What Do The Critics Say?

"The story takes a while to get going as Meredith's patronising, stickler for detail uncle lets his disapproval be felt (of Meredith, the residents and the lackadaisical inefficiencies). Meanwhile we are given picture postcard shots of the island's raw beauty and striking sunsets, the stark white crashing of the waves on the deadly rocks. The best scenes are those between Miranda Otto and Csokas (with a curious Welsh accent), shot in the claustrophobic lighthouse. They are both excellent as they portray their flawed and emotionally damaged characters." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Barrett's very particular vision is consistent; her characters are flawed, damaged, troubled - and yet they're basically optimistic and there's a good deal of incidental humour, with some very wry dialogue. Performances are outstanding Miranda Otto is particularly fine in the beautiful, touching scene in which Meredith talks to Alma about her wayward past and Barry Otto is splendid, too, as her fussy, prickly Uncle. Stunningly photographed by Anna Howard, "South Solitary" is a very special film, both original and in its own way, quite a daring one." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "This is a lovely film: droll, endearing and poignant, with an intoxicating sense of place that seeps into your pores. Remote islands are wonderful settings for stories about lonely people because it makes their isolation palpable and poetic. Another director might succumb to melodrama or wretchedness with this material. But Barrett's naturalistic dialogue has a way of allowing humour to peek through. Otto is superb here; she makes awkwardness charming. So, too, is Csokas, the New Zealand actor who has appeared in many films but has rarely had such a good role." Nick Dent BRISBANE SUNDAY MAIL "I especially like Rohan Nichol's Harry, a perfectly captured character whose flaws are only too familiar; the ever ready power of Essie Davis also impresses, and Marton Csokas, complete with a strange, Welsh-inspired accent, is a memorable figure as Fleet. Leading lady Miranda Otto has a terrific presence and is highly effective as Meredith, vulnerable but not a door mat, strong but not too assertive - and refusing to let her past make her a victim, but scarred by it." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE

"A frothy and light entertainment, full of likable performances and stunning locations, South Solitary could have turned out to be a dire and miserable tale. The solitude of life as a lighthouse keeper doesn’t spring to mind as being the basis of a rip-roaring comedy, but Barrett manages to infuse her potentially mournful tale with flourishes of broad humour." David Michael Brown EMPIRE MAGAZINE "A couple of months ago I wrote that I had seen two well written Australian films in recent months, and was a happy woman. One was Animal Kingdom. The other is South Solitary, and I am so delighted to see a film written by Shirley Barrett back on our screens. It's ten years since Barrett made her last film, Walk the Talk. South Solitary walks a fine line between tender drama and rueful comedy. As with all good tightrope acts, you can't take your eyes away for a minute." Julie Rigg ABC RADIO NATIONAL "It was Shirley Barrett who discovered Miranda Otto's gift for screen comedy and it is Barrett who is responsible for its re-emergence. It's been in hiding for a long time. Their last collaboration, "Love Serenade", was made in 1996, starring Otto as a dreamy young waitress looking for love in a sleepy town on the backwaters of the Murray. A radio DJ with a monstrous ego and a shady past was the unlikely object of her affections. It was like watching a mouse being seduced by a crocodile. "South Solitary" is a similarly deadpan piece about the tricks that loneliness can play on the libido." Sandra Hall SYDNEY MORNING HERALD "The first thing that strikes you about South Solitary is its visual splendor. Gorgeous cinematography and unshowy period production and costume design effortlessly draw the audience into Meredith's (Miranda Otto) rather extraordinary predicament. What lurks behind the whirling winds and the stoic characters is a warm-hearted film that also happens to be as pretty as a picture." Alice Tynan CONCRETE PLAYGROUND "South Solitary is a lovely, awkward film, an exploration of characters mired in isolation; it's a slow-moving work with a deceptively gentle surface, an unpredictable comic touch and a dark, melancholy aspect. Barrett's work also respects the reticence of the era in which the film is set, without being undermined by its circumscribed nature. South Solitary's performances are finely observed, and Otto is terrific as Meredith. The film's restraint and its embrace of uncomfortable, spiky characters are deceptive elements; there is a quiet audacity about South Solitary that's an unexpected pleasure." Philippa Hawker THE AGE

