Landholders Dietmar and Susanne Hildebrand reflect on Sunbury’s history in Episode 1 – Diggers Restoration.

Article by Brendan Guerin

In 2021, when Covid brought a screeching and potentially open-ended halt to film projects I was developing as a producer, I took an opportunity via the ‘Working For Victoria’ program – an initiative to help people like me survive the Covid induced downturn – and started a role in rural conservation with Hume City Council on Victoria’s Volcanic Plains. My background of growing up on a family farm in NSW, as well as early careers in the agricultural sector, meant I already had a strong interest in rural issues and the conservation of natural resources. Of particular interest at Hume was the issue of how to manage critically-endangered grasslands, given less than one per cent of Victoria’s once-thriving indigenous grasslands remain diverse and intact.

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The slow degradation of Australia’s grasslands has largely gone unnoticed or unrecognised by mainstream society. For decades, the Greening Australia and Landcare groups have focused almost exclusively on tree propagation; the understory of grasses and forbs was somehow viewed as lesser. Trees are more visible, their worth immediately recognisable. Grasses, not so much, but their value and importance to a sustainable and thriving environment are no less important. But to be fair, for most people, an in-depth discussion on indigenous grasses and invasive weeds isn’t necessarily their idea of a sexy topic.  

(L-R): DOP Matt Wood; Hume landholder David Brown & camera assist, Thomas Brownlow, prepare to film Episode 2 – Out of Nature’s Way

Covid may have temporarily stopped me from physically producing, but I was still a storyteller and through this new and unexpected path, I was inspired by several Hume landholders and ecologists who were overcoming massive weed problems by restoring and managing land in harmony with nature, with Hume City supporting their work via matched funding and technical guidance. Was Hume onto something intriguing, innovative I wondered? Could leadership in grassland restoration become a new remit for Local Government Authorities across Victoria?

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As a storyteller, I wanted to capture these Hume stories so they could be shared widely with other landholders and eco-restoration practitioners further afield. I figured the best way to do that was collectively – as a series of short docs, 5-10-minute per episode. My original idea was to capture stories from across the Volcanic Plains, with several LGAs between Hume and Hamilton on the western edge of the plains, potentially contributing to the production budget. However, after pitching to Hume, their Sustainable Environment Team agreed to fully fund the series, putting the focus on Hume’s Green Wedge, where grasslands can no longer be cleared and subdivided for housing.  

Landholder John Lakey of Sunbury observes Kangaroo Grass flowering in Episode 3 – Striving for Complexity.

Assembling a talented five-person film crew to shoot interviews and crucial pick-up shots was relatively easy (thanks for something, Covid!); dealing with unpredictable autumn-winter rains and short, cloudy days were more challenging issues. Another big challenge was to find a diversity of landowners willing to participate – and be on camera – who were knowledgeable and articulate, with a deep personal connection to their land, ideally with a story that could visually show progress over time. Fortunately, I was able to find five separate prospects, with different views, different techniques, but a shared passion and compassion for the land, to participate in the project. 

Early in pre-prod, as the series started to come together, my producing partner Christine Williams convinced me to also direct the project, given my passion and strong vision for the series. With directing experience from my work in the corporate consulting sector, it began to feel like a good fit and allowed me to immerse myself further in the creative process and ensure the commitment to honouring the initial inspiration was fully realised in the production.

Cool burning in autumn 2022 to control perennial grassweeds, Phalaris & Cocksfoot, in Eucalyptus Court Reserve, Mickleham, on Victoria’s volcanic plains.

We used the KOMODO camera at 4k RAW plus a couple of drones; the Inspire 2 and the Autel Evo 2 Pro drone which has a 6K variable aperture, but we used 4K 25fps 10 bit LOG. While outputting at 2K for web distribution, we have the 4K option should we need for a large cinematic screening. In some scenes, we chose to use archival and stock footage to help strengthen the narrative and take viewers on an engaging, entertaining and thought-provoking journey into Victoria’s critically endangered grasslands and grassy woodlands. Shot over six days between March and July 2022, Loving Grasslands evolved to become an eco-doc web series of 4 x 10-min episodes; a meditation of sorts on humanity’s deep desire to connect harmoniously with the natural world.

Growing up among hardy, idiosyncratic, ‘old-timers’ of rural Australia, I’ve always been fascinated by people who have forged a deep connection with land (Richard Harris’ ‘Bull McCabe’ in 1990’s THE FIELD being an extreme case). They seem observant and considered – and perhaps a little obsessive – about their natural surrounds, able to share stories rich in detail and emotion. That’s true of the landholders and ecologists featured in Loving Grasslands, which gives the series its core strength and authenticity. 

(L-R) Director, Brendan Guerin, camera assist, Thomas Brownlow and Hume ecologist, Eric Stone, filming in the Craigieburn grasslands near Hume Highway.

Another, perhaps unexpected, strength of the series is the focus on existential issues; how managing land in harmony with nature, rather than trying to control or manipulate nature, can potentially reverse biodiversity loss, reduce extreme fire risk in tinder-box Australia and greatly improve landscape aesthetics, farm productivity and environmental sustainability. Creating the series became not just a great professional experience but also a great personal one as well.  

Since completing the series in November 2022, LOVING GRASSLANDS has been submitted into selected festivals that have a doco, enviro and/or web series focus, building the brand profile and audience. It had been selected to screen at 18 international film festivals (with more to come, perhaps), winning 10 awards, including Best Web Series, Best Eco Work and Best Flora Doc, before getting selected by Melbourne Documentary Film Festival for its Online Program (July 1-31st, 2023), a local premiere at last in my hometown.

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We are now expanding the Loving Grasslands story-world with a second web series already in the planning, as well as a standalone longer form documentary, a study guide and podcasts. Who knows, maybe grasses might just become sexy-ish after all!

A FEW FACTS ABOUT GRASSLANDS

• Grasslands and grassy woodlands are home to diverse flora and fauna and are important for maintaining regional, state, and national biodiversity. 

• Several rare and threatened species depend on grasslands for habitat including the threatened Striped Legless lizard and Plains-wanderer and the endangered Growling Grass frog.

• Grasslands have been home to small mammals, for example the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, which have become extinct or very rare since European settlement due to habitat loss and predation. 

• Native grasses are mostly perennials and are adapted to Australian soils and climate. With drier and warmer conditions predicted to become more frequent, native grasses will be better able to cope than many exotic pasture species.

• Native grasses provide a lower input grazing system, reducing dependence on finite resources. They tolerate low fertility, acid soils and water stress, with many active in warm seasons, including Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) and Weeping grass (Microlaena stipoides) providing excellent summer grazing and lower fire risk.

More details: Contact Brendan Guerin, Guerin Group Films PL. Phone 0418 122 77 Visit http://www.gueringroup.com.au 

Loving Grasslands will screen online at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. Details here.