NAKED CITY

Filmmaker

Is there such an animal as a part-time expatriate? Believe me this is a good question when one is born 'n' bred in Sydney. Many of us have had at one time or another an insatiable urge to leave! Yes, always in search of some more magical place (Paris doesn't count because it has a head start) where opportunity and 'understanding' will always be greater for struggling artists, or even filmmakers. Australians charge off into the unknown, re-inventing themselves in other cities. Koala mafia communities absolutely thrive in Los Angeles and London. But somehow, Sydney-siders (maybe we're less seduced by celebrity) indulge ourselves by peering back across the ocean towards our city. Why? Maybe it's the endless pristine beaches that embrace the coastline. For me, perhaps a need to re-enact that glorious moment in the wee dawn hours when the huge silver wing of a 747 dips gently to reveal the most sensational, glittering harbour in the world the very birth place of this oasis of a country.

All that said, one never looks past the humour and reality of Sydney-siders. Now that's the element that brings you back!

The city can be brash but not pretentious. Progressive but not fast track. In a town I always hoped would change, it is such a relief to return and discover that it hasn't.

So, I've got one foot in 'exciting' Los Angeles and the other in Sydney. I'll just keep building up frequent flyer miles until my feet get tired!