The Valley
Surrounded by dramatic cliffs and accessed by steep, winding roads that add to the sense of seclusion, this wholly observational documentary skilfully captures the Kangaroo Valley community, from artists to artisans, farmers to builders, council workers to shopkeepers. Many locals spend their working days in quiet solitude, whether milking cows or baking bread. Institutions and traditions, from carnivals to volunteer firefighting, sustain and enrich this rural community, fulfilling a yearning for human contact and a shared belonging. The Valley, with its rich visuals and Wiseman-inspired verité approach, delivers an immersive experience that savours the rhythms, tranquillity and timelessness of valley life.
Special Guests
Ian Darling is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with Shark Island Productions. He is Executive Director of Shark Island Institute, and Chair of Shark Island Foundation.
His extensive credits include directing The Pool, The Final Quarter and Paul Kelly – Stories of Me. He is currently directing and producing the feature documentary Confessions of a War Photographer. Beyond film, Darling is a published photographer, co-writer and actor of the play The Twins, and the founder of Documentary Australia. He has previously chaired the Sydney Theatre Company and served as a Director of NIDA.
Tickets
Sydney Film Festival acknowledges Australia’s First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land, and pay respect to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, upon whose Country SFF is based.
We honour the storytelling and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia.
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