Flathead (film)

Flathead is a 2024 docu-fiction film directed by Jaydon Martin about working-class Australian life. The film premiered at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it won a Special Jury Award in the Tiger Competition.

Synopsis
Flathead tells the story of an elderly man returning home to Bundaberg and dealing with grief, among a group of working-class people.

Cast

 * Cass Cumerford as Cass
 * Andrew Wong as Andrew
 * Rob Sheean
 * Hayden Rimmington
 * Kent Wong
 * Miguel Angel Jitale D'amico
 * Tim Lunnon
 * Adama Suviste
 * Jake Samaya
 * Venerable Lama Karma Vajrasambhava Rinpoche

Production
Flathead is directed by Jaydon Martin, an Australian-born artist and filmmaker. In the UK, he developed documentaries for the BBC, National Theatre of Wales, and Artes Mundi.

Amiel Courtin-Wilson and Chloe Brugale were executive producers.

The film was shot in the town of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.

Release
The film premiered at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam in February 2024.

It also screened at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2024.

Critical reception
Peter Bradshaw, reviewing for The Guardian, rated the film with 4 stars out of 5 and wrote "Jaydon Martin makes an outstanding feature debut with this absorbing, moving and visually beautiful docufiction... The film’s poetry resides in its thoughtful inactivity, its vernacular spirituality and its gentleness."

Wendy Ide, writing for ScreenDaily, said "The film is an unvarnished, but striking account of life in this working class community."

Martin Kudlac of Screen Anarchy wrote "Flathead exhibits a level of formal polish uncharacteristic of a straightforward documentary, yet its decentralized and loosely structured approach sets it apart from conventional fiction cinema."

Shane Danielsen, writing in The Monthly, described the film as "Elegant, patient and humane". Carmen Gray wrote in the Sight and Sound 's Weekly Film Bulletin about the film: "The docufiction, with its distinctive vision of spiritual questing in a poor part of Queensland, maximised absurdist detail and laidback sardonic wit while still conferring dignity on its subjects".

Accolades
Flathead won the Tiger Competition Special Jury Award at the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam, with Variety reporting the jury's comments on the film: "calm but touching execution ... a naturalistic and realistic film at its best".