Watcha Doin’ Today - Mikey Freedom

Watcha Doin' Today captures a moment in time through the eyes of Australian creatives.

Mikey Freedom

Mikey was getting ready for the lockdown when he found himself having a brush with death in the form of cancer.

His story is insight after joyful insight on recovering from cancer treatment mixed with the passion for creating with meaning. With spurts of creativity, Mikey continues to collaborate with a French artist online in preparing for an exhibition in France. Honest with his limitations, yet undaunted, he pushes himself to push through a creative block and contemplates being 'lucky' to still be alive.

He shares his journey of survival and recovery as a beautiful authentic Aussie.

Watcha Doin' Today is a 14 part series and was directed remotely by Loretta Farrell, while artists self-filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns March -June 2020 in Australia. The participants aged between 20 to 65, are artists, musicians, writers, creative teachers from all around Australia.

  • Loretta Farrell
    Director
  • Loretta Farrell
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 30, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Loretta Farrell

Loretta is an independent filmmaker trained in the ’90s at the ABC by some of the best editors in Australia.
Her first documentary series ‘It’s a long way’ examined the realities of working in the Australian music industry and aired on Channel [V] in 1999. In 2002 she directed ‘InspirAsians’ for Becker Entertainment, an 8-part biographical documentary arts series for Channel 5 MediaCorp Singapore.
Moving to London in 2005 she joined the charity Global Angels UK filming short observational documentaries in India, Kenya and Khayelitsha South Africa working with highly sensitive issues and vulnerable contributors in unstable areas, she crafted stories as part of their funding raising and awareness programs.
Loretta has a passion for telling art centred narratives that inspire thinking and engage hearts, one story at a time.

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Director Statement

EP 3 Watcha Doin’ Today Mikey Freedom

Mikey was getting ready for the lockdown when he found himself having a brush with death in the form of cancer. His story is insight after joyful insight on recovering from cancer treatment mixed with the passion for creating with meaning. With spurts of creativity, Mikey continues to collaborate with a French artist online in preparing for an exhibition in France. Honest with his limitations, yet undaunted, he pushes himself to push through a creative block and contemplates being ‘lucky’ to still be alive.

He shares his journey of survival and recovery as a beautiful authentic Aussie.

Watcha Doin’ Today was as an outlet for creatives to be part of something bigger than their isolation allowed. Artist submitted video via dropbox and where remotely directed and trained along the way. These short films are very much a collaboration of the filmmaking process with each artist and the myself. I never imagined, two of the artists would become finalists in The Archibald and Wynne prizes, held by the Art Gallery NSW (Julianne Ross Allcorn & Digby Webster). And it was incredible to see 65-year-old Tasmanian artist Catherine create a life-size 3D seaweed dress.
Using their art as both guide and comforter, they paint an authentic human face on a variety of struggles, both familiar and unique. In a surprisingly candid way, each artist asks us to consider creative expression as a new way of responding to living in the now, regardless of the trials at hand.
Just like iconic artist Mikey who shares his cancer treatment and recovery openly, and Melbourne poet Miriam explores what productivity is while moving in with her mum and dad at age 30.