What Do The Critics Say?

"Zig-zagging between the comedic and dramatic, "Lucky Miles" is a patchwork quilt made of fact-based stories embellished by the imagination of the filmmakers, and it plays so successfully it was voted Best Feature at the 2007 Sydney Film Festival Audience Awards. Performances deliver complete enough characters, and the setting of untamed Australian locations gives the film a real edge - especially in the experienced hands of veteran cinematographer Geoff Burton. Above all, it's unique - which is a great quality." Andrew L Urban URBANCINEFILE "A bitter-sweet comedy was a daring approach by first time feature director, Michael James Rowland, to a phenomenon that many Australians take very seriously. Inspired by several true stories from those times Rowland, working with co-writer Helen Barnes, has captured in a very human way the stresses and strains of different cultures attempting to survive together after being impelled for a variety of reasons to seek a better life elsewhere. The performances from a group of relative unknowns ground the film in reality. 3 1/2 STARS" Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "It is beautifully filmed, and contains an interesting mix of colourful quirky characters, whose interaction is at times hilarious. Slap stick comedy abounds. Wandering lost, in a beautiful but also devastatingly cruel Australian bush, our heroes are pursued by an almost farcical army reservist unit. Their journey takes lots of humorous twists and turns as they each search with determination and hope for a way home, to find family or democracy, with only a hand drawn map, a few biscuits and a couple of bottles of water between them. It is a film which treats the sensitive issues of boat people and boarder control with warmth and humour without attempting to judge their actions." CARITAS AUSTRALIA "Inspired by real life, or something close enough to the truth, this 1990-set story begins with Cambodian and Iraqi refugees piling onto the unsympathetic coastline of Western Australia. They soon discover that it isn’t the right drop-off spot to begin their new lives, and is in fact in the middle of nowhere. Lucky Miles does feature a unique and engaging approach to sub-titling though, and boasts strong naturalistic performances. It also offers slabs of crisp physical comedy." Julian Shaw FILMINK

"Geoff Burton's cinematography is outstanding as it immerses us into the wild grasses, the desolate sands, the rocky terrain and the flame-coloured skies. The tone projected is one that sardonically reflects the often tragically amusing plight of all the characters. We become involved in all of their lives as refugees, army reserve patrol members and boat crew find themselves at the mercy of the harsh Australian sun and the elements. This is a film worth discovering - just as its diverse characters discover their fate in a new country. It's a buddy movie without buddies; a road movie without a road; a chase movie with nowhere to go. Lucky Miles is a unique Australian story, bringing together three fish-out-of water characters thrown together out of necessity." Louise Keller URBANCINEFILE "I must say it was quite a while before I realised that it was supposed to be a comedy. When a few comic scenes began I thought it was clumsy rather than intentionally funny, unintentionally funny. But gradually you realise that it's meant to be that way and it's sort of creeping up on you. the film it's really interesting and enjoyable and I think that all the performances are good. I think it's, you know, quite an original and sometimes even quite exciting film. 3 1/2 STARS" David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "Lucky Miles is a likeable addition to the small genre of films that say we came from somewhere. I was expecting it to be worthy, but it's more clever than that. It's a comedy for a start, which is unexpected. The film was shot mostly in South Australia, but it's convincing as northern Australia. Geoff Burton, a veteran of shooting in far corners of the continent (he did Sunday Too Far Away in 1975), gives the landscape a blistered beauty, with no hint of human habitation. Rowland and co-writer Helen Barnes wrote the film based on their research into the stories of people who arrived in the north of Australia in similar circumstances. A lot of it made my eyes water, and only some of that was from laughter. It's a wry, perceptive and wily piece of filmmaking, a comic parable for our times. 3 1/2 STARS" Paul Byrnes SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

