The screening of The Giants is part of a Project Alchemy, a series a cross disciplinary arts project to build community connection across south-east Australia. The project is facilitated by Canberra based Rebus Theatre and involves artists from Bega Valley Shire, Eurobodalla Shire, East Gippsland, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, and the ACT.

Project Alchemy is made possible thanks to funding from the Australian Government for the Black Summer Bushfire Grant Program. Rebus is also supported by Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres and the ACT Government.

After seeing this movie and experiencing the powerful group work provided by Rebus Theatre, Project Alchemy artist Helen Ferguson has chosen to Take Action – following Bob’s catch cry “Don’t get depressed, Get active!”. It will now be showing in Queanbeyan in time for World Environment Day with a hope to inspire others to take some actions and to ignite further projects in this realm. She wanted to make this event accessible for all and to do her small part in connecting others with the urgent climate conversations. Plus it is an awesome and powerful film not to be missed.

Proceeds from this event will be distributed to a number of local not-for-profit groups engaged in protecting our natural environment.

Event schedule (please see full details below)

5-6pm - Art exhibition opening and discussion

5-7pm - Food and drinks
6-7pm - Local environmental groups
7-9pm - The Giants screening
9-9.30pm - Local environmental groups

About 'The Giants'

The Giants explores the intertwined fates of trees and humans in this cinematic portrait of environmental folk hero and gay icon Bob Brown who took green politics to the centre of power. From a seedling to forest elder The Giants interweaves Bob’s story with the life cycle of the ancient trees he is fighting for. The hidden life of the forest is brought to life by cameras rigged high in the tree canopy, immersive point cloud animation generated from 3D tree scans, and thought-provoking insights by the likes of David Suzuki and Merlin Sheldrake.

Drawing on Bob’s lifetime of activism, from the Franklin to the Tarkine, The Giants ignites an urgent conversation about the right of the Forest to exist and challenges the audience to write the next chapter.

Film Screening 7-9pm

Video trailer: Click here

Directed by Laurence Billiet & Rachael Antony
Running Time: 112 mins
Rated M (Course language)

The screening of this film is supported by Southern Tableland Arts with the provision of their large inflatable cinema screen (over 4 metres tall) and the technical skills of screening if this film.

Food & Drinks

Local Not-for-Profit Create Collaborate Collective Inc will be running their fundraising licensed bar @ The Queanbeyan Hive from 5-7pm.
Hot and cold drinks available including Winns Creek Celtic Apple mulled mead. Perfect for a winters afternoon.

Dinner and Dessert boxes with scrumptious finger food (made from made from 100% local ingredients) can purchased as an add-on to your movie ticket. These are provided by Southern Harvest Association which is a farmer led not-for-profit, focused on building local, sustainable food communities in ACT and SE NSW. They can be collected from the kitchen inside the Queanbeyan Uniting Church from 6pm.

Local environmental groups

Before and after the film there will be an opportunity to talk to leaders in our local communities who are passionate and interested in preserving and creating new environmental spaces and working towards a sustainable planet.

Art Exhibition

Prior to the movie (from 5-6pm) there is an opportunity to join local artist and educator Dennis Mortimer at The Queanbeyan Hive located across the road from the Queanbeyan Uniting Church. He will be talking about his ongoing visual arts project 'Silent Canary' (on display in the gallery) which responds to the concerns and issues revealed by the environmental impacts of plastics, pesticides, forest decimation, monocultures and fossil fuel burning.