The force behind a popular Wollongong burger bar is adding the title of film producer to his growing list of talents.
Ex-serviceman and philanthropist Lachlan Stevens earlier this year organised for a group of men with various internal struggles - many ex-military themselves - to trek the Kokoda trail.
The historic Papua New Guinea path is renowned as the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942 and stretches more than 60 kilometers.
"When you put a bunch of blokes together in an unfamiliar environment, I think it elicited a lot of emotion, especially when it's the closest thing a lot of Australians can come to a spiritual journey or experience," Stevens said.
Originally, the founder of His Boy Elroy and mental health charity Barstool Brothers just wanted to document the achievement to show the troupe of 16 at completion, but the project manifested.
"It's not a military documentary ... it acknowledges the events that occurred there [during WWII] and how it shaped the lessons it taught us," he said.
For nine days the group spent between six and 12 hours trudging up and down hills in torrential rain and mud, isolated from any other Western existence, with emotions running high for all.
Wollongong photographer Warren Keelan was one to encounter a journey of self-discovery, picked for the trek by Stevens as he could see Keelan's struggle with mental health.
"Honestly, everyone went through their self-doubt and, you know, every second night people were just thinking about what they'd done and why they're doing it," Keelan previously told the Mercury.
Upon returning home and reflecting on their journeys, and those of their friends, Stevens and cinematographer Mitch McArdle decided the stories were worthy to share with the world and a two-minute promotional video wouldn't cut it.
The aim now is to turn the masses of footage into a feature-length documentary, with the working title Walk With Us, suited to streaming services like Netflix or the ABC or SBS.
"We've got a bunch of guys all with different stories," Stevens said.
"We wanted to capture the emotion ... so people watching the TV can potentially find commonalities with the characters in the film."
The aim is to have the documentary out for Anzac Day 2024.
Stevens and McArdle are currently running a crowdfunding campaign to finish the production of the film.
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Desiree Savage
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
