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The Great Divide

Set at the end of the summer on a camping trip, The Great Divide follows Anna, a 12-year old girl on the cusp of starting high school trying to find her way in the world and her mother, Liz, who is terrified of what will happen if she lets her go.

Shot on iPhone and made with a real-life family amongst the iconic Australian bushland, The Great Divide is a lyrical coming-of-age film that explores the emotional distance, yearning for independence and inexorable push-and-pull between parents and children.

  • Nadia Townsend
    Director
    Brawl
  • Nadia Townsend
    Writer
    Brawl
  • Imogen Gardam
    Producer
    Rash
  • Nadia Townsend
    Producer
  • Ivy Hunter
    Key Cast
    "Anna"
  • Ashlie Hunter
    Key Cast
    "Liz"
  • Stu Hunter
    Key Cast
    "Charlie"
  • Keanu Finn
    Key Cast
    "Ed"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 46 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 20, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    iPhone
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nadia Townsend

Nadia Townsend is a director, writer, and dramaturg with a background as a professional actor. As a dramaturg, she has worked alongside George Miller, training the 100+ War Boys for Mad Max: Fury Road. In screen dramaturgy, Nadia specialises in collaborating with diverse ensembles, with credits including Boy Swallows Universe, Black Snow, My Brilliant Career, Ghosts (Australia), and Mad Max: Furiosa. Trained in theatre directing at VCA, she has created award-winning independent theatre and continues to develop her innovative approach to ensemble work across both film and stage.

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Director Statement

This project began as an experiment in making a film with only the bare essentials.

Familial intimacy on screen is delicate territory, particularly when working with a minor. As a dramaturg, I’m often brought into projects to help navigate these ethical and creative tensions.

I wasn’t interested in asking a child to perform physical closeness with a stranger, so instead, we chose to work with an actual family, allowing intimacy to emerge from lived trust rather than performance.

Form followed philosophy. We stripped back the production: shooting on iPhones with a skeleton crew, staying agile, we used natural light, fire light, and the timing of the tides. Rather than imposing control, we committed to responding to the environment we chose to film in, letting it shape the work alongside us.

Shot just outside Sydney Australia - (Darkinjung and Guringai country). You can see fish jumping amidst the iconic mangroves and red gum of that area, you hear all the various Australian birds and bugs. This film was also shot during a seven year emergence of the greengrocer cicada - the loudest cicada I think I've ever heard.