Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows Kate speaking to the interviewer and reflecting on relationships. She and her son, Liam, are then shown walking on the beach and watching the waves, while her voice-over describes the advantages and disadvantages of single parenthood. She is shown at home, with her son in the background, then chopping wood and putting it on the fire, as her voice-over describes her own father’s absence during her childhood. She and Liam visit a fire station, and Peter, a firefighter and prospective partner, shows them a fire truck.

Educational value points

• The clip provides an example of a documentary approach to exploring a sensitive social issue. Finding a partner is a challenge for many Australian men and women, and the filmmaker uses Kate’s experiences as a way of accessing the kinds of feelings people might have about this challenge and sharing them with an audience. The interviewing style is not intrusive, with Kate allowed to reflect at length on her situation. Her voice is paired with images that suggest the themes of isolation and self-sufficiency. This technique also aims to add visual interest to the documentary and intensify the viewers’ empathy.

• A scene is included that particularly highlights the potential demands of single parenting. The filmmaker, through Kate’s experiences, has chosen to represent single parenthood as a struggle, especially through the shot of Kate trying to talk to the interviewer but being interrupted by her very cranky son. Single parents often experience significantly greater emotional and financial burdens than couples. However, a range of organisations, such as Parents Without Partners, has been formed to provide support for them. More recently, a number of chat rooms, advice sites and dating services have been provided on the internet.

• The clip shows Kate’s meeting with a potential partner and his interaction with Liam while she looks on. The scene reflects Kate’s need to find a partner who can fulfil not only her own needs but those of her son. It suggests the added complications of trying to find a partner when you already have a child or children.

• The interviewee’s observations highlight the significance of the role of the father in a child’s life. The filmmaker has chosen to include Kate’s reflections on the absence of her own father in her childhood during the 1950s and her assumption that a father figure was not necessary. Tellingly, her revelations that she has changed her mind and that she has learnt the importance of a masculine presence are accompanied by footage of her performing traditionally masculine activities, such as splitting wood and feeding a fire. The filmmaker clearly wishes to emphasise that single parents often attempt to fulfil both roles.

• The clip offers an example of the work of a small independent Australian film and video production company, Stella Motion Pictures, that has produced several documentaries for Australian and international television.

Kate is interviewed at her home.

Kate, single mother We’ve all been through relationships, we’ve all been hurt and we’ve all hurt others – I know I’ve done that as well – it goes both ways. Um, but there’s a sense of having been so damaged, in a way, by the whole process of relationships and love that it’s very, very, very hard to take the risk again, to take the risk of being vulnerable to another human being.

Interview footage is intercut with footage of Kate and Liam playing at the beach.

Kate I always thought I would be a single mother and I can’t explain why but I never understood the implications of that. I had no idea the level of isolation that’s involved in that and, actually, how difficult it is. It’s very rewarding of course and, on another level, it’s really difficult so it’s a paradox, like everything in life. You know, like all little boys, he’s got lots of energy and he’s always wanting to do things physically and stuff …

Liam interrupts the interview when his building blocks collapse.

Liam Mum, it broke again and I don’t remember how it goes.

Kate It’s alright, sweetie. Just keeping building it.

Liam No! Mum, I was going to do a rooster when I stuck a bit on the floor.

Kate Do you want me to come and give you a hand?

Interview voice-over continues over Kate chopping wood for the fire.

Kate I suppose I was pretty arrogant and thought, ‘Look, you know, kids don’t really need their dads.’ My father was a fairly absent father as many dads were in the ‘50s and so, in a sense, I guess, I’ve learned through the very hard experience just how important that masculine presence is.

Kate and Liam visit Peter at the fire station. Voice-over of an interview with Kate is played over some of the footage.

Kate When I said my son loves fire engines, which he really, genuinely does – I mean, he’s always been into firemen and stuff – Peter immediately responded, ‘Well, you can come down and anytime,’ and I think, on his part, it was actually a very genuine offer.

Peter Do you want to get in the back?

Kate Are we going for a drive, are we?

Peter No, ooh, no, no.

Kate It wasn’t kind of sleazy, particularly, although the rest of the table went, ‘Ooh, hoo hoo,’ you know, and my immediate response was to go, ‘Ooh, no.’

Liam Are there lots of officers too?

Peter Officers, yeah – well, I’m one.

Kate For Liam’s sake it was good and, for my sake, it was good too because he just looked so gorgeous in the fireman’s outfit.