What Do The Critics Say?

"Anchored by two outstanding performances, Unfinished Sky is an engaging and intriguing drama. It is engaging for its characters and intriguing for its unpredictable story. William McInnes turns John into a complex character whose isolation is rudely interrupted. Monic Hendrickx makes an alluring and interesting Tahmeena, at times tragic, at times endearingly feminine. the human drama of the story behind Tahmeena's circumstances offers a glimpse into a world most Australians can't understand, don't see and hardly ever care about." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "Peter Duncan has transposed the Dutch box-office hit "The Polish Bride" to a Queensland location where the self-imposed isolation of sheepfarmer John Waldring, (WILLIAM McINNES), is disrupted by the arrival of a bruised and battered woman who can’t speak English. The relationship between John and Tahmeena is developed beautifully and tentatively." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES "Any movies that come out of Queensland that are any good seem to be the ones that funding bodies or the bigger studios have had little interest in. Recently it was Alister Grierson's fine and utterly underrated "Kokoda" (2006), before that Jonathan Teplitzky's "Gettin' Square" (2003) and many years before that, Danny Vendramini's "Redheads" in 1992. Unfinished Sky is an honourable addition to that list. It's a tight movie, widening the focus of the original "The Polish Bride" (De Poolse Bruid, 1998)." YOUR ABC HOBART FILM REVIEWS "Unfinished Sky has a thriller element twisted through it, too, flashing back to reveal how Tahmeena came to be in such a predicament. And revealing a dark underside to rural camaraderie. This loose remake of the 1998 Dutch hit "The Polish Bride" which also starred Hendrickx, is well-suited to the new landscape into which it has been transplanted. McInnes and Hendrickx have just the right balance of controlled chemistry as the unlikely couple. An intelligent romantic thriller." Vicky Roach DAILY TELEGRAPH

"With its economic and enticing storytelling, "Unfinished Sky" is one of those films whose elements sneak up so cleverly, that we are swept away before we know it. It's been nine years since Peter Duncan's last film, "Passion", graced our screens, and Duncan's "Unfinished Sky" is one of the best Australian films of the year. There is scarcely any dialogue during the film's first twelve minutes as the predicament of the two central characters is established. McInnes' John leads a solitary life, shared only by his cattle dog Elvis. McInnes conveys all the conflict and pain his tortured character is suffering with little more than a look, while Hendrickx is appealing as the lost soul searching for her past life. Satisfying to the very last detail, "Unfinished Sky" is a gripping film whose great sense of place grounds it solidly and with whose characters we can empathise." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE "Peter Duncan is the sort of director who likes to tease people by giving them pieces of information and then slowly filling in the gaps. "Unfinished Sky" is a solid film in all respects. Duncan’s screenplay rings mostly true, and McInnes and Hendrickx are compelling leads given sturdy support from Field, Roy Billing and Billie Brown as a shady hotelier." Colin Fraser FILMINK "This is an Australian movie that has been a firm audience favourite on the Festival circuit, wherever it has been shown. Filmed on location at an old homestead in Beaudesert." CATHNEWS "What I think is fascinating here for future trivia game players is that Monic Hendrickx, the Dutch actress, played the Polish character in the original Dutch film and plays an Afghan character in this. And to play from such different backgrounds convincingly. I mean that's amazing. I think William McInnes is very good. I think the setting is very well used. 4 STARS." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES

