Experiencing Interruptions?

Quetta Brown

MICRO HYBRID DOCUMENTARY ~ 4:49 mins

On a moonlit night in 1910, Quetta Brown sits in her living room, haunted by her past, the press, and her lost identity. The ocean has called to her since the night the RMS Quetta sunk off the coast of Far Northern Queensland on February 28th, 1890, taking her family, her home, and her name with it.

As the only child survivor of what was considered one of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history, young Quetta Brown was orphaned and too young to remember who she was and where she came from.

Now, 20 years later, she is consistently hounded by the public about her origins. Named for the ship that stole her true identity, Quetta is never allowed to forget about the past she just can't remember.

  • Jemma Craig
    Director
  • Jemma Craig
    Writer
  • Zaitoon Salman
    Writer
  • Jemma Craig
    Producer
  • Luciana Blanco Villegas
    Key Cast
    "Quetta Brown"
  • Madeleine King
    Key Cast
    "Quetta Brown (Voice)"
  • Jonathan Williams
    Key Cast
    "News Reporter"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Student, Other
  • Runtime:
    4 minutes 49 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 17, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    700 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 1920x1080, 422,5.1 25p
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Australian Film Television and Radio School
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Jemma Craig

Jemma is a documentary filmmaker from Cairns, Far North Queensland. Growing up on the Great Barrier Reef taught Jemma an appreciation of country and gave her an urge to tell stories about belonging, and a person’s interaction with the world around them, as well as a deep connection to the ocean. After moving to Sydney, Jemma has written, produced and directed a number of local films about belonging and the ocean; including Breathe In, Quetta Brown and Warrior.

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Director Statement

Quetta Brown would have spent her life haunted by a past she had no memory of. No matter how hard she tried, she could never find out who she was or where she came from. This is a unique story, but represents a human's need for place and belonging in the world.

Today, society is facing some unique threats to our existence and sanity - with political turmoil, economic and ecological crisis, and a global pandemic. More than ever, people are struggling to find their place in the world. Ever more relevant is the internal struggle of many Australians and their dissonance of place. Many Australians are descendants of settlers and their traceable family tree spreads them across the world. Many Australians are migrants and have no home to return to. The First Nation peoples of Australia had their homes taken from them and have lost their tribes, family, and heritage.

This story highlights an incident in Australian history that saw a devastating loss of life at the time, and Quetta Brown's tale represents a disconnection between self and place. It shows the unwavering and destructive force of nature as an immediate threat to what we know as society. The next generation may face this very real ecological threat in their lifetime, with global warming and the imminent destruction of the ecological world.

This film is will be an exploration into belonging and a stolen identity, told through the life of a young woman of Australia's very real history - Quetta Brown.