You would think that all round legendary bloke and Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch would have his hands full crossing the Ts and dotting the Is of January’s fast-approaching all-Australian Sydney Festival. But somehow he’s also found time to help spread the word about a brilliant series of short online films examining the aftermath of last summer’s terrifying bushfires, dubbed We Need To Talk About Fire.
Marking the directorial debut of Bridget Ikin – the super-producer behind such notable Australian films as Sherpa and Jirga – the films explore the ongoing impact the fires have had on individuals, community and land. Filming largely at Bundanon in Illaroo, Ikin has captured a range of voices who share Indigenous knowledge systems, stories of community action, healing initiatives and creative responses to changing the way we live with bushfires.
The We Need To Talk About Fire series couldn’t be any timelier as Sydney swelters, and with the knowledge that the last fire season burned a 17 million-hectare swathe through the country, claiming 31 lives on top of an estimated 3 billion animals and insects.
Bundanon CEO Deborah Ely says, “In the middle of the stressful and unpredictable crisis presented by the 2019/20 summer fires, we realised that this experience was shared by our entire community. We understood that the impact would be long and hard, and that Bundanon was uniquely placed to bring people together, to assist in the recovery and to build resilience.”
It’s all about hope and coming together, with Ely adding, “We Need To Talk About Fire was the outcome of multiple conversations with our neighbours, those who assisted us during the fires and those with whom we work – artists, elders, community representatives and those who share our love for the landscape, it’s wildlife and it’s cultural significance.”
You can watch all four films presented by Enoch online here, plus gorge on poems, artist interviews and three exhibitions, plus take a road trip to visit Bundanoon for more food for thought.