The Inside Story The idea for "South Solitary" came unexpectedly for writer/director Shirley Barrett ("Love Serenade" & TV'S "Heartbreak High"). "While researching another film about whaling around the Eden South Coast area, I stayed at Green Cape Lighthouse and chanced upon their log books which were really interesting. There had been a really terrible shipwreck down there, and the assistant light keepers had to go and rescue all the people who were drowning. It was fascinating reading because one of the assistant’s cottages became the temporary morgue! It just sort of got me interested in lighthouses and then I read further about the Tasmanian lighthouses in particular, Maatsuyker and Tasman Island and some other ones with such stories as homing pigeons that were used as means of communication and not overly successfully, and the body in the bathtub, they were all stories that were based on true events that happened in these extremely remote lighthouse islands, particularly the ones off Tasmania." Producer Marian Macgowan was quick to come on board with the film after being sent the script by Barrett’s agent. "I have always liked Shirley’s work very much indeed and so I read it over the weekend, in fact I read it twice, I just thought it was so wonderful. I said yes I wanted to do it with her, so we started working on it pretty much straight away after that." Although both Barrett and Macgowan believed in the film from the beginning, getting the film to the production stage proved to be quite a lengthy journey. "We came on board in 2005 so it’s five years since we have been involved and that’s partly because of the ongoing attempts to make the film the way that Shirley wanted to make it," says Macgowan. "Independent films are always hard to finance. The beautiful romantic story that is 'South Solitary' would be fine if it took place in your back garden, but it becomes a more expensive exercise when you have to travel an entire crew to a remote location. So it’s very much a process of persuading people of the vision of the director and the beauty of the final product and finding the right price for that film." Finding a location that would capture the essence of the solitude and harsh environment of South Solitary Island was of upmost importance to writer/director Shirley Barrett and producer Marian Macgowan. "Our original intention was to shoot the film on Maatsukyer Island, which is the southernmost lighthouse island in Australia," says Macgowan. However issues with accessibility, budget and safety concerns meant the filmmakers had to look elsewhere to find the perfect spot which turned out to be Portland, a town off the southern coast of Victoria. "Portland was chosen partly because of the perfection of the lighthouse, the surrounding cottages, the beautiful wild nature of the landscape, and because Portland also had notoriously bad weather." The cold grey weather was an essential element to the story, and Macgowan and Barrett believed they had the perfect location with Portland. However, whilst in production Portland enjoyed its hottest weather since 1945, much to the delight of the local residents and the disappointment of the filmmakers. One of the most unexpected coup of the film, as Barrett recalls was "the discovery of the haulage location, which one of the locals told us about, was 5 minutes down the road from our main location. It was the way they used to have to ship supplies up in Tasmania and we had looked at locations all over Australia and the UK and never found anything! It was unbelievable luck for us." Achieving a balance between the torridness of the natural elements, location and the tender nature of the story was imperative for D.O.P. Anna Howard ACS. "I wanted a stillness in the camera so that the environment and the actors actually play out the movement within it," says Howard ("Girl in a Mirror" & "Rats and Cats"). "I think it’s got a lovely pace to it and it’s really very gentle and the performances are great and the landscape was magnificent." The decision to set the film in the 1920s allowed Barrett ("Walk the Talk" and, the 1988 AFI Award winning short film, "Cherith") to explore the communication methods of the era "I chose the 1920s partly because of the proximity to the First World War and also because radio, wireless and radio communications were introduced to those Tasmanian Lighthouses around 1930 so I wanted to get in before they had any means of additional communication. At this time, the common practice for communication was reliant on pigeons. That all stopped once they were able to communicate, their position was less isolated. It went on to be a less fraught place to live and so I was interested in those things; extreme isolation, the comedy I suppose of lighthouses, lighthouse keepers being so lonely that they would over feed the pigeons and treat them as pets." Costume designer Edie Kurzer ("Thank God He Met Lizzie" & "Look Both Ways") was thrilled to be working with the era. "When you get a period film you can’t help but be a little bit excited about what that might mean from a costume point of view and I really felt I was in a position to do a period film. There’s a lot of contemporary work around at the moment, so it was really exciting to be looking at something set in the 1920s because it’s such an interesting time." “We did a lot of research: I quite like the 1920s as it is just on the edge of being able to speak to people who were alive at that time or the children of people who were alive; so it was really great finding some older people to talk about their parents or what they