The Inside Story "Lucky Miles" began as a response to "The Lexus & The Olive Tree" by Thomas Friedman (the New York Times writer responsible for defining globalisation for much of the West) and took its form and inspiration from several true stories, played out on the remote coastline of Western Australia between 1989-1992. The story of "Lucky Miles" is woven together from three intersecting plots but is foremost a buddy movie in the proud tradition of the three guys stuck out on a limb genre. Like the Oscar-winning "No Man's Land", it also deals with inherently political material in an accessible, entertaining and slightly absurdist fashion. The main story is that of Arun, Youssif and Ramelan, three men lost in the desert without a compass or proper map, bound together by the limited resource of water and the need to survive. They start off as strangers with little in common, each wanting different things, but over the course of the film become painfully aware they’re dependent on each other to live. The secondary story is that of a small army reserve unit sent to search for a missing man. Based on the Norforce units of the Northern Territory, the Kangaroo 4 unit is made up of an officer from the city and two men from the local area. Their bush skills range inversely to their rank. At work in their own backyard, their task is made difficult by the confusing nature of the information they’re gathering. The tertiary story is that of two fishermen forced to begin a long trek along miles of Australian beach as they aim for first Broome and ultimately home in Indonesia. One is the Captain, the other his Best Mate. The captain is under a time crisis to get home quickly and save his business. His companion isn’t under the same pressure so isn’t covering ground at the same speed. The film is set in the same remote area of desert flanked by sea, but the emotional landscape of each of these stories is quite different. Although the circumstances of these rich characters vary, in "Lucky Miles" everyone is dealing with a version of the same thing: they’re forced into dependency with people with whom they have little in common (too little for it to be comfortable). Throughout the film everyone is dealing with voids in language, knowledge, expectation and trust. These differences make everything harder than it should be. This is the central theme of "Lucky Miles", the heart of the film, the engine of its humour and the journey all the characters have to take. It is a generous theme which works extremely well. For the Australian audience, "Lucky Miles" subverts and updates the unique Australian myth of men wandering lost in the desert, in the dead heart of our vast country. It echoes several true stories along the way, including Burke & Wills. Yet "Lucky Miles" is more than an Australian story; it’s about a shrinking world where cultures collide and will have a broad global audience amongst those who also recognise these forces in their own lives. The film serves as a metaphor for the consequences of globalisation. It examines a world in which we are forced to negotiate and navigate difference between individuals and communities, regardless of how uncomfortable, confronting or unpleasant we may find it. It forces us to consider how we can and must bridge the cultural chasm that lies between different citizens and states if we are to do business together, progress, survive. The inspiration for "Lucky Miles" came from several stories Michael James Rowland first heard when he visited the Pilbara region of Western Australia in the late 1980s. True stories of ‘boat people’ landing on the remote WA coastline in the hope of starting a new life, quickly running into trouble as they set out into some of the harshest and least populated country of Australia. In March 2000 Michael began researching these stories through news archives with the aim of developing this project. Several of these stories involving different nationalities were reported during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Helen Barnes and Michael worked on the first two drafts together. The development of the second draft began with a workshop reading at Belvoir St Theatre. Actors including Don Hany and Kenneth Moraleda were employed to play all characters. Importantly and rewardingly, the reading demonstrated the characters are strong and unique and, as is critical in a successful buddy movie, are able to inspire the audience to care about them as they moved through the alien environment in which they find themselves. Following the workshop, Michael and Helen embarked on a rigorous process of script development. This process was strongly collaborative and intensive. They embarked on a series of meeting with Cultural Consultants. Once this draft was complete, the filmmakers elected to test the script in front of an audience. In November 2003, a rehearsed public reading was held at the Sydney Theatre Company in front of an invited audience of 150, comprising Consultants, potential funders, broadcasters and a circle of peers and friends. The reception was enthusiastic. Synopsis

Inspired by stories of extreme survival and high farce about refugees roaming through the Pilbara region in the late eighties, "Lucky Miles" is foremost a buddy movie in the proud tradition of the three guys stuck out on a limb genre. It is the 1990's. An Indonesian fishing boat anchors close to the Pilbara coastline off Western Australia and unloads its cargo of Iraqi and Cambodian refugees. They must swim to shore while clutching their personal possessions. They have been abandonded in a remote hostile evnironment, as they will soon discover. Whilst most are quickly caught by officials, three men with nothing in common but their misfortune and determination escape arrest and begin an epic journey into the heart of Australia. Pursued by an army reservist unit that is more intent on kicking a footy around or catching crayfish, our three heroes wander deeper into the desert, desperately searching for civilization amongst the hot stones of the Pilbara and that elusive road, with its bus-stop and yes, a bus to Perth.

