Here Out West
Directed by
Written by
  • Nisrine Amine
  • Bina Bhattacharya
  • Matias Bolla
  • Claire Cao
  • Arka Das
  • Dee Dogan
  • Vonne Patiag
  • Tien Tran
Produced by
  • Bree-Anne Sykes
  • Annabel Davis
  • Sheila Jayadev
CinematographyTania Lambert
Edited byMartin Connor
Music byAmanda Brown
Running time
100 minutes
CountryAustralia
Languages
  • English
  • Arabic
  • Bengali
  • Cantonese
  • Kurdish
  • Tagalog
  • Turkish
  • Vietnamese
  • Spanish

Here Out West is a 2021 Australian anthology film set in culturally diverse Western Sydney. It is made up of eight stories from eight writers and features nine languages. The film has been praised for its positive portrayal of the diversity of Western Sydney. It was the opener for the 2021 Sydney Film Festival.[1][2]

Synopsis

The film consists of eight loosely connected sections, each following different characters in Western Sydney.

We, the Spiders

  • Directed by Lucy Gaffy, written by Nisrine Amine

Nancy (Genevieve Lemon) is unexpectedly left to babysit her neighbour Amirah (Mia-Lore Bayeh). She visits her imprisoned daughter in the hospital where she had just given birth to a baby named Grace, and kidnaps the baby.

Everything Changes

Jorge (Christian Ravello), a security guard in the hospital's carpark who has a fraught relationship with his son, writes poetry in Spanish while working. Nancy tries to leave the hospital with Grace, and as Jorge runs after her, his son stumbles across Jorge’s notebook, reading one of his poems.

Brotherhood

Three friends—Dino (Thuso Lekwape), Rashid (Rahel Romahn) and Robi (Arka Das)—get into a fight. They see a man get hit by a car (driven by Nancy, who flees), and carry him to the hospital. The segment ends with Ashmita (Leah Vandenberg) approaching Robi.

The Eternal Dance

  • Directed by Ana Kokkinos, written by Bina Bhattacharya

Ashmita is at the hospital visiting her dying father. He reverts to speaking only his native Bengali, so Ashmita asks Robi to interpret. Ashmita sings the song "Mama Chitte" and her father has a moment of lucidity.

The Musician

  • Directed by Fadia Abboud, written by Dee Dogan

A Kurdish bağlama-maker tries to find work in Australia to support his family.

Brother Tom

  • Directed by Fadia Abboud and Ana Kokkinos, written by Tien Tran

Tom returns to his old neighbourhood.

The Long Shift

  • Directed by Julie Calceff, written by Vonne Patiag

A Filipina nurse works a long shift at the hospital, during which she witnesses Nancy kidnapping the baby.

Closing Night

  • Directed by Leah Purcell, written by Claire Cao

A mother and daughter work together on the closing night of their restaurant.

Background and development

Each subsection of the film was written by an emerging writer, all from different backgrounds. The film includes dialogue in ten languages: Tagalog, Bengali, Arabic, Kurdish, Spanish, Turkish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Kurmanji, and English.[3]

The food docu-series 8 Nights Out West was inspired by the movie, hosted by Here Out West writer and actor Arka Das. Each episode features a member of the cast or crew showcasing and discussing food from their cultural background. The docu-series aired in anticipation of the launch of Here Out West on the ABC's streaming service.[3]

Cast

  • Geneviève Lemon – Nancy
  • Christian Ravello – Jorge
  • Arka Das – Robi
  • Leah Vandenberg – Ashmita
  • De Lovan Zandy – Keko
  • Khoi Trinh – Tuan
  • Brandon Nguyen - Andy
  • Christine Milo – Roxanne
  • Jing Xuan Chan – Angel
  • Befrin Axtjärn Jackson – Xoxe
  • Mia-Lore Bayeh – Amirah

Reception

Tania Lambert, writing in The Converation, considers that "the film while imperfect in that some stories are stronger than others, is a nuanced examination of race and class."[4] The Guardian's Luke Buckmaster gave it 3 stars and concluded that "the film comes across more as a number of parts rather than the sum of them. This is a drama of modest qualities, more adept at painting pockets of time in the characters’ lives rather than self-contained (or thematically related) narratives."[5] Wenlei Ma of news.com.au gave it 3 1/2 stars, saying "The result is a collection of stories that is genuine, moving and revealing. They have something to say about a community that’s home to millions of Australians and whose stories are often told by outsiders and without compassion."[6]

Reviewing for The Sydney Morning Herald, Paul Byrne awards the film 4 stars finishing "It’s a clever construction, and it helps that there is only one editor, Martin Connor, keeping the tone consistent throughout."[7] Also in The Sydney Morning Herald, Debi Enker gives it 4 1/2 stars, stating: "Getting the tone, pace and balance right on an anthology isn’t easy. This inventive and insightful production nails it."[8]

Awards and nominations

Year Award CategoryNominee(s) ResultRef.
2022 12th AACTA Awards Best Film Here Out West – Co-curious and Emerald Productions Nominated
[9]
Best Costume Design Wendy Cork Nominated
Audience Choice Award for Best Actor Christian Ravello Nominated
2023 Logie Awards of 2023 Most Outstanding Supporting Actor Arka Das Nominated
[10]

References

  1. ↑ Hayman, Rani (3 November 2021), "New film Here Out West seeks to paint a different picture about living in Western Sydney", ABC News, retrieved 4 August 2023
  2. ↑ Maddox, Garry (29 October 2021), "'Magic happened in the room': Here Out West is a rare contemporary take on western Sydney", Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 4 August 2023
  3. 1 2 Trigg, Che-Marie (4 August 2022). "Where To Eat Bangladeshi, Chilean, Lebanese and Other Cuisines in Sydney". Broadsheet. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  4. ↑ Lambert, Tania (7 February 2022), "Here Out West: a film that centres Western Sydney through tales of marginality", The Conversation, retrieved 4 August 2023
  5. ↑ Luke Buckmaster, Luke Buckmaster (4 November 2021), "Here Out West review – western Sydney anthology is tender, but modest", The Guardian, retrieved 4 August 2023
  6. ↑ Ma, Wenlei (3 February 2022), "Here Out West brings out the humanity in western Sydney's stories", News.com.au, retrieved 4 August 2023
  7. ↑ Byrne, Paul (2 February 2022), "This brilliant comedy-drama breaks the 'skip ceiling' in 10 languages", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 4 August 2023
  8. ↑ Enker, Debi (10 August 2022), "Many standouts in a vibrant portrait of Sydney's inner west", The Sydney Morning Herald, retrieved 4 August 2023
  9. ↑ Knox, David (23 October 2022). "AACTA Awards 2022: nominees". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  10. ↑ Knox, David (19 June 2023). "TV Week Logie Awards 2023: nominees". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
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