Malcolm Turnbull is a d******

(I’m informed that calling the Minister for Communications names might get me into trouble so I’ve edited the below blog so that I can continue to post blogs. )

In the canteen at Docklands Studios today I selected a small quantity of food and sat down with Screen Australia’s CEO and Veronica, the Development Officer. Veronica and Graeme took time to tell me how ‘The Dressmaker’ is HUGE in terms of everything – budget, cast, crew, scenes, importing directors, actors, getting Academy Award Winning crew members to Aust and making sure they had everything they wanted, and the project had huge potential for the film industry, its morale, and revenue. It will be an international film with a quality cast, costumes, crew and outstanding potential to secure Australia’s spot on the world stage, and as we know, ‘We have art in order that we do not die of the truth.’ (Friedrich Nietzsche)

The atmosphere on the set of The Dressmaker was one of excitement and anticipation and I’m pleased to say joy.

Veronica and Graeme told me about locations and shots, and I was trying to focus and listen, I really was, but there were over 100 very clever, very talented and very happily employed people in the room – more in costumes, art and makeup departments. The atmosphere was one of excitement and anticipation and I’m pleased to say joy. Further to that, lots of the people in the room were Dungatar locals – Elsbeth, Gertrude and her parents Mr and Mrs Pratt, and Molly was on the next table and Tilly was somewhere in the room, the stunties, grips, gaffers, best boys, hairdressers … you get my point.

‘I’ll write him into the sequel.

I heard Graeme say, ‘So in terms of shot, for example, everything has to be detailed so when they do a close up of say, Sergeant Farrat’s frock–’
‘Oh,’ I interrupted, ‘I saw Sergeant Farrat earlier!’
‘He’s sitting behind you.’
Graham or Veronica was forgotten. I never saw them again. I spun 180º and found I had been in fact rubbing up again Sergeant Farrat for at least five minutes.
‘Sergeant Farrat. I’m Rosalie.’
‘Hello.’
‘I’m so happy you’re Sergeant Farrat.’
‘So am I.’

Hugo Weaving and I talked knitting, dancing in heels and Rita Hayworth’s hat, then the 2nd Assistant Director took him for rehearsals. He said he’d be sorry to say goodbye to Sergeant Farrat so I said, ‘I’ll write him into the sequel.

The room started to empty as the hundred-plus crowd headed to do what they do best – creative, talented, visionary people who convey artfully the truth through lies, the artisans and craftspersons who entertain us and infuse our leisure with emotions and knowledge of many worlds.

I sat down with the producer, opposite Molly, and Jill Bilcock, all legends. And next to them was Daniel, a training manager from Open Channel. Just in case you don’t know, Open Chanel is a not for profit training centre at Docklands ‘where creative Individuals become industry professionals.’ Open Channel facilitates and champions the creative filmmakers and screen industry geniuses and legends of the future…like everyone in the room, on the entire lot.

Daniel was eating his lunch, but he wasn’t happy. The Minister for Communications had declared he was going to ‘shut down’ Open Channel in the name of ‘balancing the budget.’
‘There goes my sequel, I thought, and I said, ‘Malcolm Turnbull is a d*******.’