UNDER THE COVER OF CLOUD

Australia, 2018, 88 minutes, Colour.
Ted Wilson and his family and friends.
Directed by Ted Wilson.

This is a very personal film, the work of filmmaker Ted Wilson, reflecting on his own life, visiting his family in Tasmania, a portrait of his interactions with them. It is a kind of film feature of reality television style which may not have a wide appeal.

The film does use Tasmania locations to advantage, not so much the city of Hobart, but the range of surrounding countryside, coast.

Ted Wilson shows himself as a reporter, losing his job, deciding to return home, some plans to write a book about cricket and Tasmania, and a desire to make contact with veteran cricketer, David Boon.

Ted himself is very much at the centre of the film, a visual autobiography. He stays with one of his brothers and the family, plenty of family sequences. He goes to visit his mother, his sister coming in from Adelaide for a visit. He makes contact with his other brother and his brother’s wife, some meal scenes, some family backyard games.

In some ways the narrative picks up with the introduction of Ted’s mother, a fairly forthright woman. There is an attention to detail, a great deal of time given to Ted’s helping his mother with a troublesome branch and getting it under control.

And there is a reward with a meeting and conversation with David Boon.

It would seem that the film has a limited appeal, with the confines of the action to Ted and his family, as well as the sometimes minute detail of domestic action.