D A M A G E
THE TEAM
Madeleine works across a range of theatre and screen projects as a writer and director. Her first short FATHER screened at the Tehran International Film Festival and The Women on Women Film Festival, Sydney. She was nominated for an AFI screenwriting award for SO CLOSE TO HOME, which won a Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco Film Festival and a Dendy Award at Sydney Film Festival. Her 2014 short film ELSEWHERE screened at Canberra Short Film Festival, Le Bout du Monde festival, France and Fajr Film festival in Tehran, Iran.
She initially worked in theatre as an actor after graduating from NIDA and worked on stage, film and television. Since the 1990’s she has been directing theatre both in Australia and internationally, specialising in community-based performance works both here and overseas. Until commencing this film she worked annually at Utrecht University, Netherlands directing Shakespeare. She has directed and taught in various Australian Universities in theatre studies.
MADELEINE BLACKWELL
Writer . Director . Producer
THE CAST
ALI AL JENABI
Actor
Ali is an asylum seeker from Iraq. His life story is documented in Robin de Crespigny’s award-winning book THE PEOPLE SMUGGLER. In DAMAGE, he brings his indomitable and charismatic character to the role of the taxi driver.
IMELDA BOURKE
Actress
Imelda is a singer with many years experience on television, radio and the stage. In DAMAGE she brings her sense of humour and her formidable acting skills to create the character of the passenger.
COLLABORATORS
RAPHAEL RIVERA
Editor
Raphael completed a Bachelor in Media Arts at the University of South Australia with a professional major in Film and TV in 2011. He then lived and travelled in South America for three years before coming back to Australia in 2016 where he obtained a diploma in Screen Media from the MAPS Film School in Adelaide specialising in editing and camera.
TOM CHANGARATHIL
Script . Directors
consultant
Tom has over 10 years of experience in content creation and production across radio, television, web, film and live events. Having lived and worked extensively in India as well as Australia, his multicultural perspective is his greatest strength as a storyteller. His areas of expertise are broad: sound design, production, writing and above all, directing. He has a Diploma of Screen & Media.
PETER THURMER
Co-Producer
Peter is a photographer, musician, film-maker, archivist, entrepreneur and teacher. While DAMAGE is his first co-production of a feature, Peter dedicated 25 years to establishing and running the Media Arts Production Skills School, MAPS where he helped students complete over 900 short films and 3 features. He also managed The Media Resource Centre, a hub for screen culture, organising workshops, film education and the Mercury Cinema.
In recent years his interest in photography has come to dominate his artistic practice as he explores the use of the digital camera and associated software.
PAUL J WARREN
Camera
Paul has shot many features, including the award winning THE CUP, and many short films and documentaries throughout the world, his portfolio is extensive and displays a huge variety of formats, styles and content.
REBECCA DUNCKER
Camera
After four years in science, Rebecca decided that science fiction films were much more her speed, being much more at home in the camera department than in the lab. Several of her short films have been nominated for South Australian Screen Awards as well as winning several accolades at the Fleurieu Film Festival in 2017.
MUSA ZAKIZADA
Camera assistant
Musa graduated from Baghe Firdows College of Filmmaking in Tehran. After the collapse of Taliban rule, he moved back to his homeland Afghanistan and made short documentary and fiction films in Kabul. In 2013 he came to Australia as a refugee, where he began to make short films for the Afghan community. He graduated with the Diploma of Media and Screen from Adelaide College of the Arts in 2016.
SHARON CLEARY
Producer
Sharon has worked within the Australian screen industry for over 20 years. She has experience across both key creative and crew roles encompassing producing, writing, directing, and editing. She has worked with mainstream and independent production teams to create content for print, television, web, and film. With extensive professional marketing and communications experience for government, private and community clients both large and small, Sharon is also a trained actor and published author.
OKSANA SHENDRIK
Production . Finance
Oksana comes from a background in economics and banking in Russia. Since moving to Australia, she has worked as accent coach and voice actor on the film Hotel Mumbai and voiced the part of the ballet instructor for the Adelaide Festival production of Meryl Tankard’s Two Feet. For Damage she has worked as a Production Assistant, Financial Administrator and as the cherished assistant to Imelda Bourke.
HUGH FREYTAG
Camera
Hugh has been shooting short films documentaries and feature films for 25 years. He shoots lots of still photography using 35mm and medium format film and regularly exhibits his work.
MARK BLACKWELL
Drone . Green screen
Mark is the First Assistant Director and sound recordist. Mark has worked in the film industry for thirty years recording sound for features, docos and TV. And also doing sound post. He has won several awards including an AFI for the feature SOMERSAULT.
JUSTIN MARTYNIUK
Production
Justin has grown up with a passion for film and film making, at first studying film at Adelaide University he later moved on to learn the craft at MAPS Film School. He juggles freelance editing and audio work with finding time to make his own films.
KATE REID
Composer
Kate is a pianist and composer living in Sydney. Her compositions include works for film, theatre and multimedia exhibitions. Her song cycle, Solander, was to be performed by the Sydney Chamber Choir in November 2020 in Sydney but due to the current pandemic, has been postponed. She is currently working with the renowned ensemble, Halcyon, and is one of five Australian composers represented on their new recording Holding Light, to be released late September 2020.
PETER KNIGHT
Composer
Peter is a composer, trumpeter, sound artist and Artistic Director of one of Australia’s leading contemporary music ensembles, the Australian Art Orchestra.
Peter is a significant force in contemporary music, initiating commissions, collaborations, and performances with a diverse range of artists. He has also performed his works with the Orchestra at major international festivals.
In addition to his role with the AAO, Peter regularly presents his music as both performer and composer in a range of settings; he also composes for contemporary theatre, film, and creates sound installations.
MOHAMMAD AMEEN MARRDAN
Composer
Mohammad is a composer, music arranger and a cellist who is based in Sydney, Australia. He completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Baghdad in 2000. He also obtained an Advanced Diploma in Arts at the Institute of Musical Studies with a focus on Ethnomusicology where he mastered playing the Joza, a folkloric Iraqi musical instrument. Following his graduation he joined the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra and recorded for renowned Arab singers. In recent years, Mohammad opened his own recording studio and is currently overseeing a project to record and preserve Iraqi folkloric songs.
JEM SAVAGE
Composer
Jem is a musician, producer and sound engineer based in Melbourne, Australia. In live performance he effortlessly blends live processing, looping, effect manipulation, interactive visuals and more with his highly developed instrumental and vocal techniques. As an audio engineer for contemporary and experimental music, Jem combines keen musical literacy with wide-ranging experience and practical know-how to fulfil the needs of the most technically demanding projects - including recordings of Alvin Lucier works “Swing Bridge” and “Sizzles” for the Australian Art Orchestra.