2020 | Fiction | 117 min. | Australia
Set during WWII this is the story of Jarah’s coming-of-age in a brutal and lawless land–growing from a sweet child to a strong, independent and ferocious woman taking on Australia’s corrupt and bigoted system one bad guy at a time. In the best tradition of the gunslinging outlaw, when the enigmatic Jarah is pushed to the limit she explodes in a fury of retribution. But for a revenge western there is a surprising series of twists and turns that lead us closer to redemption and reconciliation.
Directors Statement
The horrors and reality of colonisation in Australia have been actively expunged from our records since the time of invasion, resulting in a modern society in need of reconciliation, compassion, understanding and forgiveness. This is of course impossible without facing the truth of our past and in so doing finding a way to move forward together. THE FLOOD is an action packed dramatic western styled adventure that uses our nation’s history as a framework to support an uncompromising, exacting and at times romantic and delicate female driven story that acts as a parable for race relations in our country. It is a world of juxtapositions and grave injustice as we move through the lives of black, white and women of colour, young and old, rich and poor, contrasting their grief, love, loss and rage against a ruthless rural patriarchy in WWII Australia. We take a roller coaster ride, reimagining history, where women of the era radicalize and push back on expectations. Through living lives of their own choosing they highlight the choices and actions of the brutal society around them. As a filmmaker, I’m most interested in blending an artistic and stylized atheistic within a multilayered and meaningful action story. This is a very fine line to walk in a country with history such as ours - honouring the past and treating it with the utmost sensitivity yet creating a completely engaging world that is utterly entertaining - working closely with our First Nation creative partners and our highly skilled production design team, I am confident we have achieved this balance. Forgiveness and redemption are at the heart of THE FLOOD but we only get there by traversing the truth. Australia has been predominantly and iconically represented as a land of sun, sea, sand and Harsh outback landscapes but there is another Australia, a feminine land of tiny, delicate detail, of softness and sweetness, of abundance and incredible variety. This is the world of THE FLOOD... Through the beauty of the land we are soothed through the brutality of the truth...and the delicate feel and tone of our unique light. THE FLOOD is a bridge between worlds, it asks us to review who we are and how we react to our land and people. However, it is also vibrant and entertaining, it draws on some wild west conventions and classic Saturday matinee styling. It is a Trojan horse, slipping enlightenment, social commentary and history within a piece of ‘bums on seats’ entertainment. THE FLOOD is a place for Australians to unite in feeling, to cheer together as the oppressed rise up to reclaim their personal power. We are all in this evolutionary process – within our countries and within in ourselves, each of us in our own way – which makes the film current and relevant to a universal audience.
Director: Victoria Wharfe McIntyre
Producers: Victoria Wharfe McIntyre, Craig Deeker, Steve Jaggi and Amadeo Marquez Perez
Сast: Alexis Lane, Shaka Cook, Dean Kyrwood, Dalara Williams, Karen Garnsey, Peter McAllum, Simone Landers and Aaron Jeffery
Studio: Wagtail Films
