The London Australian Film Society and the Foundation for Australian and New Zealand Arts (FANZA) present the 2nd annual ANZ Film Festival at Finsbury Park Picturehouse, on the weekend between Australia Day and Waitangi Day.
This year’s festival opens with the UK premiere of Lorin Clarke’s moving, hilarious documentary portrait of her father, the much-loved Antipodean comedian and satirist John Clarke.
This intimate film traces Clarke’s life and career from the gumbooted adventures of Kiwi farming icon Fredd Dagg, to his legendary partnership with Brian Dawe, whose pointed, deadpan satire took aim at all and sundry across the Australian political landscape.
In exploring the private and public personas of her father, Lorin Clarke weaves intimate footage from the family archive with clips from across his career, as well as interviews with an array of familiar faces from New Zealand, Australia and beyond, including Sam Neill, Rhys Darby, Anne Edmonds, Andrew Denton, Jana Wendt, Ben Elton and many more! Whether you’re a John Clarke devotee, or a casual comedy fan, this warm, funny film will have you in stitches one minute, and shedding a tear the next.
Also screening will be Cordelia, Daughter of the Sea (Maddie Grammatopolous, 2024), a short drama that explores the profound love a father has for his one and only offspring.
Australian and New Zealand snacks, sweets & gifts will be on sale, and a raffle will take place before the screening.
With thanks to Lorin Clarke and Richard Keddie..
REVIEWS
“...through it all, Clarke’s geniality shines through. As much as Lorin Clarke shows a comic genius who loved words and their rhythm, she reveals a generous, unpretentious everyman who showed interest in, and chatted lengthily with, everyone he met.”
Lenny Ann Low, The Age
“Writer/director Lorin Clarke’s remarkable effort in weaving so much material together and measuring against too much hagiography in favour of insights and giggles in equal measure shows that the apple hasn’t fallen too far from Fred Dagg’s tree.”
Stephen A. Russell, Screen Hub
FINSBURY PARK PICTUREHOUSE
17 City North Place, Islington, London, N4 3FU, United Kingdom
NEAREST TUBE: Finsbury Park BEST TUBE EXIT: City North Place
