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Alex (Elena Mandalis) and Vicki (Dora Kaskanis) are two young Greek Australian girls in Melbourne’s western suburbs. Vicki is bored with school and she is abused by her father at home. Alex misses her estranged mother and is trying to deal with her growing sexual attraction to a female teacher (well played by Maude Davey). Only together - committing arson, hanging out - do they find moments of peace in their lives. This tough short film is an outstanding example of a recent Australian cinema. Weaving themes of sexuality, ethnicity and dislocation, “Only the Brave” manages to be realist and elegiac, sensitive and uncompromising, and show how the impact of migration has altered the tradition, landscape and narratives of Australian culture. Mandalis and Kaskanis are knock-outs in their first screen performances and the the film received an AFI Award for best short film and the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Written by Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
306395
Language
English
Audience classification
M (15+)
Subject categories
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Film festivals - Australia - Melbourne - Awards
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Motion pictures - Awards
Amateur & Student Films → Student films - Australia
Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Greeks - Australia
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Greeks - Australia
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Gay and lesbian studies
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Teenage girls
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Teenage girls
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)