The Inside Story "Unfinished Sky" is the first production by New Holland Pictures, a company established by Australian producers Cathy and Mark Overett and Dutch producers Anton Smit and San Fu Maltha, specifically to make English language feature films. Previously Cathy and Mark had established a highly successful international television business, which included a relationship with IdtV Film in Holland, run by Anton Smit ("Family" 2001, "Godforsaken" 2003 & "Cloaca" 2003). "We were very keen to get into the feature film business and they were very keen to start to expand into English language films, so we sat down at a round table and discussed a number of projects which were possible, and this one rose to the surface," Cathy explained. "It is a remake a Dutch film called "De Poolse Bruid" ("The Polish Bride") and it is very much one which has universal themes. It is four years since we started to make this and it is interesting that the themes even then were quite resounding, but now even more so. It is quite pertinent to today’s times both in Australia and internationally." Anton Smit has been visiting Australia for thirty years and was looking for the right opportunity to work here: "I’ve always been very frustrated when a beautiful Dutch movie doesn’t cross over internationally because of its language and so I’ve been toying with the idea of finding a Dutch movie and trying to translate it to make it into an English language movie. With this film, I had from the beginning the idea of making it into a real Australian film, a beautiful love story which would also be a political statement. In Holland, the film was about how, when the Iron Curtain went down, a mass of women from behind the Iron Curtain came to the West. Some of them were forced into prostitution. In our film the woman is from Afghanistan and she falls in love with a Queensland farmer." Anton and Cathy talked to several writers about adapting the script of "The Polish Bride" to an Australian setting. They chose Peter Duncan initially as the writer but then it quickly became apparent that Peter was also the right person to direct the film. "Peter liked the idea, he liked the original movie, and he made it into a beautiful script, a script that went way beyond just an adaptation. It was really very much turning into his own story and he created a very authentic Australian atmosphere," says Anton. Peter Duncan was intrigued by the passion and humanity in the original screenplay. He felt that the film, despite some long, languid European moments, really "packed a wallop emotionally. I also felt it was something that would translate readily to an Australian context because of the notion of distance. If a stranger turns up on someone’s farm in Australia then they’ve walked a very, very long way and if they’ve walked that far they’ve walked away from something very bad; so I thought that that could potentially heighten the sense of drama in setting it in an Australian context. I worked on the suspense in the adaptation and building the fear." And does the film give audiences cause to reflect on the fear and suspicion generated by 9/11? "I think we live in times at the moment where even the most politically informed amongst us have been so whipped by the politics of fear and the way the world has erupted since 9/11, that, at a time when the world needs to become more cohesive and interact more, think we are finding ourselves even more wary of anything foreign and anything different and I think that comes out in almost all the politics of the West now,"the director/writer offered. "I thought this film was a great opportunity to express, in a very simple way, this affliction and that was the big creative hook for me. I try to look for the big idea in even a simple story. Politics interests me and this, I think, is a very political story." And you can see that in the character William McInnes plays, John Woldring? "In Children of the Revolution the politics was overt, but in Unfinished Sky the characters don’t talk about the politics at all, or terrorism, or detention. There is a more subtle way of getting a message across and the message of this is that our lead character John, who is very wary of other people, let alone foreigners, and is very sequestered, finds that actually by opening himself to this woman and letting her into his life, his life gets better," Duncan said. As audiences will discover, there's more to "Unfinished Sky" than politics. "The politics is an undercurrent, a back story. First and foremost this film is a love story," says Cathy. Duncan adds: "This is not a film about Islam, it is a film about a man and a woman in an