Unfinished Sky (2007)

Directed by

Peter Duncan

Genre

drama film

Country

Australia

Runtime

1h 34m

Rated

18A

Rating

6.2 of 10 from 23 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

An Australian farmer living alone after his wife's death takes in an Afghan refugee who has escaped abusive locals. He protects her as they struggle to trust each other and deal with the outside world.

isolatedsomberslow-burntenseemotionally restrainedgroundedintrospective

What happens

Unfinished Sky is a 2007 drama film written and directed by Peter Duncan. William McInnes stars as John Woldring, an Australian farmer living in self-imposed exile after his wife's death, who rescues and protects Tahmeena, played by Monic Hendrickx, an Afghan refugee who has escaped abusive local townsfolk. Deliberated by scholars and Peter Duncan as a film focused on the response to 9/11, Unfinished Sky has also been described as post-national cinema, with themes of isolation, the fear of others, and the overcoming of obstacles, all relating to Australian identity. Peter Duncan has reimagined the Dutch film The Polish Bride (1998), in an Australian context. Monic Hendrickx, who played the title role in The Polish Bride, plays Tahmeena; Unfinished Sky was a product of the Dutch-Australian venture New Holland Pictures, which was intent on the director's trying her for the role. In the role of John, William McInnes was praised for his portrayal of John as more isolated, stoic and wounded than his counterpart, Henk, in the Dutch film. Unfinished Sky was filmed in Queensland at Beaudesert and Boonah; the cinematographer Robert Humphries deliberately framed the colours and reliability of the camera as a reflection of the familiarity of the central relationship. The first parts of the film are dramatically dull and feature the harsh Australia landscape. Editor Suresh Ayyar furthered this jaded quality by contrasting it with the vibrancy later in the film. The film was released early on August 4, 2007, at the Brisbane Film Festival, on January 31 in the Netherlands, and on June 19 in Australia. It grossed just under $750,000 worldwide. It was relatively well received, winning various awards for best director, best adapted screenplay, best editor and best music during its theatrical release. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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