Cleo Meinck in Stubbornly Here.

Taylor Broadley’s debut feature film, Stubbornly Here, is a surreal and touching journey through the eyes of three teenagers in small-town Australia.

The film follows Sunny (Cleo Meinck), PJ (Nathan Di Giovanni), and Floyd (Jonathan Maddocks), who band together to escape a mysterious crisis and their vanishing classmates. Their adventure leads them to a quirky motel run by Terry and his partner Sugar, where the trio face their deepest fears and uncertainties.

The film’s blend of magical realism and coming-of-age drama showcases Broadley’s inspirations from authors like Haruki Murakami and Kazuo Ishiguro. This influence gives Stubbornly Here a nostalgic and dreamlike quality allowing the audience to deeply connect with the characters and their growing pains.

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The casting for Stubbornly Here is seriously impressive. Nathan Di Giovanni, Cleo Meinck, and Jonathan Maddocks deliver world class, authentic and heartfelt performances, creating a strong on-screen chemistry. Combined with Stubbornly Here’sstriking black-and-white cinematography, they bring a timeless charm to an unforgettable indie gem.

With Stubbornly Here, Taylor Broadley has crafted a heartfelt and introspective film that explores universal themes of identity, fear, and the desire for freedom.

Stubbornly Here is available now via Kinema.

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