extraordinary circumstance. The point of the picture is that it is about two individuals; both of whom are estranged; one is estranged from himself and his own world, and he hasn’t moved anywhere; the other is estranged having come halfway around the world." First to be cast in "Unfinished Sky" was Monic Hendrickx, considered one of Holland’s finest actors. She also played the lead role of Anna Krzyzanowska in the original film, "The Polish Bride". Made almost a decade ago, the film was Hendrickx’s first leading role. Duncan met with Monic in Amsterdam and, after a weekend working through the script together, was convinced that she was perfect to play Tahmeena: "She is such a dark beauty and she is such an intelligent and giving person and actress." Australian icon William McInnes was cast in the role of the physically and emotionally isolated Queensland farmer, John Woldring. "We needed someone to match Monic’s level of strength and physical presence we needed someone who is a fine actor, and someone who is comfortable in the Queensland country milieu. William just rings so true," notes Duncan. Monic (who learnt to speak Dari for the role) and William didn’t meet until the first day of rehearsals. Monic flew to Australia immediately after completing another film in Europe. "Part of the joy of the journey," says Duncan, "is them finding a language of their own; it’s through visual means, its through emotional means, all sorts of things." With most of the story taking part on the farm, the first task was to find the right property. A stunning homestead Wyambin, empty for years, and with a structure uncannily suited to Peter Duncan’s script was found near Beaudesert, a farming community an hour from Brisbane. Peter Duncan and Director of Photography Robert Humphreys describe it "as the house that just kept on giving." Duncan recalls their first sight of the homestead. "It was an absolute boon when we first went to Wyambin. I looked at the enormous verandah and how there is almost no recognition of exterior or interior and I just thought 'wow' this just opens up a whole other world of visual possibilities. Bob thought the same thing. In the fourth week we were still finding interesting angles and interesting ways of approaching things." Production designer Laurie Faen who has had a twenty year career as one of Australia’s leading art directors and was charged with 'dressing up' the homestead, recalls: "It had to feel like there was a history here so we started dressing the house from ancestors up. There are a lot of family portraits, old books, a lot of layers of dressing. Quite a few of the photos and books came from the producer Cathy Overett’s house and we were lucky because I sourced a container load of props that were for another film which never got made. That provided us with knives, forks, blankets and outdoor furniture, then we went looking at a lot of local houses and in every antique shop from Brisbane south." Laurie’s greatest challenge was sourcing the giant jigsaw puzzle which features in the film and is the source of the film’s title. The script called for a 2000-piece puzzle that is primarily of a sky. "Peter’s idea for the jigsaw came from the film "Sleuth". Apparently in the background to the film Laurence Olivier was doing a jigsaw puzzle on a table and it was entirely white and Peter loved that idea of the impossible puzzle. So I started looking at every jigsaw puzzle I could find." After a massive search, he finally found a company in NZ who could create two one thousand piece puzzles and join them together. Director of Photography Robert Humphreys describes the look of the film as more 'urban' than 'country'’, despite being set on a farm, with desaturated colours and a gritty tone. For visual reference, he and Peter considered big wide screen Westerns from the 1960's and 70's such as "Last Picture Show", Hud and "Cool Hand Luke". And what were the two stars thoughts? "I met Peter Duncan and I really liked him and I knew some of his work and I liked that so I thought it would be terrific to work with him. I knew about Monic and her reputation as a really terrific actor, and she is; she’s the hamburger with the lot, she’s fantastic," says McInnes. How does he describe the film? "It is entertainment with a bit of brain and a lot of heart. It’s good to have that mix, so that’s what attracted me to the script." As for Hendrickx, how did she handle having to drive a tractor? "I became too good at driving a tractor. I had a few tractor lessons and that was one too many because it was going too smoothly in one take and I had to act as if she’d never drove a tractor. It was fun." Synopsis

