ONLY THE BRAVE

Australia, 1994, 59 minutes, Colour.
Elena Mandalis, Doris Kaskanis, Maude Davey.
Directed by Ana Kokkinos.

This film won the Best Short Film award at the Melbourne Film Festival as well is the Best Australian Short. It was also screened in Venice and other festivals.

It is a portrait of two girls in Melbourne’s western suburbs (with Greek backgrounds). It is a sharply drawn picture of drab life, a family hardship, struggles with personal and sexual identity. It is well-acted and perceptively written.

In fact, with the small budget and shorter running time, one would like it to be longer with more detail on some of the characters, especially the parents. It is a strong Australian drama.

Director Ana Kokkinos went on to direct Head On, adapted from the novel by Christos Tsiolkas, 1999, and The Book of Revelation in 2009.

1. An award-winning short film? The career of the director?

2. The Melbourne setting, the western suburbs, homes, school, the streets, the open spaces? The drab aspects? Musical score?

3. The title, the reference to the two girls, realistic and ironic?

4. The portrait of Alex: her age, experience, life at home, her mother and the clashes, her father? At school? The support of Kate? The books, Alex reading the special book at school and Kate’s upset? Her friendship with Vicki, Vicki’s situation and her sympathy? Vicki wanting her to run away with her? Her pyromania? Alex and her mother having left? Her boyfriend, not sleeping with him, clashing with friends in her circle? Her writing, love of words and images? Going to Kate’s house, seeing her lover? Running away? Her seeing Vicki abused? Her reaction? The decision to run away, packing, the photo of herself and her mother, seeing Vicki and the fire, going to the top, trying to rescue Vicki? Alex and her burns, waking up in the hospital, the books from Kate, the visit from her mother? The red dress on the fence, Alex moving on?

5. Vicki, disturbed, at school? The pyromania? Vicki jealous of Alex and Kate? Vicki wanting Kate to run away, the disappointment? The father and his molestation, explicit, shameful for Vicki, surprise for Kate? Vicki running away, Alex supporting her, but Vicki setting fire to the school library, on the top of the industrial platform, Alex unable to save her, burning to death?

6. Kate, her work at the school, interest in Alex, lending the books, her personal relationships, her partner, her reprimanding Alex for going too far?

7. Vicki's father, the sexual abuse, audience disgust?

8. Alex's parents, the absent mother, the photo, her turning up?

9. How realistic a slice of life, objective? Or a world perceived by the two young girls?