Drifters and dreamers
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2005
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Drifters and Dreamers is an investigation into the lives of misfits, outsiders and fringe dwellers of contemporary Australian life. My objective was to use the monologue form to contemplate the cause and effect of the marginalized and to examine the existing societal conventions that suppress individuality and freedom.
I developed separate stories around six key characters who were all drifters and dreamers - Rusty, Lily, Crackers, Magda, Juliet and Emilio. Extensive research was also part of my investigation which covered diverse areas such as genocide; the history of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia; the British bomb tests at Maralinga; hearing impairment; the nature of depression and homelessness. Finally, a seventh character - Herta - was created as a stylistic device to unify the work and create a through-line to the stories. Herta crosses between each character’s landscape and acts as a seer, guide and messenger. The nature of dreaming and dreamers was also explored throughout the film, often through the use of Magic Realism.
Drifters and Dreamers is a screenplay about loss, loneliness, belonging, freedom, love, renewal and redemption. It takes the form of six monologues for television, (approximately 10 minutes each), which exist as separate episodes or alternatively as a one hour drama.
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