The Verdict "I'd heard quite a bit about "Lucky Miles" long before I had a chance to see it. Well, I could have gone to the only media screening in Adelaide, but I chose to hang out for a W.O.M screening where I could judged a real audiences reaction to the film. Then the big news came. "Lucky Miles" wins Audience Award at Sydney Film Festival. Being a bit of a cynic (when it comes to 'audience' awards) my first reaction was, " WOW!, it must be good." I mean, lets face it, film festivals are a dime a dozen these days. They're multiplying faster than rabbits in a peak breeding period. If you live in a big city the one 'must' you 'must' have is a film festival. But not just any old festival, it has to be an 'international' film festival. Something grand sounding which will attract droves of people from all over the planet who get sucked in by a myriad of wonderful sounding films fitting into an endless list of genre's, competing for numerous 'corporate' sponsored awards which unfortunately, like tits on a bull, are totally meaningless. And, shock horror, you may be surprised to learn, the vast majority of these films are only ever heard of at a film festival. Included in most festival awards is a Jury Grand Prize Award for the 'Best Picture' and of course the obligatory 'Audience Award'. Here's another surprise. At most of these film festivals the 'best' picture award and 'audience' award usually goes to two different films. Without being totally derogatory it must be a thrill to win at one of these festivals, and from time to time a genuine box office winner comes up, but in the main (unless your an art house cinema snob), they mean very little to the average punter who just wants to be entertained and receive good value for his or her diminishing dollar. "Lucky Miles" marks the feature film directorial debut for Michael James Rowland who also wrote the script. Initially, the film starts out a little awkward, like a teenager girl trying to find her balance the first time she attempts to wear high heel shoes. There isn't anything here outstanding, in fact, it is pretty bleak and emotionless. The initial characters we are introduced to fail to endear themselves to us. They are distant and withdrawn. The refugees have been taken for a ride. They believe it's just a short walk up the sandhills and there will be a road, a bus-stop and yes, a bus to nearby Perth. Then as the cold hard truth of their plight unfolds, it finds its feet and you start to feel a real empithy for these victims. They are in deep shit. Really deep shit! They've been duped and now face a fight for survival in a hostile, unforgiving environment. What shouldn't be a laughing matter soon turns into a full blown comedy of errors, some of which is ingenius. From disengaging to engaging. From drama to outrageous comedy. From disaster to survival. It's all here in "Lucky Miles". It may not change your political viewpoint on illegal boat imigrants but it will entertain you. Very recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Real Life Refugees For the sake of authenticity, the decision was made early that the filmmakers would only cast the refugee characters from within Australia’s Iraqi and Cambodian communities. Thorl Chea and his family survived five years of the Khmer Rouge rampage through Cambodia before living in a UN refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border for ten years. The family eventually came to live in Australia in the 1980s. Much of Thorl’s story and spirit is in Lucky Miles: he helped Michael and Helen with the first and second drafts of the script, worked on the Khmer translation with his father, taught Kenneth Moraleda (ARUN) Khmer before ultimately taking on the role of NOL. An overcrowded apartment in Fairfield is the home of Fiark Hany, cousin of Don Hany (PLANK), and five other Iraqi refugees all just released from detention centres. Fiark was an important contributor to the Iraqi narrative and one of his flatmates present on that first night, Assad Abdulrazak, went on to take on the role of ABBAS. His friend and fellow refugee Toma Isho also joined the cast as FIRAS. Thorl, Assad and Toma are not actors but all brought their own life experiences to the making of Lucky Miles. They were joined by professional actors, including Majid Shokor as SALEH. Majid was one of Iraq’s leading stage actors in the 1980s, who fled