to play the victims and basically help tell the stories of their own deaths. It is an ingenious device that also allows the victims’ personalities to shine through the screen so that by the end you feel like you know who these people were.“We decided early on that we didn’t want the victims to become footnotes in their own story and just mention potential perpetrators. So, the way we did that was to recreate the restaurant and have them inside there forensically trying to figure out their own murder. And that also allowed us to recreate the period and the actual building,” says Ryndermann.The duo found an old Chinese restaurant in Adelaide scheduled to be demolished and used it to reconstruct the Burger Chef restaurant. They based it on real blueprints for a Burger Chef restaurant, they found the real uniforms which would have been worn and found every American car from the 70’s in the area. Everything was as close to real as could be possible.The way the directors combine the documentary format with the scripted scenes give the film an emotionality that other documentaries just can’t have. It also creates a haunting atmosphere that permeates through the screen. Despite the case still not essentially being closed, the ending of the film allows for a sense of catharsis while simultaneously making a huge statement about the future of the case.“These kids should have gone to work and gone home and instead this terrible thing happened to them and it makes you think about your own mortality because anything can happen to anyone,” says Kamien.The Speedway Murders will be available to stream later this year.

The voices of 1000 rural women are being sought for a groundbreaking new documentary on Australia’s rural, regional and remote women.Rural Daughters, the feature-length documentary by award-winning CheekyMac Productions, will follow the personal journeys of some of Australia’s most inspiring rural women in their efforts to overcome barriers, effect change and live a successful, purpose-driven life in the regions.In addition to their stories, a nationwide 1000 Rural Women Survey has been developed to capture the experiences of rural women on a broad range of topics from natural disasters, health and domestic violence to societal attitudes, racial prejudice, Tall Poppy Syndrome, community life, leadership and female role models.Women of the Kiama region are welcome to participate. The documentary and survey is the brainchild of producer, director and writer Danielle McAlpine Johnson, herself a rural woman from Gippsland, Victoria. Mrs McAlpine Johnson aims to garner more than 1000 survey responses to provide a statistical snapshot of rural women.“Surveying 1000 rural women is a bold target, but we hope women take this opportunity to tell us about their lives and be a part of a collective voice in the Rural Daughters story,” she said.“These women are the backbone of rural Australia and we are putting our heart and soul into telling their stories – how they overcome adversity, find purpose, break limitations and lead in their communities in the most unique and innovative ways.”The survey has been developed by Federation University’s Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre, together with CheekyMac Productions – both organisations led by rural women. Commissioned by the Community Enterprise Foundation, the survey is expected to be the largest and broadest of its kind.“Our involvement in this documentary is an opportunity to showcase that a regionally-based university can make a difference with regional communities and, in particular, advocate for rural women on issues that matter,” CERC Professor Joanne Porter said.The documentary and survey results are expected to be used to inform policy and develop educational resources in Australian schools.The survey is available online between August and September and can be found at cheekymac.com/rural-daughtersTo request hardcopies, contact [email protected]

On Thursday, August 8, the Kiama Pavilion buzzed with an air of nostalgia as fans of classic rock and roll gathered for a night with Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows. The crowd, a seasoned assembly of music enthusiasts, reflected the enduring appeal of a band that has been shaping the Australian music scene since 1984. Describing themselves as “a loose band of like-minded musicians,” The Black Sorrows continue to captivate audiences with their unique blend of soul, blues, and rock.Frontman Joe Camilleri’s career is nothing short of legendary, spanning over 50 years. As a singer, songwriter, saxophonist, and producer, Joe is widely regarded as one of the most genuinely talented figures in Australian music. Even in his mid-seventies, he remains at the top of his game, delivering performances with energy and passion.Fresh off a European tour and now back on Australian soil, Joe mentioned that The Black Sorrows are now on tour in Australia. They still average around 150 shows a year in fact - a testament to their relentless drive and love for live music. Since 2014, Europe has become a regular stop on their touring schedule, further expanding their fan base.The current line up of The Black Sorrows is formidable, featuring Claude Carranza on guitar and vocals, Mark Gray on bass and vocals, James Black on keyboards and vocals, and Tony Floyd on drums. Together, they delivered a mix of classic hits like “Harley and Rose” and “Shape I’m In,” alongside new tracks from their upcoming album The Way We Do Business, set for release on October 18. This will mark Joe’s 55th career album—a milestone that underscores his prolific contributions to music. The band has already dropped a single from the album, “One Door Slams.”Joe shares some insight into the new single: “One Door Slams started off as some ramblings about a Mercury and a Coupe De Ville. It ended up as a tragic love story about a girl who gave away her love too cheaply but just couldn’t handle the curb…‘one more night alone she’s gonna lose her mind. Finally, she realises the world is full of opportunities, and all you gotta do is step inside,’” he explained.One of the night’s highlights, beyond the electrifying live music, was witnessing a spirited older gentleman who danced with abandon throughout the entire performance. His energy was infectious, and it was a reminder of the powerful connection between music and the human spirit. Seeing a crowd so deeply immersed in the music was a joy, Joe’s enduring talent and vitality are truly remarkable.As The Black Sorrows approach their 40th anniversary, Joe Camilleri is also set to celebrate over 50 years in the music. Joe’s music has been covered by the likes of Elvis Costello and John Denver, a testament to his influence and the timelessness of his work.

