Puss

*WARNING - this film contains language and images that some may find offensive.

Martin Dover was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A confrontation with two youngAboriginal men over a cat changed his life. Dover killed one of the men in the fight and in spite of being an ex solicitor, ends up in gaol for eight years.

In gaol, determined that his wife Sally should have a life of her own, he divorces her and severs all ties .He is befriended by Alexis a full time prison visitor who’s daughter was brutally raped and murdered by Granston, a violent inmate. Alexis subsequently took it upon himself to confront his ‘demons’, by spending time with prisoners and face his daughters murderer. Dover is forced to face his own demons when he acquires an Aboriginal cell mate.

Pending his release he contacts Ron, his father in law to provide proof of accommodation necessary for parole. Ron accommodates him with a room above his business. Whilst in his office Dover sees a photograph of his wife Sally and a small girl; curiosity driven, he makes contact with her to discover that he has a daughter. Sally rebuffs him and kicks him out.

Try as he might Dover is unable to put the hope of a liaison with Sally and Helena behind him. The theft of his daughter’s dog and his quest to retrieve it with the aid of his aboriginal ex cell mate leads him into the cruel and ugly world of dog fighting.

Granston escapes and seeks revenge after a violent beating Dover gave him; he kidnaps his daughter and intends to put her on the market.

Dover, Sally, and Alexis are once again confronted with the past embodied in the person of the deranged Granston. While they can’t relive or change it, they cannot leave it behind.

Puss is not a prison film, nor an action film. It is a film about character, relationships, ideals, and social comment on screen.

  • Nik Forster
    Director
  • Nik Forster
    Writer
  • Nik Forster
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 13 minutes 24 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nik Forster

Nik Forster:
Writes and directs for LundinStudio. Nik was nominated for best supporting actor in a feature film and toured with the Sydney Theatre Company after performing at the Dallas Brookes Hall in Melbourne.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Puss is our first feature film and we tried to give it a down to earth feel.
It took us two years to make and because of that the one thing I feared most was continuity. It was luck rather than judgement that we only got caught out once.
We mainly filmed over the weekend and the occasional evening when people were available. One of the problems when making a film on a shoe string is the availability of the cast. Arranging times when those required are free can sometimes be a nightmare. If there are several persons in the shot all with important roles and one's missing then the scene can't be filmed and another week goes by.
Fortunately we shot Helena's scenes early on in the piece otherwise it would have been pretty obvious that time had elapsed, as kids can change considerably in two years.
On occasions it was like pushing a stove up hill and other days we breezed through.
Making films is most decidedly a learning experience and when I look back at it now I think 'if only I had done this' or 'we should have done that'. Having said that it cost $8000 to make and for our first shot I don't think it was all bad.