Tremble (film)
4 /10 1 Votes
Duration Country Australia | Director Matthew J Schelle Language English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Writer Matthew J Schelle , Ben Schelle Release date 13 July 2008 (2008-07-13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tremble is an independent short film, written, produced and directed by Australian filmmakers The Schelle Brothers, Ben Schelle and Matthew J Schelle. The film stars actor Danny Boyd as an old man trapped beneath the rubble and debris of the former Newcastle Workers Club in the aftermath of the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake. Co-starring are actors Joe Brown, Ricky Bush and stand-up comedian Tim Bean. The film was a finalist at the 2008 Newcastle Shootout film festival, where it also received the award for Best Art Direction for its scenes depicting the devastation of the Workers Club. The award was also won by the same filmmakers the previous year for their World War II comedy short, The Night They Attacked Australia.
Contents
The film Tremble was shot on location at the Lock-Up Art Gallery in Newcastle, Australia, formerly the colonial Police Station and at the rebuilt Newcastle Workers Club (Newcastle Panthers).
Plot
Tremble is a poignant film which coincides with the upcoming 20th anniversary of the 1989 Newcastle Earthquake which claimed the lives of 13 people. The film opens with a staggering depiction of the collapsed Workers Club, with shattered concrete beams, torn cables and twisted steelwork strewn over the club floor. In amongst the rubble are various Christmas decorations, the event having occurred only three days after the holidays. Stuck beneath a fallen poker machine is an Old Man, littered with debris, struggling to breathe and call out. Nearby is a still and seemingly lifeless arm wearing a beeping wristwatch. The film depicts the Old Mans attempt to stay alive whilst keeping the other unseen person buried in the rubble in contact. Intercut with these scenes are episodes depicting the rescue efforts of volunteers from the Police Rescue Squad and the State Emergency Service.
Production
The film was made for the 10th annual Shootout Film Festival, which required that the film include a minimum of five items as proof that it was made within a specified timeframe.
The five items featured in Tremble included:
Themes
The film is a running commentary on the themes of survival and communication, breaking down from alienation to isolation. This can be evidenced during the Earthquake scene itself, which occurs during a somewhat discordant phone call. The remainder of the film then becomes a one-sided reply to the interrupted conversation. The events surrounding the Newcastle Earthquake have had a major impact on the local community, as over forty survivors were pulled out of the club in the days following the quake, meaning the short film has an important cultural significance in the Hunter Region.
Cast
The film centers around Danny Boyd as the Old Man but also features: