Film Screening: Flathead (2024)

Two men in rural Queensland search for solace in spirituality in this cinematic blend of documentary and fiction.

Enjoy a free program of film screenings over the summer, presented in conjunction with Picturing the End at Hervey Bay Regional Gallery.

Flathead
2024, 90 minutes
Dir. Jaydon Martin
(Unclassified 15+)

Shot in striking black-and-white, Jaydon Martin’s directorial debut is part documentary about day-to-day life in coastal Queensland – with a cast playing themselves – and part dream-like narrative. A former addict whose life has been marked by tragedy, the frail Cass leaves Sydney and heads back to Bundaberg to take stock of his life. Religion helps console him, while drinking and partying help pass the time. Most touching of all is a budding friendship with Andrew, a Chinese-Australian chip-shop owner who is dealing with his own grief. Observational and contemplative, heartwarming and eerie, Flathead is a memorable portrait of regional Australia.

"Australian film-maker Jaydon Martin makes an outstanding feature debut with this absorbing, moving and visually beautiful docufiction – a kind of guided reportage about two men’s lives in the regional town of Bundaberg in Queensland, the Australian Texas." - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

“A feast of gorgeous monochrome cinematography and a soulful, quietly spiritual work.” - The Film Verdict

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