The Tree Film

NYC welcomes The Tree

2011-07-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Tree opens in New York City today, kicking off a US screening tour already scheduling close to 50 cinemas over 25 states, with more venues yet to be added!

You can see The Tree at The Beekman Theatre and The Village East Cinemas, New York. The film opens next in Washington; Cambridge, Massachusetts and Los Angeles on the 22nd July. To find out more USA screening dates and venues check out The Tree Playdates which will be continually updated by Zeitgeist Films, the US distributors.

The Tree spreads its Branches

2011-07-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Last night's special screening of The Tree at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, previewed the film's US release on the 15th July, starting in New York and fanning out across the country with more screenings being added daily.
This follows the release of The Tree (L'albero) in Italy on the 8th July coinciding with the Canadian release starting in Montreal on the same date. An advance screening will be held in Montreal at the Cinema Parallèle on July 6th.
The UK release date has been set for the 5th August.
Watch this space to find out more...

A Festive Week for The Tree

2011-04-29T02:23:00.000-07:00

It's a week of festival screenings for The Tree, with events spanning three countries and two continents.

The Festival du Cinéma Australien takes place in Pézenas, France, over three nights and two days from the 29th April to the 1st May, showing 13 feature films and 8 short films.

Here's what the festival team has to say about the event:

"The end of the world ... That's what most people think when they think of Australia. A desert country, unique animals, an ancient culture ... A large island, far away ... A dream."

Alongside The Tree screening on Saturday 30th April at 5:30 pm, the festival will show a fantastic selection of films including Last Train to Freo (also from Taylor Media); Priscilla, Queen of The Desert; Ten Canoes; Black Balloon, Samson and Delilah; and Strictly Ballroom.

There will be an exhibition on the theme of "Comparison" in the Cabaret Theatre, two wineries, and of course, beer, tapas and barbecue all day, and a continuous screening of "Skippy - The Bush Kangaroo" for the kids.

The venue, the Illustre Theatre is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and this festival is one of the major events planned. Its beauty, and 7x5 metre screen offer a truly special cinematic experience.

Pézenas is a beautiful town in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The town is especially proud of its association with Moliere, who brought his troupe to the town on several occasions, and has a monument to commemorate the fact by the reputed sculptor Jean-Antoine Anjelbert. As a result, each summer Pezenas plays host to the Mirondela de l'Arte, and music and street entertainment takes over the town.

The Newport Beach Film Festival is set in Newport Beach, on the spectacular Californian coastline and less than an hour from Hollywood. Films are screened throughout the city that boasts one of the largest movie consumer groups in the world, a rich filmmaking history as well as fine dining, shopping, and exceptional recreational activities.

The Tree screens on both Tuesday May 3rd at 7:30 pm and May 5th at 3:00 pm.

Audiences at the Tuesday night screening can celebrate at the Tuesday Night International Showcase Block Party for France, Sweden and Australia at Fashion Island, presented by OC Weekly, with top entertainment and hors d’oeuvres prepared by award winning restaurants and a bar hosted by Stella Artois and Absolut.

The Barbican’s London Australian Film Festival, is now in its 17th year and is an eagerly awaited annual landmark on the UK film calendar. Since March 1994, every major Australian feature film has been screened at the festival – this year is no exception!

Throughout its history, the heart of the Festival has been its showcase of the latest Australian feature films and documentaries, providing UK audiences with a unique overview of Australian cinema today.

The Tree screens on Sunday 8th May 6:30 pm at the Barbican Centre alongside the best of recent Australian cinema, including; Red Dog; Oranges and Sunshine; Beneath Hill 60; Wasted on The Young and Mao's Last Dancer.

Morgana: Outstanding Performer

2011-03-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

**Last night the Film Critics Circle of Australia presented Morgana Davies with the award for Outstanding Performer for her role as Simone in The Tree.**

Morgana Davies at the FCCA Award Ceremony

The Film Critics Circle of Australia is the national body of professional film critics in Australia whose aims are to promote excellence and integrity in the art of film criticism and support the advancement of Australian and international film culture.

In addition to this award, Morgana is the youngest person ever to receive an AFI Award nomination (Best Actress and Best Young Actor) and has gained adulation from cinema audiences and critics worldwide.

