Bustard Head

Director's Statement

From the moment I learnt about the harsh realities of life at Australia’s light-station I was completely and utterly fascinated. But the twisted history of Bustard Head seemed to be plagued with more tragedy than most. From freak accidents to murder, there was just so much pain on this tiny headland, but the one that stuck with me the most, was that of Nils Gibson and his family. After more and more research his story, there was one question burnt into my brain; why after so much pain, would he stay at Bustard Head? Reading personal letters and official reports, I realised it was for his family. He came to Bustard Head to find a better life for his family and then he could not leave without them. I knew this story could not be brought justice with a typical historical documentary format. I was retelling a personal story and therefore must tell it in a way that would reflect that. Understanding the limitations and constraints of my resources helped push me greatly in my attempt break away from the traditional format and lean into hyper-styled direction. Using Brechtian theatre inspired live-action and German Expressionist conventions we were able to bring the audience along of the emotional journey, with the voice over narration guiding them through. Animation served as the stylistic choice to provide geographical context for things we could not physically capture due to the passage of time since the events occurred. After two years of development, I am utterly thrilled to have the final product as it is today. Bustard Head has been a project shaped by the COVID19 pandemic. First conceptualised in 2019, it’s 2020 production was cancelled due to the National lockdown laws. It was finally able to come to fruition in 2021.