The upcoming world festival premiere of the docu-drama ‘Death or Liberty’, screening as the Red Carpet Event for the Tasmanian Breath of Fresh Air (BOFA) Film Festival on Thursday 5th November, is a coup for the festival as the film is planned to only release later in the year.
Such films normally premiere in large Australian or overseas festivals such as Sydney or Venice, so BOFA is honoured to be the first festival to screen the film.
Death or Liberty, directed and produced by Tasmania’s Roar Films as a co-production with Ireland’s Tile Films, explores how Australian democracy was shaped by the rebels, radicals and patriots from Britain and North America who arrived in convict chains in Tasmania.
Shot in Australia, UK, Ireland, USA and Canada the film dramatises the stories of those political enemies of the British Government, who were viewed with the same alarm as today’s terrorists. The prisoners included liberals, democrats and republicans; machine breakers, luddites, trade unionists and Chartists; Irish revolutionaries, Scottish Jacobins, Canadian and even American insurgents.
Through vivid first-hand accounts of these passionate and literate individuals, this docu-drama tells how Australia’s much lauded democracy and egalitarianism arrived on the fatal shore in shackles and chains. While some of the rebels are revered in their homelands as heroes and martyrs, their lives as convicts are an untold story.
Written by Tony Moore and based on his acclaimed book, the series features dramatic first eyewitness tales from the convicted rebels along with interviews with Tony Moore, and celebrated writers and historians such as UTAS colonial history expert, Hamish Maxwell-Stewart.
Roots music was composed and performed by singers and songwriters like Billy Bragg (UK) and Mick Thomas (Australia). Mick Thomas will perform at the after-party following a Q & A at the screening.
Film trailer: https://vimeo.com/roarfilm/review/136677998/3d0385dc0f
Matt Fraser | Communications Manager
