90 minutes/ fiction
In development
Celebrated ornithologist Nina has a tight grip on her plans for the future. She is building her dream home deep in the tropics of northern Australia, taking the ruins of the colonial house she grew up in and transforming it with the help of her architect husband Noah into an eco house vision. Together they face the pressure to complete construction before the onset of cyclone season.
With her beloved daughter Val, she explores the wonders of the area with the same curiosity of her childhood gaze.
At her work it’s more complicated. Nina maps the presence of endangered species for a development company, when an indigenous ’guide’ promises to shut down all development projects in the region, including her house, if the fabled Regent bird is sighted. A piercing sound starts following Nina from her house to the rainforest where she is attacked by something unseen leaving a huge wound across her face – which no one seems to notice. Nina’s tightly controlled plan is crumbling until Nina herself is unravelling spectacularly out of control.
Selected for the LIM writing workshops 2023.