When Tahmeena stumbles onto John’s isolated farm, he has no choice but to take her in. She’s been badly injured and speaks no English. John’s not inclined to welcome visitors, not since the suspicious death of his wife, and he’s even less inclined to involve the police. so he goes about his business as he waits for her to heal when he plans to send her on her way. An initially reluctant voyage of mutual discovery begins as these two strangers gradually learn to communicate and connect. Tahmeena brings the homestead back to life, reopening John’s eyes to the beauty of his land. In return, John tries to track down the lost daughter she sent ahead before fleeing Afghanistan. As the layers of mistrust and hurt are peeled away, love, passionate and poetic unfolds to reveal the beauty of freedom, hope and choice. But Tahmeena can’t stay hidden away on the farm forever.

The Verdict One of the best Australian films in a long while. Why? Because there's enough light, joy and romance to balance the tense, darker moments of the film. Unlike so many other 'black' aussie films of recent times, "Unfinished Sky" is highly entertaining, beautifully photographed, has all the right chemistry and, it oozes hope. And I can guarantee, you won't feel like 'topping' yourself after watching what unfolds in this drama/romance/thriller from acclaimed Australian Director Peter Duncan. "Unfinished Sky" boasts a super cast and production team including D.O.P Robert Humphreys and Production Designer Laurie Faen. Commendations to Editor Suresh Ayyar and composer Antony Partos, whose work is exceptional. This is definitely 'the right stuff' and deserves your avid attention. A little beauty. Go see it! Highly recommended. 4 1/2 STARS." Cast Profiles Monic Hendrickx is Holland’s foremost actress working in film. She has won three Nederlands Film Festival Awards for Best Actress for her roles in The Polish Bride, the original film from which Unfinished Sky has been adapted, "Nynke" (The Moving Story of a Woman Ahead of her Time) and "Het Zuiden" (South) and as well as a Best Actress Award from the Dutch Academy for the television drama "Dwaalgast". She has recently completed roles in the seven-part drama "Stellenbosch", set in South Africa, and the Dutch films "Nadine" and "Deep".
William McInnes developed a distinguished career as a stage actor before becoming one of the country’s most loved television actors with recurring roles in "A Country Practice", "Blue Heelers" and then, perhaps his best known role, in "SeaChange". He also featured in the acclaimed mini-series "My Brother Jack" and "The Shark Net". William’s most acclaimed film role is "Look Both Ways", written and directed by his wife Sarah Watt. The film won several Australian Film Institute Awards in 2005, including Best Film and Best Director. He also appeared in "Dirty Deeds", with Toni Collette, Sam Neil and Bryan Brown, "Kokoda" and "Irresistible" with Susan Sarandon and, on television in "CrashBurn", "Marshall’s Law", "Kath & Kim" and the recent ABC drama Stepfather of the "Bride".
David Field is one of Australia’s most talented character actors across film, television and theatre. He feature film credits include "West", "The Oyster Farmer", "Opal Dream", "Gettin’ Square", "Tom White", "The Night We Called It A Day", "Chopper", "Two Blackrock", "Every Night Every Night", "Broken Highway", "Ghosts of the Civil Dead" and the magnificent "Silent Partners". On television he starred in the telemovie "My Husband My Killer", winning the 2001 AFI Award for Best Actor in a Telefeature or Mini-Series. David featured in the series "Grass Roots", the miniseries "The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant", the telemovie "Hell has Harbour Views" and in the Network Ten telemovie franchise "BlackJack" and he has also appeared in "Water Rats", "Wildside", "The Man from Snowy River", "Blue Heelers", "Police Rescue" and "G.P". His numerous theatre credits include the Neil Armfield productions for Belvoir St Theatre of: "The Tempest", "The Governors Family", "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" and "No Sugar".
Bille Brown began working in film less than a decade ago, having built a reputation as one of Australia’s finest theatre actors. His first film role was in Fred Schepisi’s "Fierce Creatures" and has subsequently featured in Gillian Armstrong’s "Oscar and Lucinda" and Peter Duncan’s "Passion". Other film roles include "The Man who Sued God", "Serenades", "The Dish" and "Dirty Deeds". His many television credits include "The Farm", "BlackJack" and "Grass Roots". His career began with the Queensland Theatre Company and, later, as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in London and Stratford He has also appeared on stage on Broadway.
Roy Billing has appeared in all of Peter Duncan’s films, "Children of the Revolution", "A Little Bit of Soul", "Passion", "Hell Has Harbour Views" and now "Unfinished Sky". His numerous credits include "Razzle Dazzle", "Rabbit Proof Fence", "Strange Bedfellow", "Siam Sunset", "Thunderstruck", "Thank God He Met Lizzie" and the television series "The Secret Life of Us", "Blue Heelers" and "Two Twisted". Crew Profiles Peter Duncan (Writer/Director) graduated from the University of Sydney as a Bachelor of Arts (1986) and a Bachelor of Laws (1989) and later moved on to the Australian Film, Television & Radio School where he graduated as a Bachelor of Arts (Film & Television) in 1994. Within two years of graduating, Peter’s first feature film, "Children of the Revolution", was released to great acclaim. It was nominated for nine AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards in 1996 (including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay), winning three, including Best Actress for Judy Davis. The film was in official selection at many festivals including Sundance, Moscow, and San Sebastian. Peter then went on to write and direct "A Little Bit of Soul" (1997), starring Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham and Francis O’Connor, and "Passion" (1999), which starred Barbara Hershey and Richard Roxburgh. "Passion" won three AFI Awards.
Robert (Bob) Humphreys (Director Of Photography won several major awards in 2004/2005 for his work on "Somersault", directed by Cate Shortland, including the AFI Award for Best Cinematography, the IF Award for Best Cinematography, the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Cinematography and the Award of Distinction from the Australian Cinematographers Society. Bob also recently shot the acclaimed feature "Suburban Mayhem", the UK/Australian feature "Opal Dream" and the two-part television movie "The Silence". His other feature film credits are "Walking on Water" and "Mullet" and his television work includes "Fat Cow Motel", "Wildness", "Gulpilil - One Red Blood" and "The Diplomat".
Suresh Ayyar (Editor) has been nominated for six AFI Awards for Best Achievement in Editing, winning in 1994 for "Bad Boy Bubby". His other credits include "Romulus My Father", "Footy Legends", "Hating Alison Ashley", "Thank God He Met Lizzie", "Fresh Air", "The Interview", "Dingo" and "Dreaming".
Antony Partos (Composer) partner in Supersonic Music Productions, has composed the scores for many Australian films and television productions including "The Home Song Stories", "The Silence", "Walking on Water", "Garage Days", "Soft Fruit" and "Praise" and the New Zealand film "Crush", for which he won the NZ Film Award for Best Film Score. Who's Who?

William McInnes Monic Hendrickx David Field Bille Brown Roy Billing Christopher Sommers

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John Tahmeena Sgt Carl Adllen Bob Potter Royce Mike Potter

Run Time 90 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Palace Films - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.