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The Image is taken from the official movie website at
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It was not a norm, and definitely not a run-of-the-mill day for us to watch a documentary film in a cinema. But we are so glad we did that today.
The film is more than just a pleasant
surprise. It is inspiring, thought provoking, and downright beautiful. The film
is a bold attempt exploring the harsh realities encountered daily by the
children living in the remotest parts of the outback Australia, the struggles
of conforming to the ordinary and the desire to dream big.
The one-and-a-half-hour documentary brings
the audience into the world of four unique primary-aged children from New South
Wales, and gives us a rare insight into the complex emotions experienced by the
under-privileged. We followed the moving journey of Mack, Taylah, Kyhnan and
Opal; we witnessed their nervousness in striving to excel in the audition,
their excitement of becoming part of the choir team in the Moorambilla Voices, their
passion of pursuing their dream despite their supposedly disadvantaged
background.
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The Image is taken from the official movie website at
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Mack, an extraordinary child with an angelic
voice and an unusual talent in dancing, made a sincere confession of his
constant efforts of hiding his Billy Elliot dream, lest he might be seen as a
weirdo and being despised by the classmates. Taylah, an aborigine with a
powerful voice that can easily rock up any pop song, shared her aspiration of
becoming a great country singer (and we have no doubt she will soon be one). We
listened to the story of Kyhnan, a down-to-earth aboriginal boy who never fails
to give the best shot in whatever he does. Opal, a girl with a pure and lovely
voice, talked about her eagerness to make a difference to her hometown with
three pubs and one general store.
We cringed and laughed watching how these
children were being bestowed with the uphill task of giving a perfect choir
performance under the guidance of the rather pushy but marvelous director,
Michelle Leonard. Michelle was not content with the idea of an average kids
choir with sweet voices. She is a mighty persona with high expectations, and
demanded perfection in each note and pitch. Michelle believed in these
remarkable children and knew without a doubt that these handpicked singers were
capable of more than what they thought they could be.
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The Image is taken from the official movie website at
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The film is a heart-warming record
chronicling the limitless possibilities available to any Australian child who
braves enough to harbor ambitious dream and strives towards achieving the
impossible. It is a beautiful narration of the ceaseless determination of a
group of courageous people that took the extra mile, and travelled far enough to
bring infinite opportunities to the children at the most isolated corner in the
State. The story is seamless and beautiful; motivational but not preachy,
touching but not manipulative.
The Wide Open Sky will be officially showing
nationally from 14 April 2016.
It is unfortunate that such an impressive
film is not able to make its way to the giant screen of most mainstream cinemas
in town. It will be screening at selective cinemas in Victoria,
including the Palace Cinemas. I hope you will be the next audience captivated by
this stirring documentary of rare beauty.
Visit the website at:
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