James Carey in Over.

by MATTHEW EELES

Duncan Ragg and Anna Phillips’ Over is a small film with a big heart, plenty of laughs, and fine performances from its two leads, Adam Dunn (Dad) and James Carey, who plays his Damien Leith–obsessed son, James.

The film follows a father who’s forced to confront his apathy towards the world’s big issues, like climate change and Gaza… (or was that the gays?)*,when his son, who is terrified of open water, steals his boat and refuses to come back to shore until his dad has saved the world.

“We wrote the film for James Carey, a phenomenal young actor with Kabuki syndrome,” co-director Duncan tells Cinema Australia.

Both Duncan and Anna, new parents separately, were discussing with James the feeling of helplessness and deep sorrow about the awful things happening around the world. Living regionally, the filmmakers felt entirely powerless to do anything.

“We tackled it in the best way we knew how, by making a comedy about a difficult family conversation and a boy trying to change his father, and in the process we made our own community,” says Duncan.

The micro-budget short film went on to win Best Comedy at the Academy Award- and BAFTA-qualifying Flickerfest, as well as 10 further awards worldwide. There are beautiful performances from Carey, Dunn (Elvis, The Fall Guy) and Nick Boshier (Soul Mates, The Moth Effect), a thrilling score by Dan Mac (Art vs Science), and a fab cameo from Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, a real-life hero of James’.

“Unbeknownst to James, we gave him a different copy of the script, where he wants to go to the concert but never does. Secretly, we contacted Damien to orchestrate a surprise, and we used the real take of Damien’s appearance, which James says has been the greatest experience of his life and the most accepted and included he’s ever felt,” says Duncan.

Over will screen on Saturday, 28 February as part of the Stellar 12 at the Stellar Short Festival. Details here.

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