Blueback: Sharing the Secrets is an interactive, eye-opening and engaging experience that gives family audiences a behind-the-scenes look at how a powerful book became a beautiful film about how we live with our natural world, through the magic of puppetry.
Based on Tim Winton’s novella, Robert Connolly’s film Blueback tells the story of Abby, a young girl who grows up in the ocean and makes friends with an ancient groper she names Blueback. As she grows, she takes action to protect her home waters and eventually becomes a noted marine biologist.
It is a story of the beauty and fragility of the Australian underwater environment, of love and connection to the ocean and its creatures, and the power of one person to make a difference.
Blueback- Sharing the Secrets combines key objects and props from the film, including the Blueback life-sized puppet, with behind-the-scenes footage to reveal how it was brought to life, and interactive experiences that allow visitors to try for themselves.
Visitors will discover how the Blueback model was designed, made and operated and watch behind-the-scenes ‘making-of’ footage to see how they made the film. Visitors can use a greenscreen interactive to ‘put yourself in the movie’ as well as discover cool facts about blue gropers.
Director Robert Connolly and Arenamedia have kindly provided selected scenes from the film which capture the cinema magic of the puppet and it will screen daily in the museum theatre.
Connolly said, ‘This exhibition provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase the mastery of Australian technicians which enabled us to bring this favourite Australian story to life on screen.’
Museum Director and CEO Ms Daryl Karp said, ‘Robert Connolly’s film and the story of the making of it gives us another opportunity to highlight the beauty and fragility of our oceans. Both the novella and film bring the human connection to our ocean world to life and encourages us to think more about how we care for the waters that surround and sustain us.’
Blueback- Sharing the Secrets is free and is on now.