To watch an interview with Morgana about her time working on The Tree, and her travels to France for the Cannes Film Festival in 2010, please click here.

2011-02-23T20:35:00.001-08:00

National Centre for Childhood Grief

The Tree screening to assist

The National Centre for
Childhood Grief

The National Centre for Childhood Grief ("A Friend's Place") will host a special screening of The Tree to raise funds for its important work in counselling children who are dealing with grief.

The event will take place at 6.15pm on Thursday March 10 at the Riverside Theatres in Parramatta, NSW, and will be followed by a Q&A expert panel on grief headed by the founders of the NCCG, Mal and Dianne McKissock. Mal and Dianne have both been awarded Order of Australia Medals for their work. They have published several books on the subject, including,
"Coping With Grief" the ABC's best-selling book ever.

The 2006 Census tells us that 9% of people in NSW had lost either one or both parents before they turned 18 years of age. Yet, the discussion of death and grief remains such a taboo in our society.

"In The Tree, each member of the family expresses their grief in their own way and, ultimately, it is a very life-affirming and moving story."
Producer, Sue Taylor

Come and join us for this most important event...

When: 6:15 pm Thursday, March 10

Where: The Riverside Theatres Parramatta

Tickets: $30.00 plus a booking fee

buy tickets

The Tree: US summer release!

2011-02-17T22:19:00.001-08:00

The Tree team are very excited to announce that THE TREE has been bought by US distributor Zeitgeist Films and will open in New York and Los Angeles this North American summer, with a national roll out to follow.

Zeitgeist also released the acclaimed feature debut by THE TREE’S writer/director, Julie Bertucelli, Since Otar Left.

The Tree on DVD: *Pre-order NOW!

2011-02-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

The Tree DVD is due for release in Australia on 3rd March 2011.
Pre-order your copy now for delivery on the release date.

*DVD will be shipped on 3rd March 2011
Runtime: 97 mins
Format: (Region 4) DVD PAL
DVD Special Features:

Behind The Tree
French 'Making of The Tree'
Cast and Crew Interviews
Deleted Scenes
Trailer

Alice welcomes The Tree

2011-02-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

This Saturday The Tree screens at the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs as part of the Sydney Travelling Film Festival.

The event starts at 6:15 pm with an introduction from The Tree producer Sue Taylor, who is flying in to Alice for the weekend, where she will also be speaking at a workshop for local filmmakers.

6:15 pm

Saturday 19th February

Araluen Arts Centre

61 Larapinta Drive, Alice Springs, NT 0870

Tel: (08) 8951 1120

Check here for more details on the Sydney Travelling Film Festival:

Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs

See The Tree at Bondi Beach

2011-02-08T23:51:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow the Bondi Openair Cinema moves out of the Pavilion onto the Dolphin Lawn overlooking Bondi Beach.
And the first Saturday night event at this stunning new location will be a screening of The Tree with special guests and live music!

Watch the sun dip below the horizon, and enjoy live music from Ashleigh Mannix on the Sunset Stage, food and drinks from the festival bar,
and an introduction to the film by The Tree producer Sue Taylor.

Bring a picnic blanket and soak up the ocean views with members of the Australian cast of The Tree before settling in for the film under the stars on the giant open-air screen.

Saturday 12th February, gates open 6pm
Bondi Openair Cinema, Dolphin Lawn
South Side of Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach

'Bravo!' for The Tree at the Cérémonie des César

2011-02-08T23:40:00.000-08:00

The César Awards, the “Academy Awards” of France, will be held this year on the 25th February at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris where the Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma will hand out awards to the stars of French film for the 36th year in a row. This year the event will be presided over by Jodie Foster.

The Tree team are very happy to announce that The Tree has received three nominations in this most illustrious of award ceremonies.

The Tree nominees are:

Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsbourg
Best Adaptation: Julie Bertuccelli
Best Original Music for a Film: Grégoire Hetzel

Countdown to the AFI Awards

2010-12-07T00:54:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards take place this weekend at the majestic
Regent Theatre in Melbourne.

The red carpet event will be broadcast on Channel 9 at 9:30 pm
on Saturday 11th December.

The Tree team are honoured to have received seven nominations for this,
the Australian film industry's most prestigious award ceremony.

