Drown – The Movie
Drown – The Movie is a film currently in pre production from Australian director Dean Francis. Based off of a play from Stephen Davis Drown follows the story of three surf life savers on a big night out and addresses issues of homophobia, bullying, masculinity and mate-ship.
In an interview with Jonathan Brown on 3CR’s Breakfast program Dean discussed the aims of the film:
I thought it was such a huge topic and such an urgent issue which I think pervades society on every level – we’re all affected by bullying and I felt like if we could make it into a film then we could reach a much larger audience…Stephen’s play was really all about this one night, for me what was really fascinating was the root causes behind why people need to express themselves by bashing the hell out of each other. By making it into a film it can take the audience back into the past – you can then go back into the present and you can come up with a detailed analysis into what’s driving these people.
Why It Matters
There are any number of campaigns designed to tackle issues surrounding Australian masculinity, homophobia and bullying. Films like Drown have the potential through drama and storytelling devices to challenge perceptions of masculinity and address bullying directly. Hearing stories from other young men is a powerful tool.
Interview with Dean Francis – 3CR Breakfast
– Jonathan Brown
Jonathan is the Creative Director of We Matter Media. You can follow him @JB_AU
