A Communities Journey

The film, 'A Communities Story' is a documentary about the floods that impacted the small township of Moree, NSW in October 2022. The film was documented over a five-day period and shows the devastation that the floods brought to the township and surrounding communities.

The story begins on a farm 45km south east of Moree on Friday the 21st of October. As the township of Moree is anxiously waiting the floodwaters to arrive further upstream cattle are swimming to survive and on the brink of drowning.

As the floodwater hits Moree, the film captures the devastation to the homes, wiped out crops and animals drowning.

It was important to me in the making of this film to acknowledge all the help our community received from people flying in from all over the country and also to our local pilots whom from dawn to dusk were working hard to rescue our people and our animals.

The film showcases how small communities are resilient and rally together during tough times to help each other in times of crisis.

  • Sascha Estens
    Director
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Drama, Action, True Story
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 38 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 27, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sascha Estens

As a passionate advocate for rural Australia, it was Sascha Estens desire to share inspiring stories from the land that was apart of the inspiration behind her film production company, Rabbit Hop Films.

Covering issues from how government decisions affect small towns, through to quirky, humorous pieces regarding rural lifestyle, Sascha admits she has a true passion for the whole filmmaking process.
Aesthetically stunning vision coupled with compelling interview
content, Sascha's ability to tell a story through film is as enchanting as it is captivating.  
She is particularly proud of the fact that many of her pieces are helping reconnect the divide between the city and the country, and humanising the issues rural Australia faces.  

Dubbed the voice from the bush Rabbit Hop Films is based
in Sascha's home town of Moree, NSW, however with
her unbounded energy and willingness to chase a good
story, Sascha now travels both nationally and internationally for work.  
 
A love of filmmaking saw her complete her film qualification in Sydney at the Metro Screen in Paddington in 2007 before commencing her film career in film production roles at Fox
Studios, Sydney and later as a freelance director, cinematographer and editor for various film companies.  

Sascha is an Ambassador for the Australia Day Council, touring rural regions in NSW each year telling her stories of being a filmmaker in the bush.

In 2016 her film company, Rabbit Hop Films, was voted one of the Top 10 Regional Online Businesses in Australia. An initiative of Google and the Regional Australia Institute.

Sascha works with many non-for-profits and contributes pro bono work to many organisations including the Australian Himalayan Foundation, a cause close to her heart, in which she travels to Nepal every two years to assist in the foundations work. 

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Director Statement

The film was released 4 days after the floodwaters hit our township in an effort to attract national attention to help with the rebuild of much needed infrastructure in our community.