A lagoon-like beach surrounded by vigorous greenery, blue waves rolling toward the shore, a tribe of people preparing for a surf at their own private paradise, nature and humans working in harmony as though we lived in some sort of utopia. These are some of the images and stories that South Coast artist Stan Squire conveys through his incredibly detailed artworks - and yet he doesn’t say a single word.Even when The Bugle contacted the SEVENMARKS art gallery, who are presenting Squire’s work, about a possible interview with Squire, gallery director Cobi Cockburn replied, “Stan is quite a reclusive artist and not really the one to talk about his own works. I have spoken with him and he is willing for me to discuss the works on his behalf.”Maybe it is not so surprising to learn that Squire is a solitary individual when you look at his work. Most of the pieces are filled with this sense of observation. That Squire is watching moments, but isn’t quite present in them - as though he is removed from the work completely.“I look at them and you do see people interacting, but for me they lack a perspective or a judgement. I don’t see Stan putting himself in there, it's more of a reflection of things. And Stan is an incredible observer, I think anyone who goes to that level of detail within their work has got to have a very attuned eye,” says Cobi.Squire’s work is nostalgic and almost unreal in some ways. The way he pauses moments, you almost think he wishes he could pause reality in the same way. You definitely get the sense that he perhaps wishes he could turn back the clock to a more simpler way of life.“I think he longs to live in a time that was slightly quieter and less hectic and definitely less people out in the surf, I think he'd like that. Like any intriguing mind, I think he'd like to have a view back to that place and be able to go back to that place. Whether or not he generally wants to be there or not, I’m not sure. There is always that intrigue of what was this like before we came and were so invasive? What are these raw elements about and how do we navigate that?” says Cobi.Squire was a finalist for the landscape prize at the Wollongong Regional Gallery in 1995. He’s held exhibitions all around Australia and won the Basil Sellers art prize in Moruya in 2010. Most recently, in 2019, he was a finalist for the Megalo international print prize in Canberra. He’s been doing it for a long time and Cobi believes Squire is the type of artist who doesn’t do it for any other reason than that he has to. That was why she felt he would be good for the SEVENMARKS gallery.“The main objective of the gallery is to continue to show artists who we believe are really important and should be seen. Stan is someone who I’ve always admired for his ability to continually work on a body of work and reflect and stay true to who he is and not get caught up in the commercial art scene. He’s done it for the right reasons I believe. I find it intriguing and I find that there’s a depth there,” says Cobi.Squire’s work will be showing at the stunning SEVENMARKS gallery from August 3 to September 1. Tickets and more information are on the website.

The Shoalhaven First Nations Film Festival (SFNFF) will be held at Huskisson Pictures on 20-22 September and it will be the first ever First Nations film festival held on the NSW South Coast.The programme for the three days includes four feature films, seven documentary films and thirteen short films and will feature live performances from First Nations artists.The goals of the festival is to collaborate with local First Nations communities and to showcase the work of Indigenous filmmakers from around Australia, telling their ownstories, to Shoalhaven’s First Nations communities.It also aims to broaden understanding amongst a non-indigenous audience of First Nations culture and will use any net proceeds from the festival to support local Indigenous students to become storytellers through film.The films on the programme range from new to old and are directed by First Nations artists from the south coast and also from all over Australia.The oldest film is from 1933 and is called Joe Anderson and features Anderson, a proud Dharawal man, speaking to the camera demanding respect, representation and justice for First Nations people.There is also a film called Oola-boola-woo which is based on a dreaming story related to the five islands clustered off the coast of Port Kembla written by the children of Coomaditchie.The full programme and ticketing information is available here.

The annual Kiama International Sea Side Arts Festival (KISS) has lost 40 percent of its funding due to Kiama being named a major city in 2024. KISS Arts Festival is an annual free family friendly festival that celebrates circus, comedy and art and has been held in Kiama for 12 consecutive years.The festival previously relied on almost half of their budget from Regional Arts funding, but since Kiama is no longer considered ‘regional’ they are going to have to figure out other ways to continue.In a video released via the KISS Facebook page, event organisers Tamara Campbell and Dave Evans revealed, “We need to raise an extra $20,000 for the festival and this has happened because Kiama, with its one traffic light, has been declared a major city which means we’ve lost access to all of our regional funding.”The labelling of Kiama as a ‘major city’ is very strange as Kiama doesn’t feature the regular elements of a major city such as Wollongong. Campbell says this strange decision could negatively affect the arts culture in Kiama as a whole.“In terms of regional funding eligibility from Festivals Australia, the reason that we were previously classified as regional is because we are a country town, we don't have the population that major cities do, we have minimal public transport links, minimal infrastructure and facilities and as such, it was deemed important to support artistic activities in country Australia. None of those things have changed,” says Campbell.However, MP for Kiama Gareth Ward isn’t convinced that the labelling of Kiama as a ‘major city’ is the main problem. He says that it is all the Labor party’s doing.“Whilst the Federal Government have recategorized Kiama as a major city for GST purposes, which is rather odd, this has nothing to do with the NSW Labor Government’s savage cuts to regional arts programs,” says Ward.Ward cites his previous ability to be able to secure regional arts grants from the coalition government as a prime indicator of the Labor government’s priorities.“As the local MP, I was able to secure several grants for the KISS Arts Festival and many other local Kiama arts and cultural festivals from the former Coalition Government. However, the current NSW Labor Government sees NSW as simply Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong; regional NSW just isn’t on Labor’s radar,” says Ward.It remains that Evans and Campbell need funding and they have tried to find other pathways by applying for grants and funding applications themselves and have been unsuccessful due to a big increase in applicants as well as their own lack of experience with the process.“Funding applications are getting more and more competitive. COVID-19, bushfires, floods and now, major festivals folding has all had a devastating effect on the arts industry. As a result, more and more companies are looking to acquire funding to stay afloat. Numbers of applicants have increased considerably at the same time as less funding is available,” says Campbell.“Funding is achieved by creating a rapport with these organisations which is not done overnight. They need to become familiar with your work and we need to learn to tailor our offering to exactly what the funding round is for,” says Campbell.Campbell and Evans have now been forced to turn to the Kiama community for their help in getting the $20,000 of funds needed for the festival. “It wasn't a decision that we took lightly as we want KISS to always be a free festival. However, to take such massive steps backwards after making such solid steps forward for the last 12 years didn't seem like the right thing to do either. We are asking those in the community who have attended the festival in the past to pay it forward for those members of our community who can't necessarily afford to do it themselves. This is a one-off scenario and we are already looking into new funding and sponsorship options moving forward,” says Campbell.In the video on the KISS Facebook page, Evans breaks it down that if 200 families donated $100 each then they would make their $20,000 target. And Campbell breaks this down even further by saying, “If you divide that $100 over the 12 years of KISS that works out to be only $8 a year to be at KISS.”Evans and Campbell are very passionate about the KISS Arts Festival and believe that these events are an integral part of a small community like Kiama, and they would hate to see it taken away.“Children who get access to the arts grow up to be well rounded creative thinkers. Adults who get access to the arts are able to laugh, cry, dance, sing, open up to each other and build community. Families that are exposed to the arts are able to enjoy all of the above together,” says Campbell.“Each year we build on the previous year and each year we are approached by our community with new ways to be involved. Our desire to produce accessible, family friendly events and Kiama's creative spirit drives us to produce KISS each year.”If you would like to support live performance and the arts in Kiama, you can donate to ensure that KISS gets another year. The link to the GoFundMe is here.

Gerringong Pics and Flicks are calling on all local filmmakers and enthusiasts who are interested in learning the art of cinematography, screenwriting, editing and all things film, to apply for their new scholarship.The scholarship is for residents of the Kiama LGA aged between 18 and 25 and will cover a portion of the costs for two short courses at the Australian Film and Television Radio School (AFTRS).Gerringong Pics and Flicks Incorporated is a community run not-for-profit organisation, which has screened films monthly at Gerringong Town Hall for 24 years. They also support local community and cultural events and have teamed up with both AFTRS and Screen Illawarra for this scholarship.In a press release, Gerringong Pics and Flicks wrote, “Applicants need to be 18 to 25 years when they enrol in their chosen AFTRS short course and live in the Kiama Council Local Government Area to be eligible to apply for the Pics and Flicks scholarship. The scholarship valued at $1000 will provide $960 financial assistance towards the cost of fees for the AFTRS short courses and $40 for one year’s professional membership of Screen Illawarra.”The scholarship application form will be downloadable on Friday 9 August from the Gerringong Pics and Flicks Facebook page. Entries close Friday 23 August. Gerringong Pics and Flicks presents a film on the first Friday of every month (except January) and in August they will be playing Celine Song’s Oscar nominated film Past Lives.Past Lives is a poetic film about a Korean girl who immigrated to America as a 12 year old and as an adult in America reconnects with a boy from her childhood which creates a wedge in her current relationship.It is an emotional exploration of a past world and a current world and the ways in which they intrude on one another.

