I hope that older audiences will reconnect with their childhood through this film and be able to see it through young eyes, and that after it young and old will understand one another a little better. But I also wanted people of my generation to appreciate it, people who knew the story and loved the 1976 classic. I wanted to connect with young people today and bring them this beautiful story in a form that they would find relevant. I made the film with new audiences in mind. I still have the film poster at home, so when I heard about making this film, I felt it was meant to be. My uncle educated me by taking me to see Australian films and one of the first he took me to was STORM BOY. Seet: I grew up in Malaysia and came back to Australia when I was 12. You felt a strong personal bond with this story. As Geoffrey Rush says in the film, “It’s up to you now”. You can save three pelicans and you can save the planet. This film was always intended to energise and empower young people to feel they can and will make a difference. When I see their worldwide consciousness in these protests, I know this optimism is well-founded. One is a sense of worry about what kind of world we are leaving them to inherit but the other stronger feeling is one of optimism because I know that the youth are the great hope for all of us. When I look at my children and their generation, I feel two things. We recognised that the themes of Thiele’s 1963 book are just as relevant, and in some ways more so, today.ĭirector Shawn Seet: The current youth protest movement makes the context of this film even clearer. Producer Matthew Street: I was probably the age of Storm Boy when I saw this film, that deals with life issues that were relatable to me.
That’s when producer Matthew Street got the idea that maybe it was time for a cinematic re-adaptation. Australian children still study the book at school, and in 2013 a stage adaptation was sold out for the entire season. I hope that everyone will connect with the themes of the film which I believe are universal, and experience the beauty and wildness of the Coorong National Park, a unique environment in Australia and the world.”Ĭolin Thiele’s novella Storm Boy, telling the story of a young boy’s extraordinary friendship with a pelican, has enchanted Australians for over half a century. Director Shawn Seet: “I’m truly honoured to have this film just be a part of this Festival, let alone be the opening film.
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