Tracks the film's development from initial funding through festival submission and domestic theatrical release.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Development & Funding
Director Laurie McInnes leverages prior festival success to secure development money from the Australian Film Commission. The screenplay is drafted with the goal of creating a feature-length drama.
Key Events
Script Development — Director Laurie McInnes secures financial backing from the Australian Film Commission to write the screenplay. Location: Australia
Principal Photography
The production enters the filming phase, capturing the entire cast across a concentrated two-month schedule. The crew focuses on translating the script into visual narrative.
Key Events
Principal Photography — The full cast and crew shoot the drama over a two-month period from late May to mid-July 1992. Characters: Angel, Tatts, Wilson, Catherine, Elias Kidd, Roger, Jack, Max O'DonnellLocation: Australia
Festival Circuit
Post-production concludes and the finished film is submitted to international markets. It successfully gains entry into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, marking a major industry milestone.
Key Events
Cannes Submission — The completed feature film is officially entered into the prestigious 1993 Cannes Film Festival. Location: Cannes, France
Theatrical Release
The drama opens in Australian cinemas, reaching its primary domestic audience. The film concludes its commercial run with a documented box office gross of $18,300.
Key Events
Australian Premiere — The drama receives its domestic theatrical release to local audiences. Characters: Angel, Tatts, Wilson, Catherine, Elias Kidd, Roger, Jack, Max O'DonnellLocation: Australia
Box Office Outcome — The film grosses a modest $18,300 at the Australian box office upon release. Location: Australia
Story Breakdown
Development Phase — Initial planning and financial backing secured to enable scriptwriting.
Funding Acquisition — Australian Film Commission provides development money.
Script Writing — Director Laurie McInnes drafts the feature screenplay.
Casting & Crew — Assembly of the principal cast and production team.
Director Appointment — Laurie McInnes leads the project based on prior short film success.
Cast Assembly — Eight key actors including Aden Young and David Field are secured.
Principal Photography — The active filming period capturing all dramatic sequences.
Shooting Schedule — Filming runs continuously from May 25 to July 10, 1992.
Location Scouting — Australian settings are utilized for the drama's backdrop.
Festival Circuit — Submission and screening at major international film events.
Cannes Submission — Film is officially entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
International Screening — The drama receives global festival exposure and industry attention.
Theatrical Release — Domestic distribution and audience engagement in Australia.
Australian Premiere — The film opens in local cinemas for public viewing.
Audience Reception — Local viewers engage with the completed dramatic narrative.
Box Office Outcome — Final commercial performance metrics and financial results.
Revenue Tracking — Box office earnings are monitored throughout the theatrical run.
Final Gross — The film concludes with a documented $18,300 Australian gross.
In this moody black and white drama, very much in the mode of the American "western," but with its own film noir characteristics, a whole town is heaved out of its doldrums when a pair of mysterious strangers come visiting. In the beginning of the film, Angel is traveling with his friend Max on a ship to Honeyfield, a town on the coast of Australia. He is coming home to die. Instead, he dies on board the ship, willing his boots to Angel, and an unopened package to someone called "The Dead Man," in Honeyfield. Also on the ship is a man named Tatts, a far less pleasant personality. When Angel gets off to head into Honeyfield, Tatts decides to follow along unseen. The package, Angel was told, contains something its intended recipient has been looking for without knowing it. On finding the recipient, a mean-spirited old man who is more or less the boss and owner of the town, he learns that the package contains opium.