“I think the world we live in can be harsh. It really drives people into working and earning and getting into a place where they don't feel satisfied. Surfing and riding waves and being in the environment and exploring the beautiful coastlines, there's a freedom there and a true beauty and I think that's very alluring and it's deeply fulfilling for us as human beings,” says Jolyon Hoff, director of the film You Should Have Been Here Yesterday.Watching You Should Have Been Here Yesterday is like a rhythmic and nostalgic daydream. It immerses you in a time of blossoming surf culture with its excitingly creative surfers, its innovative board designs and its free spirit.The film doesn’t have a main character. Instead it uses Australian surfing culture as a character, tracking its rise and fall throughout the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. It uses restored footage of old surf films, which were filmed with 16mm cameras, and interviews with various people including surfing filmmaker Alby Falzon and writer Tim Winton.“I wanted people to think more broadly about the culture of surfing and the culture of the era and what was going on. Films, especially surf films and adventure films will hook onto a character and follow a very tried and tested arc of the hero's journey or an adventure to go and conquer a wave. So it was a conscious choice to make a film like this because I wanted people to bring their own thoughts to it,” says Hoff.The restored film is gloriously rendered on screen, especially the various shades of blue in the crashing waves, you never would have thought so many blues existed. The footage also embraces all of the small imperfections of the old film reels such as light leaks and scratches and this contributes to the nostalgic feeling of it all.“We scanned about 150 hours of lost Australian surf film footage and it’s been scanned at archive quality by Kade Bucheli, who spent 14 months on it, and also overseen by Billy Wychgel, who was the colour grader for Lord of the Rings,” reveals Hoff.The film makes you yearn for a period that has been and gone, but it doesn’t fall into the familiar mistakes of these types of films where they only focus on the good parts of the time period.“In this film I wanted to engage with that time period honestly and deal with what happened when drugs were introduced and also the problem of women being ostracised from surfing. They were two elements of surfing that I was pleased to bring up in the film,” says Hoff.Ultimately Hoff says he wants people watching the film to fall in love with surfing all over again and bring that into the present because he believes surfing culture has never been better.“There’s all different types of surfing like competitive surfing, longboard surfing, old people surfing, kids surfing, bodyboarding, kneeboarding. Everything is surfing and is part of that community so the title is a bit of a misnomer because it's not ‘You should have been here yesterday’, it's ‘You should be here right now.’ You should be enjoying and being present in this moment and what is going on in surfing now,” says Hoff.You Should Have Been Here Yesterday is playing as part of the Travelling Sydney Film Festival at the Warrawong Gala Cinema on Sunday July 28. It is truly an immersive and mesmerising depiction of a time in Australian history that doesn’t seem to be talked about enough.Jolyon called in for his interview with The Bugle from Indonesia where he is working on a documentary film about refugees who have been stuck there since the Australian Government stopped the boats.

If you wandered past the Old Ambulance station on Kiama’s Terralong street during the last couple of days, you’ve probably noticed that one of the town's rather dull-looking walls has received a makeover.But just not any makeover.Local artist Claire Foxton, selected to paint the ambulance wall as part of the Kiama Winter Street Festival, says:“I wanted it to be a very Kiama-based design. I grew up around here, my mum grew up around here so it’s a special place to us.”Claire Foxton.For the Kiama mural, named ‘Tides of Time’, Foxton explains that she wanted to pay homage to the area’s fishing history and seaside setting. After doing a bit of research in the Kiama Library’s online archives, she came across “this amazing image”. Taken back in 1964 down at the harbour, it depicts a boat and a deckhand, a guy standing on the front of the boat. The boat Shirley Jean was owned by another local, Headley Brown.“I thought it would work really well on the wall,” she says. “I put my own spin on it, in terms of the colours.Then, I wanted to add something really personal that reflected my connection to Kiama.”She asked her mum, who’s been collecting shells near her home on Jones Beach over many years, if she could pick out her favourites and share images of those. Which she did, and Foxton incorporated them into the piece.Foxton at work.“I’m really pushing the colours in a lot of my work so it’s just not looking like a photo. And I tend to go for these blues and turquoises a lot, and it fits with the Kiama coastal theme,” she says, describing her style as a combination of abstract and realism.“When you look at the palettes that I use now, it’s similar to what I used in the very early days.” Foxton painted her first mural in Wollongong in 2016. “The blue has carried through on through my work.”She has tried not to include it but then, she’ll look at her work and feel like there’s something missing.“I put a little bit of a blue in it, and I go, ‘ah, that’s what it was,’ ” she laughs, admitting she might even be a tiny wee obsessed with the colour.To the common eye, it looked like any ordinary brick wall, but Foxton says it was a challenging surface to paint because of the unseeded bricks and the deep grooves in the mortar. “It’s definitely taken me longer than it usually would on a smooth wall because the bricks take so much paint.”Which begs the question, how much paint will she be using?“Oh, it’s hard to say because I’ve dragged out all my old tins of paint. But I probably used at least 20 litres already. Maybe more including the primer. Let’s say 30 litres,” she explains.The Janne Krimson and Scott Nagy mural at the Joyce Wheatley Community Centre. To paint a mural could be compared to doing an oil painting where the motive gradually develops on the canvas through the layering of paint and sections.Even with an approved design, Foxton says there’s an element of experimentation happening on the wall. “A lot of the time, I’m watering down the colours, brushing them lightly over the top and putting some solid colour over the top. Seeing how the colours interact together on the wall is the most fun part of the project.” On that note, it’s time to head over to Hindmarsh Park to enjoy these two new, cool additions to the Kiama communal space.The Council received funding from the NSW Government for two murals. The one at the former ambulance station, and one at Joyce Wheatley Community Centre, created by the artistic duo Janne (Krimsone) and Scott Nagy.

If you want to warm up your home in the middle of winter, try immersing yourself in a world of rich brown ochres, enveloping shades of red, and warm charcoals straight from the palette of the world of First Nations art and design. Gratefully there is a wide range of indigenous decor available at your fingertips that can inject both interest and harmony to your space.One of my favourite interior décor businesses is Willie Weston for their superb textiles. They work in partnership with First Nations artists and “celebrate their diverse artistic output” by producing sophisticated and elegant designs for fabrics, rugs, and wallpapers. Artists are paid for every metre of their design that gets printed. Another is Kakadu Plum Co who also partner with indigenous enterprises to bring a wide range of home products to a larger audience. I love them for their colourful cushions that are so easy to layer into room schemes.Indigenous art is already on the world stage, and you may think this puts it out of your price range but never forget there are always new emerging talents that deserve support. Online you can find both websites and bricks and mortar galleries that introduce these new artists. These businesses form and maintain meaningful relationships with their artists and then present a curated selection for buyers to choose from. Sites like Japingka and the Kate Owen Gallery are inspirational and accessible. Locally, check out Kiama’s Sevenmarks Gallery right now for their current exhibition of beautiful works from communities in the Northern Territory.  If you are like me, decorating your own home is motivated by making it more liveable, more beautiful and bringing more harmony to daily life. The warmth and structure of indigenous designs can help cultivate a sense of balance and connection within your home. 