remember from their childhood in various sorts of aspects. People would get quite excited when they’re talking about their grandmothers and the pinnies they used to wear and things like the way they’d hold the vegetables in them or they’d turn them inside out when somebody was coming because it was dirty on one side, little details like that I find quite fascinating and broader ways of researching with books and the National Sound and Film archive was very helpful." Australian actress Miranda Otto is recognised internationally as the Warrior Princess Eowyn from Peter Jackson’s acclaimed "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy. She is also known for her role in the Steven Spielberg remake of "War Of The Worlds", in which she starred with Tom Cruise and Tim Robbins. Miranda’s other film credits include the critically acclaimed New Zealand drama "In My Father's Den"; the action/adventure "The Flight Of The Phoenix", opposite two time Independent Spirit Award Dennis Quaid; "What Lies Beneath" and "The Thin Red Line". Miranda also played a scheming Frenchwoman in Charlie Kaufman’s "Human Nature". Other European credits include; the title role in "Julie Walking Home" for renowned female Polish director Agnieszka Holland; the English thriller "Doctor Sleep" opposite ER’s Goran Visnjic, and Italian director Sandro Dionisio’s "La Volpe A Tre Zampe" (The Three Legged Fox) in 2001. But, it was at home in Australia that Miranda first made her mark. Shortly after graduating from the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art she starred in "The Last Days Of Chez Nous" (1992) directed by the highly acclaimed Gillian Armstrong; "Love Serenade" which won the 1996 Caméra d'Or at Cannes (written and directed by Shirley Barrett) and opposite Rhys Ifans, playing Glenda Lake in the romantic comedy, "Danny Deckchair" (2003). Barry Otto has worked in the performing arts in Australia for more than thirty five years. His performance as Doug Hastings in "Strictly Ballroom" received two awards for Best Supporting Actor from the Australian Film Institute and Film Critics’ Circle. He has appeared in the Australian films "Australia", "Three Blind Mice", "Rogue", "Newcastle", "Oscat And Lucinda", "Kiss or Kill", "Dead Letter Office", "The Nice Guy" (with Jackie Chan) and starred in "Lilian's Story", "On Our Selection" and, "Cosi", for which he received a Green Room Award for Best Actor. Marton Csokas has built his acting career around prolific work in both the theatre and in film. His diverse feature credits include David Mackenzie’s "Asylum" with Natasha Richardson and Ian McKellen; Paul Greengrass's "The Bourne Supremacy opposite Matt Damon; Ridley Scott’s "Kingdom Of Heaven"; Peter Jackson’s "The Lord Of The Rings", the unforgettable "Rain" for and Christine Jeffs. In addition, Csokas won the 2007 Australian Film Institute Award for 'Best Supporting Actor' for his performance in "Romulus, My Father, playing Hora. Csokas will nest be seen with Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Ciarán Hinds and Tom Wilkinson in John Madden's "The Debt". He recently played Alice’s father in Tim Burton’s "Alice In Wonderland". Born in Geraldton WA, Rohan Nichol graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 1999. Rohan’s work in film includes short films such as the Award winning "Katoomba" directed by Leon Ford and independent Australian features such as: "Garage Days" (with Marton Csokas) directed by Alex Proyas, "A Man's Gotta Do" (with John Howard) directed by Chris Kennedy, along with major international releases such as George Lucas's "Star Ward Episode 3" and appearing with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in "Fool's Gold". His Australian television work includes guest, recurring and regular roles in network dramas such as "Rush", "Underbelly", "All Saints" and "The Pacific". Since graduating from Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Hobart born Essie Davis has become one of Australia’s most respected and acclaimed film, theatre and television actresses. Her feature film credits include "Girl With The Pearl Earring" with Tom Wilkinson, Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson and Cillian Murphy; "The Matrix Reloaded", "The Matrix Revolutions"; Irish thriller "Isolation", "Charlotte's Webb" and most recently, Baz Luhrmann’s epic "Australia". At the tender age of ten, Annie Martin is just getting started. Her first experience in feature films was as an extra in "Nim's Island" which starred Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin, which was followed by a small role in the tele-movie "My Place – 1958". Sixteen year old Reef Ireland has appeared in a number of popular Australian drama television series including, "Tangle", "Rush" Series 2 and "City Homicide". Reef also starred in the acclaimed Australian feature film, "Blessed" alongside Frances O'Connor, Miranda Otto and 1988 Golden Space Needle Award winner Deborra-Lee Furness. Melbourne born Benson Adam began his acting career at a young age, having appeared in a number of television commercials when he was seven years old as well as the much loved television series "Blue Heelers". Benson’s first feature film was "The Wannabes" directed by Nick Giannopoulos. A Macgowan Films production, "South Solitary" was shot over six weeks at Cape Nelson and Cape Otway in southern Victoria and was financed with the assistance of Screen Australia, Film Victoria, Screen NSW, Omnilab Media and private investment. The OST was composed by Mary Finsterer, recognised as one of our most original composers. What's It All About?

