Cloudless
skies
In critics’ circles, Unfinished Sky has garnered
much hype, winning accolades at the Toronto and Brisbane film
festivals. Yet it seems to have slipped into cinemas without much
ado, almost a year after it’s first public screenings –
which is a shame because it’s one of the better Australian
films to make it to screens in recent years.
Co-produced
by a company from the Netherlands, Unfinished Sky is a remake
of 1998 Dutch movie The Poolse Bruid, with a few updates
to bring the story to current times and an Australian setting.
Illegal Afghani immigrant Tahmeena staggers - battered,
bruised and exhausted - onto the farm owned by John Woldring.
For loner John, this is an unwelcome intrusion, but he instinctively
hides Tahmeena from the local publican and policeman, who are
scouring the township looking for her.
John’s solitary life on the property with
only dog Elvis for company means he doesn’t have much need
for words anyway, and Tahmeena’s lack of English make for
some frustrating first encounters. Neither fully trusts the other
and John struggles with what to do with his new housemate, while
Tahmeena gains her confidence in the presence of her rescuer.
Gradually, as the two form a kind of muddled understanding, their
painful pasts are revealed and the seriousness of Tahmeena’s
situation becomes evident.
The film stars features a who’s who of Australian
talent – from lead William McInnes to Bille Brown and David
Field. Female lead Monica Henrickx also starred in the original
Dutch film, albeit as a Polish mail-order bride, as opposed to
her illegal immigrant role in this production.
The
film carries an atmosphere – the rural setting, the isolated
farmer, stark soundtrack and photography all create a sense of
foreboding early in the story. The first few minutes contain very
little dialogue at all, yet it’s very clear the type of
person John Woldring is by the time Tahmeena appears in his front
yard. Much of the film plays out like a detective story –
both Tahmeena and John have dark pasts that have led them to their
present situation. The rest of the story is in fact a romance,
as two wounded hearts learn to trust again.
The language barrier between the characters means
much of film is either silent, or communicated in a stunted fashion
through picture books, post-it notes and stick-figure drawings.
The relationship between John and Tahmeena grows in the same lopsided
fashion – some days they hate each other, some days they
seem to be soulmates. This silence / miscommunication adds both
tension and comedy to the story. Much of Tahmeena’s dialogue
is not subtitled, so the audience is left to guess from the emotion
in her face and voice what she is saying, in the same way John
has to decipher her outbursts.
Unfinished Sky is a well written, polished production.
Shot in location in Queensland, the cinematography and editing
successfully portrays the mystery theme and romance story that
make up the film. Worthy of the same attention and praise given
to Lantana and Jindabyne, Unfinished Sky is an absorbing, if less
grandiose film than the blockbuster dramas it’s competing
with in cinemas today.
Belinda Yench