On Saturday July 13, during Kiama’s Winter Festival, the community was invited to paint Daisy the Decorated Dairy Cow at the Old Fire Station.The day marked a new chapter in the biography of Daisy and Kiama’s strange and endearing fascination with her.“It was packed, I reckon we probably had 500-600 people through here on Sunday and probably almost a thousand on Saturday. But poor old Daisy looks like she's got about ten layers of paint on her,” says Experience Art facilitator Michelle Springett. Springett inhabited the Old Fire Station during the festival inviting visitors to come inside and paint. Whether it be painting Daisy, painting the Kiama mural inside the building or just simply getting some paint and some paper and making something.“One person said, how nice is it that there's six or seven children around the cow painting, and they’re not home on their mobile phones? Yeah, it was really lovely. We’ve had kids hanging around here all weekend and not just adding one piece onto the mural but adding five, six, seven pieces to the mural,” says Springett.But it wasn’t only kids painting their magnum opuses onto Daisy, Kiama MP Gareth Ward stopped in to have a go at it and he says that the festival was an incredible success.“The festival was a success and I just want to congratulate Destination Kiama, Sally (Bursell) and her team, who did a terrific job and I’m just really pleased to have supported them in a request for a government grant to help make the festival a success,” says Ward.Ward says that although the festival brought in a lot of people, he is interested in garnering the response from the local businesses involved as it is important that they are benefitting from all these community events.“I’ll be interested to hear some feedback from small businesses in the main street specifically, as they have to pay ongoing rents and overheads. Just to make sure they did benefit out of it because we need to think about our small businesses and the impact on them,” says Ward.This article is another episode in the continuing saga of Daisy the Decorated Dairy Cow, you can find the previous article here.

We are 12 minutes into Australian directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir’s debut feature film Birdeater when the title finally appears on screen. In those masterful first 12 minutes we are introduced to a couple.Most nights he, Louie, lies and says he is going to his dad’s place when really he is going to a golfing range. And she, Irene, for some reason never leaves the house at all, and is sleeping most of the time.All of this is conveyed through little dialogue, repetitive sequences, montage and spectacular cinematography. And even though not much is happening in the film, you’re on the edge of your seat. Something is off here…“We started with this relationship. Having a relationship where the couple had separation anxiety … We have this couple that need to be around each other and eventually you separate them and see what happens,” says Weir.And what better way to separate a couple than at a buck’s party. So the main plot of Birdeater unravels as Louie, breaking tradition, invites girls to his bucks party. And the film basically roars on from there.“As soon as we had the buck’s party element then we had almost a new genre of film that we were looking at and that's when it really became what it is. Taking a close look at how groups of men behave and how groups of men react to bad male behaviour,” says Weir.In April, The Australian Institute of Criminology’s National Homicide Monitoring Program found that 34 women were killed by an intimate partner in 2022-23, an increase of 28 per cent on the previous year.And although Birdeater doesn’t concern itself with these extreme cases, it aims to explore the problem of toxic male behaviour at its root. With murderers, it is easy for men to detach themselves from the behaviour of those characters whereas with Birdeater the duo wanted to force men to confront themselves.“We wanted to try and hit closer to the bone, go after the more kind of insidious types of abuse that we think is actually common with guys that we grew up with and went to school with,” says Weir.“So we wanted basically a shifting scale of different kinds of men in our ensemble in a way where, hopefully, no guy watching this would feel totally safe. Everyone would be able to see themselves in some way depicted on screen and have to reckon with that.”Birdeater was filmed in the small village of St Albans in Hawkesbury, NSW and despite exploring such universal themes, the film still feels very Australian and this is a translation of the duo’s individuality and identity which is daring in a film culture that is led by other countries.“We have this idea of mateship in Australia which is something that we build a lot of our identity around,” says Clark. “But it does feel like it's somewhat exclusionary to women - it feels like it's structured around men being friends.”“So the film was a little bit about how that makes people outside of that circle feel, and people are able to really easily translate that into a similar part of their own culture. So by finding something specific to Australia, which I think it is, that specificity helps.”Weir and Clark met each other whilst studying at AFTRS, a film school in Sydney, and they say that it is through their collaboration, that this film was such a success.“Often we will be arguing about something and we essentially never compromise - we never really meet in the middle we try and work out which idea is better and quite often that means that there's actually a third idea that neither of us have thought of and it ends up being what we go with,” says Weir.The film will be released in cinemas on July 18. The characters are interesting, the ideas are thoughtful, the score is inventive and the overall look of the film is mesmerising. Even though it is Clark and Weir’s first feature film, Birdeater shows that they have a strong command of their ideas and know how to communicate them visually in creative and stunning ways.Birdeater

