Cirrus@Austlit

'As this dossier shows, there is a rich and long history of personal filmmaking in Australian independent cinema. The films that belong to this tradition are disparate in many ways, but all are sincere in their conviction that the personal counts. After years of making a mix of films, including those that blur fiction and documentary, independent filmmaker Bill Mousoulis made My Blessings (1997), a formally austere yet honest and soulful diary film. Shot on 16mm, with meagre funds but a clear and abundant vision, My Blessings spans six days in the life of young female filmmaker, Jane Friedman (Marie-Louise Walker), as she awaits the outcome of a script funding application. On the cusp of becoming an established and recognised filmmaker (no longer simply ‘emerging’), there is a lot riding on this outcome for Jane.' (Introduction)