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Eddy - Extreme Back Packer

Street sleepers and the homeless community are regarded as outcasts but look more closely and we see dignity, humanity and joy.

Located for 14 years in downtown Sydney, Eddie guides us through not only his environment but encourages us to look closely, be in his shoes, and discover the dynamics and issues of the street community. This documentary is loud, colourful and in your face! Eddy has a dignity and zest for life that is a joy. Not all street sleepers are drug takers and alcoholics. Most come to their lifestyle due to a major calamity. Some, like Eddy, have built a life on the street, saved a little money and even go on holidays. Similar to the rest of us!

  • Michael Gill
    Director
    Dyarubbin
  • Michael Gill
    Writer
    Dyarubbin
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 23 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 21, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    600 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4 K, 4.2.2
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Annual LDUB Film Festival
    Lake Worth
    United States
    October 14, 2024
    Dyarubbin
    Best Cinematography
Director Biography - Michael Gill

Six documentaries completed with the two most recent are Jarjam, dealing with young indigenous students and Cargo Riders, a group of ten bike riders doing very well.

As a run-and-gun documentary filmmaker I aim to present true to life characters within their own stories. Sometimes place holds a truth as in my film Dyarubbin. Sometimes the story revolves around stories within stories based on character and image as depicted in Walls and Images. Where truth and character forms the bedrock a truth can be gently shocking as occurred in my indigenous film Jarjum.

As a documentary filmmaker of seven years standing, I am not funded nor do I normally pay anyone in the particular film. Stars in the documentary get their own copy. This provides me with absolute creative control and very often new friends. Selling the idea or the story outline to the potential central characters is critical to getting the production off the ground. This process usually takes a month or two of effort.

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Director Statement

I am a run-and-gun observational video documentary maker specialising in raw, real-life, unscripted moments. Eddy - Extreme Backpacker is my sixth documentary and has taken six months to complete. Street sleepers and the homeless community are regarded as outcasts, but look more closely, and we see dignity, humanity, and joy. I have approached the subject of street sleepers by not focusing on misery but on their dignity and life. Eddy has been sleeping on the street in and around Sydney, Australia, for 14 years.

The making of this documentary required following Eddy in the city and on beaches. Sometimes I would find him at 5 am in the morning sleeping in a cemetery. Eddy was once an international salesman with all that modernity had to offer. Now his possessions are on his back.

I work alone and have curated the entire project myself using two cameras and portable equipment. Eddy was paid for his camera time.