HEARTS AND BONES

Australia, 2019, 111 minutes, Colour.
Hugo Weaving, Andrew Luri, Hayley Mc Elhinney, Bolude Watson, Alan Dukes.
Directed by Ben Lawrence.

Heart and Bones is a very impressive film in many ways. It offers its audience, in Australia and worldwide, a 21st-century Australian story, growing Australian consciousness, a challenge to the Australian conscience.

The film opens strikingly with an overseas ambush, war photographer Dan Fisher seeing a crashed car, dead occupants, his taking photos, frightening a little girl on the other side of the car, her running away, Dan pursuing and falling, his associate warning that there were landmines, Dan photographing the little girl, her running away, an explosion.

In fact, this is the main part of the film, at least visually, which focuses on the title theme of bones. There will be other photographs. There were the other very sad stories, especially from uprisings and massacres in South Sudan. The rest of the film concentrates on the title theme of hearts, emotional stories, probing of the past and coming to terms with it.

Australian audiences who watch films and documentary television programs on refugees and asylum seekers know more about those who have fled from Asia and the Middle East. There is not such a concentration on refugees from Africa, from countries like South Sudan. (In cities like Melbourne, federal politicians and some media have tended to demonise and overstate the activities of young Sudanese members of gangs – and, in a sequence where Dan Fisher is interviewed by Fran Kelly on Radio National Breakfast, she asks him, quoting the Minister for Border Control, whether he thinks his photos are ‘misery-porn’).

Hugo weaving plays Dan Fisher, a striking performance, intense, communicating, often wordlessly, the impact of his decades of war photography, post-traumatic stress disorder, on his physical and psychological health, his relationship with his partner, Josie (Hayley Mc Elhinney). The sequence where he reacts to Josie telling him she is pregnant is a study in itself of a man who is shocked, remembers the past years when their little baby died, his reaction is self-centred, moving into panic attack makes quite an impact on us.

Which means, that this is essentially a film about the life of the war photographer, his being celebrated, his weariness, his having to face his relationship with his partner, come to terms with his avoiding of doctors and counsellors, to probe his psyche and come to terms with himself.

But, there is a whole other dimension to the film with the character of Sebastian (Andrew Luri in his first film, credible and persuasive), a man who has been allowed into Australia, a refugee from terrors in South Sudan, the brutal loss of his family, but finding a new home, love and devotion from his wife (again, a moving performance from Bolude Watson), a baby girl, her being pregnant, his plans to buy a house and renovate iy, believing that to have the land is to have his own home.

Sebastian hears Dan on the radio, buys his book of photos, comes to ask him to photograph a group of African men who have formed a choir. Initially Dan refuses, collapses, Sebastian taking him to hospital, then feeling some obligation, going to hear the men sing and being impressed. In the meantime, an exhibition of Dan’s photos is being organised and Sebastian askeds him not to exhibit some of the Sudanese photos, not to exhibit such pain and sorrow.

And, yet there is more, some moral strong complexities to the plot, challenging the audience and its sympathies and moral judgements.

Many in the audience will be hoping for some kind of resolution, even a happy ending for both parties. But, life is not entirely like that. Happiness is to be hoped for, to be worked for with some kind of self-sacrifice. And so, the audience, having been moved by the stories of both men, the war and refugee context, the implications for Australians welcoming refugees in friendship, in work in collaboration, will find that endings cannot always be clean-cut, clear-cut.

This is a film to be recommended.

1. The 21st century Australian story? Australian consciousness? Australian conscience?

2. The title, the initial focus on bones, war, violation, past history? The rest of the film focusing on hearts?

3. The opening, the dark, remoteness, the ambush, the deaths in the car, Dan taking photos, seeing little girl, her running away, his pursuit and fall, taking the photo, the noise of the camera, her fear, the warning of landmines, the explosion? The effect on Dan? Audiences later seen the photo? It’s impact?

4. The Sydney settings, homes, suburbs, the streets, the taxi routes, the school in the hall, official buildings, the exhibition? Flats, houses?

