A Poem, Warwick Thornton, and an Almost-Monsoon: How Apparent and Photoplay Brought Indigenous Mental Health to the Fore

Leading Aboriginal voices, creatives, and mental health professionals came together with Apparent and Photoplay to launch ‘Change Direction’, a film campaign aiming to raise awareness of the rate of suicide in Aboriginal Australian communities and the role culture plays in reversing the crisis.

Founded by psychologist Dr. Tracy Westerman AM (Nyamal), The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health partnered with director Warwick Thornton (Kaytetye), poet Dakota Feirer (Bundjalung-Gumbaynggirr), actor Pedrea Jackson (Jingili-Mudburra-Waramungu) and songman Fred Leone (Butchulla), to develop the film.

Written collaboratively by Apparent and Dakota, the film centres on a palindromic poem that turns negatives into positives through the power of cultural connection.

Apparent creative director Jackson Long and Photoplay EP Florence Tourbier spoke to LBB’s about how the short film’s palindromic structure influenced the cinematography, the collaborative and culturally sensitive approach to the production, and the campaign's high-profile endorsements, including from Adam Goodes and Cathy Freeman.

LBB> The poem is central to the film — how was it integrated into the cinematography and editing to create emotional impact?

Jackson> On a conceptual level, the palindrome poem dictated the whole style of the film.

Warwick and I envisioned a single performer’s journey away and then toward the camera -- shrinking into shadow and emerging into light. We wanted simple, yet evocative elements that helped the audience understand the poem’s reversal from negative to positive.

The poem is an exact line-by-line flip from the first half to second half, and we wanted viewers to grasp that, without bombarding them with a wall of text. From the first draft of the poem, to the final day of the edit, we were debating what words -- if any -- should show up on screen. We felt some key moments deserved accentuation, and would help mirror moments on both the positive and the negative sides.

Florence> Warwick’s vision for the film was always to create a very simple yet striking picture -- a visual metaphor that serves simply to underscore the power and emotions of the spoken words themselves.

Using a time-lapse photography technique, shot on salt lake flats, the original idea was for the sunset to rapidly deepen to twilight, erasing the details of our hero’s identity. That creates the midpoint of the poem and the film: our hero is closer to death than life; a shadow stripped of identity, as if lost to us.

We commissioned renowned Australian landscape photographer and artist Murray Frederick, to shoot the time lapse photography plates over two nights on the lake bed of Lake Gairdner. He came very close to getting caught up in an incoming monsoon weather front. What resulted was a happy accident -- the dark and dramatic stormy night skies that ended up much more evocative of the torment and dark places expressed in the poem, than a clear starry night could have ever been.

LBB> How did the collaboration between Apparent, Photoplay, and Indigenous creatives shape the film’s creative direction?

Jackson> This endeavour always needed to be led by Aboriginal voices. Apparent has been committed to supporting issues affecting First Nations people for years now -- and through another one of our pro bono Aboriginal clients, this idea was sparked.

Knowing we wanted to make a difference on a greater scale, we approached our friends at Photoplay, who have a great history of social impact projects. They have the relationship with director Warwick Thornton, and when we met with him, he was passionate about getting involved.

The poem at that stage was a proof of concept, but getting Aboriginal poet Dakota Feirer involved, helped us inject so much authenticity and specificity of emotions into the text.
We had members of the Aboriginal community, including our charity partner Dr. Tracy Westerman, review the script to ensure cultural appropriateness.

LBB> What were the biggest challenges in filming such a sensitive subject, and how did you ensure cultural safety on set?

Florence> This heart-breaking topic is a delicate and sensitive matter, and one that required handling with ongoing dedicated care throughout. Every little conversation, in both initial concept development and production, was considered with utmost thoughtfulness and care.

Our main concern as we moved into production was around casting and the well-being of our chosen talent, particularly as they got very close to the words and the dark emotions of the poem.

Warwick always works with a close-knit crew onset, and this shoot was no exception. With all the crew and suppliers involved because of the good cause, there was an exceptionally nurturing environment onset that day; a very safe place for Pedrea to give it his all, performance wise, which he clearly did!

LBB> The palindrome structure is a unique creative choice. How does it mirror the campaign’s broader message about reversing the Indigenous suicide crisis?

Jackson> Creating a film that is based on flipping the script could have felt like a gimmick. The palindrome structure was the idea from day one, but we knew because the insight was so strong (connection to culture is the way to reverse the narrative) that the message could be big enough to live beyond the short film execution.

We settled on ‘Change Direction’ as the title because it worked not just as a name of the film, but also as a clue to palindrome -- and most importantly, as an urgent call to action.
Yes, the film changes direction, but we’re also wanting to change the direction of Aboriginal mental health, and the direction of the country’s thinking when it comes to working with Indigenous peoples.

LBB> The campaign features high-profile supporters like Cathy Freeman and Adam Goodes. How did their involvement shape its impact or reach?

Jackson> We reached out to lots of influential voices, both Aboriginal and allies, to get their input and see if they’d be willing to share our campaign with their networks. Having heroes like Cathy Freeman and Adam Goodes meet with us, watch the film, and share how it made them feel was a really profound experience, and so uplifting to know how much they loved the work. Their endorsement on social media, coupled with people like Tim Minchin, Cate Blanchett, and many more has made sure the views of the film have skyrocketed.

Florence> Naturally too, having Warwick Thornton, one of Australia’s most celebrated First Nations auteur voices, attached as director of the short film, has no doubt added credibility and prestige to the campaign and elevated the cause. Practically, his involvement has helped open doors with media partners, supporters and influencers alike -- hopefully bolstering the campaign for extensive reach and meaningful impact.

LBB> What’s next for Change Direction? Are there plans to expand the initiative internationally or adapt it to other Indigenous communities?

Jackson> Our job in reconciliation is to listen. Everything in adland seems to be in a rush and on deadline. Aboriginal people have been here for 60,000 years. They know the power of patience and we’ve tried to learn from those lessons.

The beauty of this campaign is that while the message felt urgent, the patience we afforded the project allowed more people to contribute to it, which made it more powerful. So while we do have ambitions to make ‘Change Direction’ into something ongoing, we’ll be guided by what’s needed.