Iraq shortly before the first Gulf War after objecting to performing in the Iraqi National Theatre company’s endless productions of Saddam Hussein’s own scripts. His journey to Australia took him through Syria, Jordan and Lebanon before settling in Melbourne in the mid 1990s. Majid not only made a fine SALEH, he was also an important resource both during pre-production and on location, translating all of the Arabic sections and acting as a language and cultural consultant for Rodney Afif (YOUSSIF). Crew Bytes Prior to studying at The Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney, Michael James Rowland worked as art director for the Adelaide Festival of Arts. He graduated from AFTRS in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts and two AFI nominations. His final year film "Flying over Mother" screened at film festivals all over the world. Over the last seven years Michael has moved between drama, documentary and commercials as both a writer and director. He was nominated for an Australian Writers' Guild Awgie Award for his work on children's animation series, "Bambaloo", and his collaboration with producer Michael Bourchier included directing episodes for the award-winning series "Head Start", and directing the pilot of children's animation series "Club Sandwich". Michael has also generated his own work, writing and directing series for the ABC and SBS including TV drama "Bloodsports".
Ruth De la Lande is one of Australia’s most celebrated Costume Designers. She works consistently in both film and television, collaborating with leading directors including Bruce Beresford on David Williamson’s classic "The Club" (1980) and Bill Bennett on "Kiss or Kill" (1997), for which she was nominated for an AFI Award. Recent film highlights include Paul Goldman’s directorial debut "Australian Rules" (2002) and Peter Catteneo’s follow-up to "The Full Monty", "Opal Dream" (2005). Ruth’s television work has included "Fergus McPhail" (2004) and "Chuck Finn" (1999), and she also contributes to the long-running series "McLeods Daughters".
Henry Dangar is recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative editors. Nominated many times for his work, his first AFI win came for his ground-breaking work on Bill Bennett’s "Kiss or Kill" (1997), a product of his long-term collaboration with director Bill Bennett, a collaboration which also includes films such as "In a Savage Land" (1999) and "The Nugget" (2002). Other career highlights include Nick Parsons’ "Dead Heart" (1996) and the acclaimed miniseries "Mary Bryant" (2005). Henry was responsible for editing some of Australia’s classic series such as "Bangkok Hilton" (1989) and since 2003 has cut the hit series of "Blackjack" telemovies.
Geoff Burton is one of Australia's most renowned Directors of Photography. Among his many credits are some of the seminal films of Australian cinema including "Sunday Too Far Away", "Storm Boy" and "The Year My Voice Broke". Geoff has worked with all of Australia's leading directors, including Phil Noyce ("Dead Calm"), John Duigan ("The Year My Voice Broke", "Flirting") and Tracey Moffatt ("Bedevil"). As cinematographer, he was also responsible for some of the highlights of Australian television, including "Vietnam", "Bangkok Hilton", "Hell Has Harbour Views" and "After the Deluge". Winner of AFI, Film Critics Circle and Golden Tripod Awards for cinematographer, Geoff has also worked as a writer and director, and has directing credits that include "Sydney: The Story of a City", "Aftershocks", "Intensive Care" and "The Sum of Us" (co-director). Geoff was also the writer/director of the TV series "The Australians at War". Who's Who?

Kenneth Moraleda Sri Sacdpraseuth Rodney Afif Sawung Jabo Arif Hidayat Majed Abbas Asaad Abdulrazak Samang Chan Thorl Chea Tevi Fanning Rithy Dourng Glen Shea Sean Mununggurr Don Hany Deborah Mailman Don Barker Maurice Howie Vincent Chea Lillian Crombie Jo Dyer Andrew S Gilbert Daniel Wyllie Gerard Kennedy

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Arun Ramelan Yousif Al-Samer Muluk Abdu Hussam Abbas Chay Nol Huoy Heng Sergeant O'Shane Private Tom Collins Private Greg Plank Lisa Pub Regular #1 Pub Regular #2 Young Arun Evie Newsreader Policeman #1 Policeman #2 Shooter

Run Time 105 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Dendy Films - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.