At 16, the world is your so-called oyster. The possibility of a pearl shines bright. You are fearless, excited and really believe you’ll be able to achieve something spectacular in the 70 or 80 years ahead.
But that isn’t so for Liam Wood.
Liam doesn’t have many options available to him, life is not an abundance of opportunity. Liam’s father is serving 20 years in prison as the result of a botched casino hold-up. His mother is trying to keep the family above the poverty line and Liam’s elder brother, Steve, is heading down the same rough road his father started on.
There’s only one thin thread that Liam is grasping onto, his secret love of acting, which his drama teacher taps into in order to reach him.
Ms. Chalmers, unlike the other adults in his world, goes out of her way to tell Liam he is NOT just another delinquent youth destined to be like his elder brother and father.
The story you just read is the plot of Around The Block, a new release Australian film set in a Redfern housing precinct run by the Aboriginal community in Sydney.
The film raises the question – should we place all the responsibility to shape and mould our children on teachers? Should we rely on teachers to make sure kids don’t hang out with the wrong crowd? Is it a teacher’s job to encourage our kids to find something they are passionate about? Something for them to practice every night, instead of hanging out at the local oval with their friends looking for a fight, with raging teenage hormones.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Around the Block. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.
Is this what we expect?
In this film, that is exactly what happens to Liam. The few people he has in the world, tell him he’s one thing and one thing only, but it takes just one person, a high school teacher, to show him who else he could be.
The actor who plays Liam, Hunter Page-Lochard has a different story. Hunter didn’t need extra motivation from a teacher.
“I always had a push, I was lucky. But it wasn’t someone telling me what I should do, it was a collective of things inspiring myself to do what I want to do now [acting]. I don’t just want to act, I want to create. And I thank my parents purely for [giving me] the ability to ‘believe’ I can.”
So how hard is it for a character like Liam to break the chains of fate and decide their own path?
“At the end of the day, yes [I believe young people can decide their own future, even when the odds are stacked against them],” Hunter says.
“But for some it’s really hard and I understand that. Times have also changed, it’s not that the odds are stacked against them, it’s that they’re distracted [by new technology] and subconsciously procrastinating. [But] it’s always going to be in the hands of ourselves [young people] because at the end of the day, it’s our choice whether we have a push or not.”
Perhaps it’s not just one person’s job to make a difference, but multiple people in a child’s life. Hunter explains the most important part of the movie is when Liam tells his father that he has decided to not be like him.
“To me that is really important to any boy with a father figure, whether he be in jail or a successful director. You shouldn’t need to be anyone but yourself, and that’s the message this film is sending. It’s not cliché ridden, it’s just straight up.”
And that is the lesson the film Around The Block gives its viewers. It doesn’t take a good teacher, or supportive parents, or belief in yourself. It takes all of the above. It is all about ‘living your truth’ regardless of your background or how people around you think you should live.
Check out these shots from the film.
Who’s the person in your life that inspires you to achieve your goals?
AROUND THE BLOCK is about breaking cycles and building dreams. Set in a contemporary, inner-city precinct, this is a story of living your truth and triumphing against the odds. A teenage boy is torn between his unexpected love of theatre and the disintegration of his family, yet with encouragement from his unconventional American drama teacher, he confronts his past and eventually takes control of his future
Around the Block features a breakout performance from newcomer Hunter Page-Lochard and an outstanding Australian supporting cast including Damien Walshe-Howling (Underbelly, Mystery Road), Daniel Henshall (Not Suitable for Children, Snowtown) and Matt Nable (Underbelly, Bikie Wars).
AROUND THE BLOCK premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival with critics calling it ‘Aussie’s film triumph’ ‘magical’ and “a powerful drama’.
Available on digital, DVD and Blu-ray on July 16
Top Comments
You know, as a teacher I see this too much. I have worked in really deprived areas and the writing is on the wall sometimes and there is nothing you can do about it. Really, we might think we have the influence at times and sometimes we can make a difference but bottom line, the biggest influence over the child is the family.
If you happen to live in a housing commission suburb you have less chance to escape than anyone else because you only see one side of life and have no idea that it doesn't have to be like that. Families often regard the school in the same way they regard police and government bodies.. authorities that are the enemy.
Currently, I teach 2 boy cousins who live with their grandmother. Both fathers are in gaol and they both have intellectual disabilities as no doubt do their parents. They are in high school and it is clear where they are headed no matter how hard we try.
In case anyone is interested, there are a few screenings in the cinema for this film - Randwick Ritz (Sydney) on Monday 23 June, Carlton Nova (Melbourne) on Tuesday 24 June, and Limelight (Canberra) on Wednesday 25 June - all screenings at 6.30pm. It was on at the Cremorne Orpheum in Sydney last Monday and sold out leaving many unable to get tickets. Best to pre-buy tickets so you don't miss out.