'A shell-shocked photojournalist, haunted by what he has witnessed on assignment in Africa, returns home on the eve of becoming a father. When one of his photographs threatens to destroy a Sudanese refugee’s new life, the two men are reunited by nightmare events from the past. In the wake of a tragedy, a startling revelation forces each survivor to help the other find hope again. Hearts and Bones is a story about the mysterious bonds of family, friendship and fatherhood.'
Source: Screen Australia.
'Post-traumatic stress disorder is a slippery condition to pin down and portray. Cinema in general struggles to convey the depth and nuance of mental illness, especially when it stems from trauma. We’re often left with frenzied flashbacks, bombastic sound design, and overripe performances that skirt dangerously close to parody. A mental illness is like a haunting, which may be why genre cinema – especially the horror genre – has recently found such success exploring the topic.' (Introduction)
'Hearts and Bones is the feature debut of Ben Lawrence, son of Ray Lawrence, a director who has made only three films, all of them close to masterpieces: Bliss (1985), based on Peter Carey’s novel, Lantana (2001), based on a play by Andrew Bovell, who wrote the script, and Jindabyne (2006), based on a Raymond Carver short story.' (Introduction)
'There's an urgent question that's slightly sidelined in the new Australian film Hearts and Bones — it involves the ethics of representation, and whether an outsider has the right to depict someone else's trauma.' (Introduction)
'In Hearts and Bones, director Ben Lawrence explores masculinity and trauma through the story of a war photographer befriending a South Sudanese refugee. He speaks here about how his experience of parenthood has influenced his work, and the parallels between himself and his father, director Ray Lawrence. “Through the period of writing Hearts and Bones and being involved in Ghosthunter, the idea of being a father, what it means to raise a young boy in this era, all became fascinating to me.” By Steve Dow.'
'Music has always been in the blood for Sydney composer Rafael May.'
'Hearts and Bones is the feature debut of Ben Lawrence, son of Ray Lawrence, a director who has made only three films, all of them close to masterpieces: Bliss (1985), based on Peter Carey’s novel, Lantana (2001), based on a play by Andrew Bovell, who wrote the script, and Jindabyne (2006), based on a Raymond Carver short story.' (Introduction)
'Post-traumatic stress disorder is a slippery condition to pin down and portray. Cinema in general struggles to convey the depth and nuance of mental illness, especially when it stems from trauma. We’re often left with frenzied flashbacks, bombastic sound design, and overripe performances that skirt dangerously close to parody. A mental illness is like a haunting, which may be why genre cinema – especially the horror genre – has recently found such success exploring the topic.' (Introduction)
'Music has always been in the blood for Sydney composer Rafael May.'
'In Hearts and Bones, director Ben Lawrence explores masculinity and trauma through the story of a war photographer befriending a South Sudanese refugee. He speaks here about how his experience of parenthood has influenced his work, and the parallels between himself and his father, director Ray Lawrence. “Through the period of writing Hearts and Bones and being involved in Ghosthunter, the idea of being a father, what it means to raise a young boy in this era, all became fascinating to me.” By Steve Dow.'
'There's an urgent question that's slightly sidelined in the new Australian film Hearts and Bones — it involves the ethics of representation, and whether an outsider has the right to depict someone else's trauma.' (Introduction)
