# Beneath Clouds

Beneath Clouds is a 2002 film by Indigenous Australian director Ivan Sen. It is the feature film debut by the two lead actors. Damian Pitt was approached by Sen on the streets of Moree, New South Wales, and had never acted before. Dannielle Hall was cast through a more traditional method, via an audition tape. Much of the support cast were local residents from Pitt's hometown of Moree.

## Plot synopsis

Lena has an absent Irish father she longs to see and an Aboriginal mother she finds disgusting. When she breaks away, she meets up with petty criminal Vaughn who's just escaped from low security prison to reluctantly visit his dying mother. Blonde and light-skinned, Lena remains in denial about her Aboriginal heritage; Vaughn is an angry young man with a grudge against all whites. An uneasy relationship begins to form as they hit the road heading to Sydney, taking them on a journey that's as emotional as it is physical, as revealing as it is desperate.
Initially the two reluctant travelling companions are suspicious and wary of each other, but their journey, mostly by foot and the odd lift, builds an understanding between them. The film follows its creator's (Ivan Sen's) own experiences growing up in Inverell, NSW with an Aboriginal mother and a European father who was not around.

## Production

The film was financed by the New South Wales Film Commission and the Australian Film Finance Corporation.

## Reception

Only two film critics have posted reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes, both positive. Urban Cinefile Critics commented "Displaying about equal amounts of naiveté, passion and talent, Beneath Clouds establishes Sen as a filmmaker of considerable potential". Andrew Howe of eCritic.com called it "One of the few feature films to canvass the issues facing the Aboriginal community from an adolescent perspective".
Australian critic Margaret Pomeranz wrote six years later "I think this is one of the great Australian films of recent years". In her original TV review on SBS Television co-presented with David Stratton, The Movie Show, she gave it 4.5 stars and he gave it 4.

### Accolades

| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Film | Teresa-Jayne Hanlon | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Direction | Ivan Sen | Won |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Original Screenplay | Ivan Sen | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Actress | Dannielle Hall | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Cinematography | Allan Collins | Won |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Original Music Score | Alister Spence | Nominated |
| AACTA Awards (2003 AFI Awards) | Best Original Music Score | Ivan Sen | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | First Movie Award | Ivan Sen | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Berlin Bear | Ivan Sen | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | New Talent Award | Dannielle Hall | Won |
| FCCA Awards | Best Female Actor | Dannielle Hall | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Director | Ivan Sen | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Cinematography | Allan Collins | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Music Score | Alister Spence | Nominated |
| FCCA Awards | Best Music Score | Ivan Sen | Nominated |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Direction | Ivan Sen | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Actress | Dannielle Hall | Nominated |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Cinematography | Allan Collins | Won |
| Inside Film Awards | Best Editing | Karen Johnson | Nominated |

## Box office

Beneath Clouds grossed $548,416 at the box office in Australia.