Gala Cinema

Thursday, October 17

The gorgeous beaches, sweeping escarpment and lush greenery of the Illawarra are well-known to any who have passed through the region, but it was instead the gritty, darker stereotypes of the area that formed the backbone of locally produced film Rites of Passage.

Forgoing iconic coastlines and rugged bushlands for tales of young people experiencing hardship in the suburbs, for stories of substance abuse and broken homes and sleeping rough and coming of age in Wollongong, is a brave move – and one that has pushed the humble film, shot on makeshift  equipment and iPhone cameras,   onto the international film circuit.

The six stories of growing up rough in the Illawarra are making waves as far away as Poland, Brazil, Cyprus and Seattle.

Gritty hit film about growing up in Illawarra

Rites of Passage blurs the line between fact and fiction. Six stories are interwoven through the 80-minute film, the main cast – all young people from Berkeley, Port Kembla, Warrawong – using their own stories and experiences of alcohol, family breakdown, trouble at school and coming of age as a launch pad for the stories they tell during the wholly unscripted film. 

Not one had acted before.

“The stories came out of their experiences, things they experienced and were interested in,” says  director and community worker Phil Crawford.

Through Beyond Empathy, an organisation “using the arts as a vehicle to create opportunities for people who have experienced hardship,”  he took around 40 young people  and spent three years creating a film exploring what it means to grow up, to fail and to succeed as a teenager in  Australia.

“The performances are quite striking, it’s not what you normally get in a normal film. Many people who see it aren’t sure if it is a documentary or fiction,” says Crawford.

“People recognise it, because the kids are telling their experiences and what they know, and it’s so real. There’s the authenticity of young people. We filmed over three years so you watch them growing up as the film goes on. There is an element of truth that’s unique to this film.”

Aside from the compelling performances, participants in the project were also busy behind the scenes. Filming, editing, looking after sound and lighting and  other technical aspects –  these were the responsibilities of the young people, alongside a small crew of staff. Out of necessity, the young people had to be responsible for almost every component of the film. Which was the whole point.

“Beyond Empathy is no film production company. It’s about helping young people, giving them the opportunity to be seen in their community and make something they can be proud of,” Crawford says.

Lakia Igano was one of those who shared stories on Rites of Passage. Growing up homeless, with unstable family networks and dealing with death, she could easily have fallen through the cracks. Instead, she is packing her bags to go to Poland, accompanying the film as it premieres at the prestigious Warsaw Film Festival.

‘‘Being a part of a long-term project like Rites of Passage gave us time to grow and become valued members of our society,’’ she says. 

Almost every person involved in the film will accompany the film to a screening. This week alone, the film is screening in Warsaw, Cyprus, Seattle and Sao Paulo.