To celebrate NAIDOC week, two First Nations artists showcased their work at the Old Fire Station in Kiama.The exhibition entitled Keep the Fire Burning, was based on the theme of this year's NAIDOC week Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. It presented the work of artists Richard Campbell and Kay A.Richard Campbell's paintingsRichard Campbell was born in Kiama NSW, from Yuin Nation South Coast Australia and his paintings are influenced by stories and symbols passed down through time.“My paintings are all passed down from generation to generation, every single one of my pieces tell a story. My paintings depict everyday life of the past and present. They’re about saltwater country, garden country, the south coast and what it means to our people,” says Campbell.Exhibition at The Old Fire StationKay A is a proud Wiradjuri Woman of the Galari Clan, Cowra. She was born on Gadigal Land and now lives on Dharawal Land in Gerringong and this informs her paintings as she is more concerned with the present day connection with the land.“Because I’m off-country and because I’m a guest of the Dharawal people here, I’m based in Gerringong so I tell stories based on my experiences with the land here. A lot of my stories are explaining how the work is inspired by the connection to country,” says Kay A.Both artists believe the exhibition is a great opportunity to educate people about their culture and their history.Photo credit: Lleyton Hughes“The benefit for me is that it actually explains to people in a nice quiet way what the difference is when we step on country, how we connect to country, how we introduce ourselves to new country when we stand on country, when we introduce ourselves to spirit and we acknowledge the people on country. So, for me it's like getting those stories out and educating the public,” says Kay A.“Aboriginal people have got to shine. If we don’t shine through football we shine through art, dance and song,” says Campbell.The exhibition was from July 4 to July 10, but if you missed it you can get in touch with Richard Campbell through his website: www.gumaraa.com.au, and Kay A through her website: https://andonopouloskay.wixsite.com/.

Cin Cin Wine bar celebrated the vibrant opening of the newest exhibition ‘Strong Women’ by Kathy Karas. Special thanks for Michelle Springett from Expressive Art Wall Trail for her invaluable support in bringing this exhibition to life. It was announced that all commissions from the exhibition, along with a portion of Kathy’s sales, will be donated to Women Illawarra.Kathy Karas

On February 16, 2013, writer and filmmaker Bill Bennett wrote this sentence in his blog: “I have a particular need to walk the Camino in Spain. And yet, I’m not sure what that need is.” Exactly 11 years and 3 months later, The Way, My Way – the film based on Bennetts’ experience of walking the Camino – was released in Australia.The Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St. James, is an ancient pilgrimage route ending at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. There are many different starting points but Bill, at almost 60 years of age, decided his route would be more than 800 kilometres long.Bennett completed the walk in May 2013 and then wrote a book on the adventure.“Writing the book was the completion of my walk,” says Bennett. “Because when I was doing the walk in Santiago I was so confused as to why I had done it. So, I wrote the book to make sense of it all.”The memoir The Way, My Way (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014), based on the walk, was a bestseller.Initially, Bennett had no ambitions of making it into a film. But a film distributor named Richard Becker, who had loved the book, brought it up with Bennett and wouldn’t take no for an answer.“It had a very, very deep impact on him and he came to me and said, I think there’s a movie in this, and I said, No, there’s not. I don't think enough happens. It’s just one bloke walking across Spain, that’s all. And he said, no, if you can get what's in the book into the film then it will find an audience,” explains Bennett.And Bennett ended up creating almost the exact same conditions of his walk. Every bit of Chris Haywood’s (who played Bill) costume was the exact same as what Bill wore. Every geographical location was obsessed over in terms of their accuracy and order in the story, and none were picked just for their beauty. And all of this authenticity ended with a fitting moment of catharsis for Bill as he watched himself (played by an actor), at the end of his walk, have a very vulnerable phone call with his wife (played by herself).“The conversation I had with my wife toward the end of the film. That was where I couldn’t separate myself from myself anymore – that was surreal. It was like I was standing outside of myself looking at myself,” says Bennett.The Way, My Way has been a big success, it just passed $2 million dollars at the Australian and New Zealand Box Office. And Bennett believes there are many factors contributing to this.“I think there's a confluence of factors that have a lot to do with the fact that people are searching for more meaning in their life at the moment. In the same way that the character of Bill is in the film,” says Bennett.And in the same way that Bill Bennett, the director, has been ever since he wrote those first words in his blog eleven and a half years ago. He is still exploring what compelled him to walk more than 800kms in a foreign country, even now as he begins work on the sequel ‘The Way, Her Way’.

