By ALENA HIGGINS
WARWICK’S breathtaking backdrop is set to feature in a moving short film targeting depression and suicide in rural communities.
“The Blue Letterbox” documents the life of Sam, a larrikin farmer, who has started painting letterboxes of his neighbours under the cover of darkness.
The target letterboxes are owned by residents who have recently been through some sort of hardship.
It is a gesture of kindness that has the whole town talking, but little do they know, Sam is in the midst of deep depression himself – his farm is folding, his wife and son left him for the city and the bills are piling up.
Brisbane-based Fade In Productions has partnered with Spur Projects, a male suicide prevention organisation, to develop the script and create the seven-minute film, which will be submitted in the world’s largest short film festival, Tropfest Australia this month.
“We chose Warwick for a few reasons,” Fade In Productions managing director Peter Johnston said.
“The first being it is a community that has shown great strength through the recent hardship of floods and drought and we thought this film would represent the mateship this town has shown.”
The cast and crew spent a number of days over the past several weeks filming predominately exterior scenes on the outskirts of town along Homestead and Canning Vale roads.
A number of lucky local extras also got their shot at the big screen.
Following its launch, The Blue Letterbox will be used to start a national movement, which will be piloted in Warwick, to encourage people in rural and remote areas to paint their letterboxes blue in a sign of community camaraderie – to show that they support people sharing their feelings and they are an ambassador for positive mental health.
Mr Johnston thanked Southern Downs Regional Council and especially community development officer Pam Burley for her assistance in bringing the short film to life.
“This isn’t the last project we will be doing here,” Mr Johnston said.
“We have had such an amazing support from whole community.”
Tropfest selects 16 finalists from an entry pool of an average of 700 annual entries which compete for more than $100,000 in prizes.
It is watched live by about 150,000 people each night of the festival and is televised on SBS2.
