Immersion

Precious water in a changing climate... An impressionist journey through the Australian landscape

  • John Winter
    Director
    Black & White & Sex, Mirror Mirror, Apartment 1911
  • John Winter
    Producer
    Rabbit-Proof Fence, Paperback Hero, Doing Time for Patsy Cline, My Mother Frank
  • Bronwyn Elliott
    Producer
  • Annette Rays
    Effects & Graphic Designer
  • John Winter
    Director Of Photography
    Apartment 1911
  • John Winter
    Editor
    Apartment 1911
  • John Winter
    Sound Designer
    Apartment 1911
  • Annette Rays
    Title Design
    Mirror Mirror, Black & White & Sex
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 1, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4K
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Wintertime Films
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - John Winter

Producer turned experimental filmmaker, John is now focusing on his writing and directing. His short film Mirror Mirror screened at 27 festivals including Frameline32, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival and it opened the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. His ATOM award winning feature film, Black & White & Sex screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, was in competition in Taipei as well as screening at the Sydney & Brisbane festivals. His short, Apartment 1911, screened at Byron International Film Festival. His latest film offering is the experimental, environmental short film, Immersion.

John’s numerous producing credits include Phillip Noyce’s Rabbit-Proof Fence, Paperback Hero (Hugh Jackman), Berlin entrant My Mother Frank (Sam Neil), Sydney Film Festival opening night film, Doing Time for Patsy Cline and Vacant Possession.

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Director Statement

The idea for Immersion first surfaced when traveling on the dry, outback Oodnadatta track. The track follows the springs at the edge of the Great Artesian Basin; the springs that the local Aboriginal people pointed out to the thirsty nineteenth century European explorers; the springs that fed the new cattle farms and steam engines that transported the cattle to market; the springs that have been so depleted over the last 200 years.

Australia is about water. And so is Immersion. It is an experiential film about a time of climate change... rising temperatures and flooding rains.

Shot throughout central and eastern Australia, I watched the passing world through each of the vehicle’s windows like split screens merging to create a sort of ‘moving image impressionism’.

I explored split screens as an alternative way of seeing the world in my last two films: Black & White & Sex and Apartment 1911. In Immersion I take this idea further. I wanted to explore how the mind reacts to simultaneous multiple, moving images.

I wanted Immersion to be an interactive experience for the audience, allowing them to choose which of the split screens to follow. Although there is only one film being screened, every participant views their own, unique version of the film each time they view it.