By Machteld HaliAmsterdam, July 1, 2024 – From a chance encounter with reductive woodblock printing at Amsterdam University to over three decades of dedicated artistic exploration, Hali’s journey through the world of printmaking has been nothing short of a passionate love affair. What began as a casual date has evolved into a profound relationship marked by large viscosity printed collagraphs on deeply considered themes.Drawing inspiration from the natural world, Hali’s work delves into the intricate details of botanic life, capturing small verdant miracles often overlooked. Her latest exhibition showcases trees as metaphors—symbols of grounding in earthly roots while embracing the ethereal pleasures of imagination. It speaks to a life cycle that transcends mortal boundaries, echoing themes of continuity and transformation.A pivotal chapter in Hali’s artistic odyssey unfolds against the backdrop of her pilgrimages along the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. Here, she finds new meanings in life amidst the richness of Spanish culture and countryside, weaving personal narratives into her art that resonate with love and discovery.The recent challenges posed by global events have sparked a deeper introspection in Hali’s work, notably in her acclaimed 'Flight' series. Through powerful imagery, she uplifts viewers from the shadows of misogyny to moments of pure joy, exploring themes of resilience and liberation.Hali’s artistic vision is profoundly shaped by her tri-cultural background—born in post-war The Hague, raised in Indonesia, and matured in Australia. This diverse tapestry infuses her creations with a unique perspective that bridges continents and cultures.Beyond her artistic endeavors, Hali is dedicated to nurturing future talents through her commitment to teaching. Her works adorn prestigious national and international collections, testament to their enduring appeal and significance.We invite you to embark on this captivating journey through prints with Hali, where each piece tells a story of passion, resilience, and the timeless beauty of the natural world.Hali is a renowned artist whose journey through printmaking spans over three decades, influenced by a deep connection to nature and a rich cultural heritage. Her work explores themes of botanical beauty, personal discovery, and societal reflection, inviting viewers to engage with profound narratives through the medium of print.

Part of Wollongong Comedy Festival, on June 28 at the ‘Side Door Theatre’, an intimate venue tucked away behind Crown Street in Wollongong, 50 or so friends, relatives and comedy-lovers gathered to hear 'The Queen of Oversharing' do her thing. Diana McLaren has a unique flavour of sassy stand-up comedy. She provides a captivating monologue that could be described as a commentary on society, with themes mostly revolving around how flawed she is – we all are – and how misogyny and dysfunction reign supreme in the modern world.Her jokes aren’t for people who are looking around at society thinking, “This is perfect.”Diana says, “My shows are filled with secondhand therapy, and it's definitely cheaper than seeing an actual therapist!“If you're looking around the world right now and you're like, ‘yep this is exactly what I think we should be doing’, then my comedy is not for you. But if you're looking at the world and thinking 'this isn't right' and 'I don't feel right in it' then please come to my shows, I've got some laughs and love waiting for you.” This is the essence of Diana McLaren.“Every time I’m on stage I have the time of my life, that’s where I’m happy.”“There’s no greater silver lining in life than being in an awful situation and there’s a tiny part of my brain thinking ‘I can write a joke about this’.”As an Australian with an American accent, Diana uses her varied life experiences and unique viewpoint to fuel all of her creative endeavours.Born at Shellharbour hospital, Diana lived in Kiama Heights till she was four, when her family moved to Riversdale Road, a small farm on the border between Kiama and Jamberoo. They lived there till she was eight and then they moved to a small town called Armonk outside New York for her mother's work with IBM. Moving back when she was 12, Diana went to school in Sydney but spent all of her weekends in Kiama until she left for university in Wagga Wagga. “I came home to Kiama every summer to work and when Uni was done, I moved to Kings Cross for work,” Diana informs. “When I was 25, I came back to Kiama and was just planning on moving away when Covid struck and instead I ended up staying in Kiama for the last lock-down and moving in with my dad in Jamberoo, which is where I currently reside”.Diana tried moving to Melbourne last year, but it didn't go well, life-wise saying that “everything went wrong”, but “the comedy scene down there was awesome”. How did she start off in stand-up comedy? Diana studied acting and television production at school so has always been a performer and a storyteller. She loved to tell jokes so always wanted to try stand-up comedy. She reveals, “One night I was in a bar telling stories from my day and the table behind me laughed. They asked where they could come see my comedy and I was like, ‘I'm not a comedian’”. A ‘very long story short,’ she lost a bet to that group of friends and ended up trying stand-up comedy and was immediately addicted. “I loved every second of it,” Diana said. “Unlike acting and music where there is a gap between you and the performance, or it's someone else's writing, or maybe the audience doesn't like this kind of music, stand-up comedy is just you, your humour, your words, your performance, and it's raw – you can't rehearse it as you can the others!”One particularly clever joke she told was about the Amish: “If you could get rid of the organised religion, rampant misogyny and matching outfits I'd be in. But then again, I say that about our society!”Diana’s main audience demographic Of her mixed audience Diana says, “I get 20-somethings right up to retirees and everything in between. I do probably slightly skew towards women but only by a percent or two.”She captures such a large breadth of audience members because her subject material is very relatable and very unifying. “I'm opposed in many ways to the concept of generations, I think it's just one of the many ways we unnecessarily divide ourselves and create opposition,” Diana declares. “We have a lot more in common than we have differences and while generational grouping is a helpful tool for marketing or understanding the background of an individual and how their world experience may affect their outlook, it ends there.”Diana maintains that the classification of different generations is used by the media to make us think that we're enemies or we need to fight each other when in fact we need to unify and create change. “I think I get a full range of people because my humour is about being human, it's about our collective current experience and hopefully it's comforting, whether it’s because you're glad you're not me or because I've shared something that you have felt and now you feel less alone in the world. Plus, everyone loves a naughty joke and I never run out of those!”Feedback from fansDiana reveals that she has had quite a few fans tell her that she’s helped them recognise that they are bisexual, “which is always fun”.“Lately I get the feedback a lot that I've inspired people to seek a support group or go to therapy because a lot of my current jokes are very targeted at addressing these insane ideas we have as a society that those things aren't normal and often essential to our ability to function and be happy.”She’s had a lot of people tell her that she’s helped them feel seen. Today, Diana says, “My phone was inundated after the show last night with messages from other ADHD types and those in therapy telling me that my current show makes them feel seen and ‘got’ in a way that they haven't before, which is lovely.”Across the board in all of her shows the feedback she gets is, “you’re wild”, “you’re hilarious”, “tell me that didn't actually happen” and “I can't believe you'd tell that story on stage!” Diana’s friend Bryce Roberts sent her this, "Solid show tonight  thanks for sharing all of you. It really does make us all feel less alone and sometimes even a less bit crazy. Who wants to be normal anyway?"Thanks Bryce – I think that really sums up Diane’s particular brand of comedy and humour!

