Film Shapes

I think this may be a first - here are some words about a 30 minute, made for TV documentary, which I was lucky enough to see (pre-broadcast) at The Backlot cinema. It's called Walking Man and and it's a film about the eponymous bloke who used to walk along Stirling Highway here in Perth for years. I think I'd seen him in the past, definitely many people I knew had, and if you're of a certain vintage, and from Perth, you'd know about him. He was quite the urban (living) legend. But I had no idea that he was actually a bloody good artist and he spent much of his life making art. The film is seen through the lens of the Walking Man, Ross Seaton's relationship with professor Ted Snell, who chanced upon him working one day and asked if he'd be keen on an exhibition. Ultimately agreeing but, sadly, passing away before things could be sorted, the film continues as a sort of jigsaw puzzle, with pieces provided by relatives and members of the public alike. Seaton...

It's Rev time again and this year's programme is stuffed full of goodies. The majority of films will be screened at Luna Leederville , with one or two a day in Freo at Luna on SX. The Backlot Perth has a few events, as does PICA and the WA Museum. The festival runs from Thu July 7th to Sun July 17th and there are 25 features, 15 documentaries and dozens of short films to check out, along with guest speakers doing Q&As, panel talks and other events. See the  Rev site  for details.  Festival director and founder, Richard Sowada, talked to us about the very first Rev in 1997 and how this year's programme showcases personal themes, small gestures and intimate relationships, while also allowing space for some suitable oddness. He also picked out a few highlights to check out. Listen below. Films that caught my eye were: Freaks Out , an Italian/Belgian co-production about super-powered circus performers in Nazi Germany; 18½ , about the missing minutes of Nixon's Watergate...