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| Introduction  Thomas Baricevic Producer/Director/Editor | Co-founder Fitzroy Shorts Film Festival “Consider the world’s diversity and worship it”
From the book CHROMA, by Derek Jarman, Filmmaker/PainterBuddhists: An honest and simple portrayal of family embracing its faith/diversity. Beautifully shot in parts. The pacing of the doco was well thought out with enough time to absorb all the information. I thought it was a little short as I would have liked to have learnt more about these people, really gotten in there and learnt about what makes them tick with their faith and what struggles they’ve come up against or maybe some more drama. The irony is that it’s a doco about Buddhism. I may be looking for another type of doco. Ming (Bright): The production values with this animation were very high. The story was also presented in a way that could be understood by young and old. Its graphic depiction of the themes in black and white lent well to its understanding. I really enjoy these fables that have a moral or ethical element. In all ancient cultures, the stories that incorporate nature and human understanding of its surroundings have a lasting quality. The Wall was a short doco that I think everyone can relate to in that we, as humans, struggle with the everyday monotony of life in any situation. As the main character highlighted, the patterns that develop in our brains, can invariably render us immobile. It is only until the patterns are broken that we can consider ourselves free. But are we ever really free? Camera work was well on the mark, highlighting the main character’s isolation in a city swarming with people and monotony. Sounds bleak, but in there is an opportunity for self evaluation in this big world. A doco well worth a second viewing. Redemption: The story of a man’s struggle with his internal demons: betrayal, jealousy and loss. With the director Peter Hegedus’ background in documentary filmmaking, a level of realism was certainly achieved by the characters. The film was shot in one take – no easy feat. Stylistically, the tight frame shooting lent itself to a revealing of the man’s internal workings. I felt visually, I was a little too close to him at times and my mind wandered off waiting for a wide shot to see where we were. In retrospect, of course they were in a prison.
Ceasing: As its synopsis states, an old piece of Zen wisdom advises that ‘when it is time to eat – eat, when it is time to work – work, and when it is time to die – die’. Buddhists advise that to truly live, you must truly accept death. An experimental short that touched on concepts of birth and death. A meditative piece; I felt as though I was watching a visual representation at times of the Aboriginal Dreamtime. The soundscape haunting and I couldn’t help but think of Stanley Kubrick’s floating baby in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Immerse yourself in this one. .Film director Thomas Baricevic aka Jackson Black, began his days as an engineer and later studied sculpture and film at The Victorian College of the Arts. Since then he has written, directed and produced numerous shorts, docos and music videos that have screened in festivals around the world. Thomas co-founded Short Trips and Fitzroy Shorts as monthly short film festivals that ran collectively over eight years, screening over 1000 short films in his capacity as a curator. In 2008 he mentored five young filmmakers as part of Stories of African Australia in conjunction with Multicultural Arts Victoria. He is currently teaching documentary filmmaking at OpenChannel www.jacksonblackfilms.com 
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Faith Responses In ascending order of Australian representation (ABS, 2006)
|  [Representing: Pagan spirituality] Well what an amazing adventure these five short films are. I found it to be a creative peek into a variety of situations that provoked an emotive response.
I started the journey relating to the family in Buddhists, educated in the myths with Ming, intrigued with The Wall, repulsed by Redemption then left thinking after Ceasing.
I related to Buddhists because it's how we live; my kids will choose their religion when they are old enough. I also do not attend as many retreats now because of them. I will when they are older.
Redemption repulsed me for two reasons. I have issues with spousal abuse, and I'm conflicted on the death penalty.
If this is a "sampler" of what is to come at Campfire, then we're in for a treat. David Garland
President, Pagan Awareness Network Australia |
|  [The Wall] An engaging portrayal of a person who is facing fundamental, existential doubt. The experience is specific but the challenge universal: what happens to us when we lose faith in what we had come to accept as unquestionable? Thought provoking and compelling. Jeremy Jones AM
Director of Community Affairs, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council |
|  I found the short movie Buddhists particularly interesting: the reference to the implications of our actions, speech, even thoughts, on ourselves, our environment is something that is ill-understood. It is true that we all know the negative effects of “wrong actions” and the positive effects of the reverse, but, what about those of our thoughts, do they too have as much of an effect? Buddhists recognises this age-old idea in Indian culture and gives it due importance. I agree wholeheartedly that if we were all to practice “good karma” on all planes of our existence, physical, emotional, and mental we would create a more harmonious existence. Udayan Bhanot
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|  Redemption is a gripping look into the life of Ben Callaghan, who is struggling to deal with his intense guilt. Ben is driven almost to the point of insanity by the unspeakable crime he has committed.
For me personally, I found this film confronting and yet it strengthened my belief that God's mercy is boundless. Sherene Hassan
Executive Committee Member, Islamic Council of Victoria |
|  [Buddhists] I've always been a fan of documentary, of real experiences, and real people. This short film focuses on the lives of a not so normal English family; a family of Buddhists in a predominantly Christian society. Most interesting is the story of how they live their lives, and the balance which must be struck between the challenges of religious practice, and the demands of a modern world. As a minority religion in England, it shows how the lifestyles and the values of Buddhism sometimes compliment (and sometimes break away from) those in Western society. Most engaging was the way in which the film looked at common cultural experiences, such as Christmas, from this unique perspective. Although Christmas does not hold any spiritual significance for them, it is still an opportunity for this family to come together to celebrate being together and giving gifts – indeed to embrace the practices of Christianity, even though their beliefs are different. It is the way that this film reveals a way to embrace aspects of Western society from a Buddhist perspective that is perhaps most interesting. It shows us a kind of progressive approach to living ones own spirituality actively. The family also emphasises a certain openness towards spirituality as something which should be left to individuals to choose, and live in their own way, just as they are. For myself as a Buddhist and a Westerner I found it particularly interesting, as this film highlights the kind of experiences I have witnessed with Buddhism in Australia. It managed to convey personal stories of everyday people in a way which was honest and engaging, and which resonated with my own experiences. Freeman Trebilcock
Buddhist youth leader |
|  [The Wall] The protagonist keeps experiencing a sort of attack of existentialist angst on his way into work – very inconvenient in the Melbourne rush-hour. Lack of motivation; meaninglessness; negativity; the futility of existence. Now, where can he go from here? Ah, he's a media student, so how about making a film about it. Maybe the meaninglessness can itself gain meaning! But of course the same lack of motivation hinders the dramaturgical process… Our hero feels that there is a glass wall separating him from the world; and he yearns to break through it and become his own alter ego, whom he can see on the other side of the wall, actively enjoying life and contributing to it. The film ends on a note of hope as he begins to take control over his own destiny. He cracks the only smile in the film as he relishes the possibility of breaking through the imaginary wall and joining the active world. We get the happy feeling that our hero is about to become not only socially empowered and active, but he will also be wise, having experienced the futile, inward-looking approach to life and having found the motivation to progress away from it. His life will henceforth be happy and positive – in contrast to the comfortably-off Buddhists of Brighton, who keep going off to retreats but still lead unsatisfied lives, as shown by having a string of relationships with no end in sight. Steve Roberts
Life Member, Australian Skeptics |
|  [Ming] This is a superb piece of animation and storytelling. I loved the power of this creative myth. Tim Costello
Chief Executive, World Vision Australia |
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