5. The musical score, the songs, the African songs? The choir?

6. The plot, many themes, more, personal, psychological, relationships? The intertwining?

7. Hugo Weaving as Dan Fisher, a strong performance, bringing him and his crisis to life? His story, on missions over many decades, photography, the fields of war, his book, the planning of the exhibition, his archives and storage? His brother and the digitising? The interview with Fran Kelly on Radio National Breakfast? His career? Prospects?

8. Dan and his health issues, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, outside the house, his collapse, his hands shaking, reluctant to visit doctors, going to the hospital, the encounter with Sebastian, the support from Josie, his love for her, the support from his brother? His moods, invited to photograph the choir, his reluctance? Josie and the announcing of the pregnancy, the focus on his reaction, disbelief, moments of denial, panic reaction? His recovery? The tension with Josie? The pregnancy, the prospect of the baby, the visit for the ultrasound? Meanwhile the digitising of his photos, the choice for the exhibition, the organisers of the marketing perspective? The meal with his brother and family, the gifts of the baby? The personal crisis, the effect, his decision to go on mission again, the physical effects, the emotional effect?

9. Sebastian, listening to Radio National, hearing Dan, having his book, the photos from the Sudan, taxi driving, visiting Dan, his request, the choir, Dan rejecting it, his collapse, Sebastian taking him to the hospital, meeting Josie and the family at the hospital? Sebastian, the South Sudanese background? His wife, daughter, the relationship? Planning to buy the house, inspecting? Their flat and his wife liking it? The taxi-driving, his work in the laundry, the Sudanese customers in the taxi, supermarkets, the drunk getting into the car, the baby in the car? The choir, gathering together, the representatives in the choir, from the different countries of Africa, the excitable Syrian?

10. The Sudanese background, Sebastian, his first family, the death of his wife, children, the disappearance of his daughter? The photos, his not wanting them exhibited? His being in Australia, proper documents? His relationship with his wife, love for her, the baby? Her pregnancy, liking the flat, not wanting the house, his need for the house, entering and cleaning, the happiest day of his life?

11. Sebastian and his past, the photo, the memories of the massacre, wanting the grief held, not wanting himself to be revealed, the photo of himself with the gun, the past, not revealing it to anyone, the confrontation by Dan, his explanation? Revenge on the person who killed his family? Moral issues, moral dilemmas?

12. The screenplay’s parallel between Dan and Sebastian, each dealing with their lives, their past, their love for their partners, pregnancies?

13. Josie, strong, Dan is asking his brother for the ring, the possible proposal? The years with Dan? The death of their daughter, the illness, the photos and their not exhibiting them? Anishkas’ challenge? Her decision, a challenge that Dan made life decisions without her? Sebastian, his past, having to deal with it, bring it into the open? The parallel between Josie and Anishka? That partners, secrets, the babies, the need for home?

14. Dan, agreeing to go to visit the choir, meeting the men, impressed by the singing? The growing friendship with Sebastian? After his being taken to the hospital? The more intimate talks? The issue of the photo, the revelation of the truth, its effect on Dan, not trusting Sebastian, challenging him? The background of their friendship, Dan and his health, going to work and cleaning the house, the painting, removing rubble? Sebastian and his being hurt, casting Dan?

15. Anishja and Josie, the meeting, the truth about hiding the photos of the baby? Josie seeking them out? Anishka, her shock with Sebastien telling her the truth, her reaction, wanting him to leave? His going to the house? The suicide attempt?

16. Dan, the disillusionment, upset with Josie, going on a new mission, driving to the airport, fleeing reality? His decision to not go to the airport? Savings Sebastian?

17. Josie, the shock, the shame of her behaviour towards Anishka?

18. Dan, his offer of help to Sebastian about finding his daughter, taking him to the official, filling in the forms?

19. The end of the film, not clear-cut, not clear for each of the characters? Decisions, compromise, future?

20. The resolution, not just a happy ending, but facing and exploring the past? The new house, the children born?

21. The exhibition, all the photos in the exhibition? Sebastian and Anishka visiting? Hope?