It’s a case of what’s old becoming new again, as the world of interiors of all things embrace stripes. This year, there has been no surface, a bold stripe won’t go on – from furniture to painted walls, cushions to light fixtures. Stripes are rarely quiet but the 2024 ones are here to party. Wide, narrow, vertical, horizontal, even angled – they are painted up, featured on wallpaper, repeated on wide rugs, deep and bold on sofas and pencil pleated on drapery. The thing that stands out to me is how layered they are, stripes on stripes on stripes. How do you make this work without making your head spin?First, get to know your stripes. All stripes are either even or unevenly spaced, so their scale and proportion can be manipulated to impact your room. Candy stripes are bold and symmetrical and work best on larger items or in larger rooms, or wherever you want to take notice. Even when shrunk to a cushion size or done in pastel colours, the simplicity of a candy stripe will always stand out. For more variation, look further afield. Pintuck stripes are lines that are made up of tiny dots, so they sit much gentler in a scheme. Ticking stripes alternate thin and thick line weights and create a lovely poised visual interest. Newly invented ‘organic stripes’ feature undulating lines that feel tactile and handmade, with their irregularities being interesting and beautiful.  To avoid a circus tent taking over your lounge room, be selective with the type of stripes you employ. Horizontal stripes will make a room appear wider, whilst vertical ones create the illusion of height.  Strong colours will amplify the contrast and visual effect stripes have, so think about mixing up the depth of colour of the stripes as well. Striped neutral fabrics look chic and elegant, and are an easy way to successfully play with stripes of all shapes and sizes. Asha Ardill, DecoratorSouth Coast Colour www.southcoastcolour.com.au

The Southern Highlands Artisans Collective (SHAC) invites coastal residents to venture ‘up the mountain’ to explore the artistic treasures it has to offer.SHAC exists to showcase the exceptional talents of Southern Highlands artists. As a non-profit, member-based organisation, SHAC exhibits artworks in their Robertson gallery, with vibrant exhibitions curated and run by a dedicated team and volunteers. The Robertson community is thrilled to have SHAC back in town after a brief stint in Bowral last year.Jane Cush, who served as SHAC president for the last three years, stepped down on May 31st, needing to reclaim her time due to a demanding schedule. Reflecting on her tenure, Jane noted, “It takes time, passion, and energy, and I needed to lighten the load.”Like many organisations, SHAC faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to rebuild interest and engagement. Jane revealed, “Buying art is definitely a ‘discretionary spend,’ and since it’s technically ‘non-essential,’ we’ve had to work extra hard to stay afloat.”SHAC operates without external funding, relying solely on commissions from sales and also support from donations. The dedication of volunteers is crucial to its survival. Jane expressed deep gratitude for their assistance in various roles, from manning the gallery to setting up exhibitions. The SHAC couldn't operate without them and is always on the lookout for new volunteers. “Volunteers come and go, living their lives, travelling or moving, so SHAC is always happy to take on more,” she added.Jane highlighted the benefits of volunteering, such as meeting artists, learning about the art world, and engaging with like-minded people. “It’s a good entrée to the industry,” she mused.Of her departure, Jane said, “It’s been an honour and a privilege to serve the regional community. I have loved working with the volunteers.” With a background as the Director at Goulburn Regional Art Gallery and Program Director at Canberra Glassworks, Jane remains connected to SHAC and its artistic programs but acknowledges the need for fresh eyes. She expressed great faith in her successor, Graham Ormsby, believing he will continue the good work.Incoming president Graham Ormsby comes from an architectural background and has been an active member of the SHAC committee for several years. He felt that it was time to step up. Graham brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the role, ensuring that SHAC will continue to thrive and promote the arts in the Southern Highlands. His leadership promises to build on the solid foundation laid by Jane and her team.Graham’s architectural business specialises in cultural heritage both in Australia and overseas. He believes art and architecture are integral to the culture of the community. Passionate about art, Graham encourages his clients to incorporate appropriate artworks into the buildings he designs. He previously served as Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts in Australia and New Zealand.At SHAC, Graham sees himself as part of the team. “Someone needed to step up to fill the presidency and I was happy to do that,” he said.“The committee works behind the scenes, and what people see is still Jane’s area of expertise. She is highly regarded in art circles,” he reveals.SHAC has a manager, Jade Bull, who is largely involved in administration and looks after the volunteers, while Graham oversees the committee members, including a few new faces. He aims to guide them in continuing the amazing legacy left by Jane Cush.