Blind since birth, Martin has never trusted anyone. He takes photographs as proof that the world he imagines is the same as that seen by sighted people. He relies on his young housekeeper, who is in love with him. But when he makes a new friend, the housekeeper's jealousy turns to vindictive rage.
Writing Disability in Australia
| Type of disability | Blindness. |
| Type of character | Primary. |
| Point of view | Third person. |
'Starring a young Hugo Weaving as a blind photographer and Russell Crowe as his hapless friend, Jocelyn Moorhouse 1991 film is elegant and subversive'
'A quiet chat with one of Australia’s most acclaimed directors about visual thinking, motherhood and her memoir, Unconditional Love.' (Introduction)
In Proof (Jocelyn Moorhouse 1991), the photographs of blind central protagonist, Martin, construct multiple Melbournes. Martin’s compulsive photography is a product of a dysfunctional relationship with his mother and becomes his primary mechanism to document and regulate his world. Through this process, Martin’s Melbourne exists as a fossil; the preserved remains of his memories. In contrast, Martin’s burgeoning friendship with Andy introduces a Melbourne that exceeds the fossil image. This Melbourne is captured in shared photographs that reflect the promise of community abundance; a promise connected with 1990s Melbourne live music culture. The soundtrack by Melbourne band, Not Drowning, Waving, significantly contributes to this heterotopic representation of Melbourne, and their distinct musical style further evokes a lived Melbourne from this period. Proof’s soundtrack here combines with recognisable chronotopes of the inner city to re-fossilise this Melbourne for the present-day spectator for whom, like the film’s characters, Melbourne was their lived experience.
Reel Meals, Set Meals : Food in Film and Theatre
Sydney
:
Currency Press
,
1991
Z1536510
1991
single work
prose
A study of the social and symbolic meaning of food that begins with an overview that demonstrates the use of food in plays throughout the ages and how filmmakers quickly learnt to exploit its potential.
