Our Melbourne group showed Sunday Too Far Away on Sunday 18 June at the Thornbury Picture House.
Jack Thompson 'attended' via zoom to provide an introduction and lead a fascinating and informative Q&A on the film. He has kindly given permission to make the recording available. The recording is here https://youtu.be/9MdIZLapDvA
Sunday Too Far Away (1975) is one of the classics of the new wave of Australian film production in the 1970s, and is much loved by the Australian public. Directed by Ken Hannam, it starred Jack Thompson, and won AFI awards for Best Film, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.The cinematographer was Geoff Burton, and other well-known actors included Max Cullen and John Ewart.
This is a film about shearers, shearing and about sheep. It is about male culture and group loyalty, when union conditions are undermined by the importation of strike-breakers. The film’s title is reputedly the lament of an Australian shearer’s wife: Friday night he’s too tired, Saturday night too drunk, and Sunday too far away’.