The year is 1927, and the setting is South Solitary, a rugged and remote lighthouse island, directly in the path of the Roaring Forties. Meredith Appleton, 35, arrives with her uncle, George Wadsworth, the replacement Head Keeper. She is a 'chin up!' sort of girl, and she needs to be in these circumstances. The previous Head Keeper committed suicide. The light has a reputation for 'going out'in the middle of the night. And to top it all off, they almost never see any actual ships. It seems, as a shipping route, going anywhere near South Solitary was long ago given up as a bad idea. Meredith arrives on the island harboring shameful secret: one which now forces her to rely upon the charity of her only surviving relative, her uncle. She cooks and cleans for him, in return for accommodation on whatever lighthouse island he is assigned. But this assignment will not be easy for either of them.

The Verdict "Right from the start you can sense that "South Solitary" will be, if nothing else, a film of great beauty. Thankfully there is more to it than glorious cinematography on this isolated island, surrounded by seas and at the mercy of whatever elements, mother nature chooses to throw at those inhabitants who are there for only one purpose: to keep the light burning. George Wadsworth has been sent to the island because a number of serious allegations have been raised about the operation of the lighthouse. Meredith Appleton is asked to read the complaints, but only has time to read two before Reef Ireland jumps in to defend himself by pointing out: "Amazing isn't it. Don't see a single ship from one week to the next, yet the minute the light goes out.." There is one more complaint and Wadsworth is far from impressed, especially when told that it was after all New Years Eve and Reef had partaken of a couple of drinks. Now on report, Reep points out: "after all we are stuck here on the arsehole of the earth." And then there's the startling revelation of how the former Head Light Keeper Arthur Grimshaw topped himself on the twenty third of June 1927. As for the storyline: there's indiscretion; awkward love; the devastation of a raging storm; loss and the grind of daily life to cope with. "Solitary South" is an honest piece of work, in as much as it tells a tale which is as raw as life itself. The ensemble cast breathes life into these 'ordinary' characters who are, after all, just simple down to earth people, trying to do their job while living in isolated containment with only themselves for company. That aspect is what makes "South Solitary", a tad special. While it won't be every cinemagoers cup of tea, those who relish a simple period piece will find much to enjoy here. 3 1/2 STARS." The Production Team

Director Writer Producers Original Music Production Design Art Direction Casting Voice Coach

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Shirley Barrett Shirley Barrett Miranda Culley & Marian Macgowan Mary Finsterer Paul Heath Jane Murphy Mullinars Casting Consultants Jenny Kent

Who Is Playing Who?

Miranda Otto Marton Csokas Barry Otto Essie Davis Reef Ireland Rohan Nichol Annie Martin Benson Adams Graham Tait

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Meredith Appleton Jack Fleet George Wadsworth Alma Stanley Tom Harry Stanley Nettie Robbie Launch Driver

Run Time 105 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Icon Distribution - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 The Movie Pages & impact Internet Services. All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian and International Copyright. Trademark Laws and Intellectual Property Rights apply.