SAMSUNG MOBILE AFI AWARD FOR BEST FILM

The Tree. Sue Taylor, Yaël Fogiel.

AFI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION

The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.

MACQUARIE AFI AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.

AFI AWARD FOR BEST LEAD ACTRESS

Morgana Davies. The Tree.

Charlotte Gainsbourg. The Tree.

AFI YOUNG ACTOR AWARD

Morgana Davies. The Tree

AFI VISUAL EFFECTS AWARD

The Tree. Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros, Tim Walker

Check out the tree film website for behind the scenes info on how the team at
Fuel VFX created the visual effects for the film.

Congratulations to all of the nominees!

The Tree receives seven AFI Award nominations!

2010-10-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

The 2010 AFI Awards nominees were announced today. The Tree received nominations in six different categories: Best Film (Sue Taylor and Yael Fogiel), Best Direction (Julie Bertuccelli), Best Adapted Screenplay (Julie Bertuccelli), Best Lead Actress (Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davies), as well as the AFI Young Actor Award (Morgana Davies), and the AFI Visual Effects Award (Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros, Tim Walker).

The youngest nominee for this year’s AFI Young Actor Award, eight-year old Morgana Davies is also competing for the Best Lead Actress award alongside such established talents as Abbie Cornish, Jacki Weaver, and her Tree co-star Charlotte Gainsbourg.

As Jacki Weaver, who hosted the nominations, stated, “2010 has been a remarkable year for Australian film and television."

The Tree: Australian Release: Reviews

2010-10-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

For more reviews please see http://www.thetreefilm.com/Reviews

Perth Premiere at Luna Leederville

2010-09-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Tree celebrated its Perth premiere last Thursday, 23 September, filling around 300 seats at Luna Cinemas Leederville -"a hugely successful prelude to its national release" (ScreenWest). The evening was hosted by PAC director Annie Murtagh-Monks, and included an introduction and Q & A with producer Sue Taylor, as well as a VIP party at Monza, Leederville.

Every VIP guest received an exciting Tree goodie bag with flower seeds, a book voucher, and many other surprises. The green chocolate frogs were a particular favourite.

Sue Taylor in front of Luna Cinemas Leederville

Annie Murtagh-Monks, hosting the Q & A

The VIP party at Monza

Tree goodie bags

Australia's Got Talent

2010-09-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

Morgana Davies & Zoe Boe of The Tree

Born and raised in Sydney, Morgana Davies has stunned audiences worldwide with her feature film debut: she plays the major role of Simone O'Neill in The Tree, the little girl who believes her late father is living on inside the fig tree in the family's backyard. Only seven and a half when she got cast for the film, Morgana has already achieved celebrity status in Europe. She recently travelled to Paris to see Julie Bertuccelli, and met Kirsten Dunst and Tim Burton at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Brisbane local Zoe Boe plays the role of Simone's best friend Megan Lu. She travelled to Cannes with her father Andrew and her sister Greer.

Morgana and Zoe were on the red carpet with the director, producers, and their co-stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Gabriel Gotting. "The press went mad for all the Aussie kids and clamoured to photograph and interview Morgana. She even did a full international press conference and live TV interviews,” said producer Sue Taylor.“It’s obviously been an incredible experience for Morgana, but she’s taken it in her stride, even when hearing herself dubbed into French for the film’s release there.”

Morgana was featured in last month's Italian Vogue, in a photograph taken on the Cannes Red Carpet, and was recently described as "[easily passing] for a long-lost member of the Jolie-Pitt gene pool" (see article below from the Queensland Sunday Mail:).


The Queensland Sunday Mail 19 September 2010

Zoe was mentioned in Queensland Confidential this week:

and here's a link to a great article about Zoe Boe in the Brisbane Times

Morgana Davies talks about working on The Tree, and her visit to Cannes and Paris:

Morgana and Zoe, with fellow cast member, Gabriel Gotting on the red carpet at Cannes:

The Book of the film out this week!!!

2010-09-20T00:06:00.000-07:00

18/09/2010

(Our Father Who Art In) The Tree, the book of the film, reissued in Australia this week!

The Tree team are excited to announce the reissue of Judy Pascoe’s acclaimed debut novel, Our Father Who Art In The Tree, now The Tree. This much sought after hidden-gem has not been available in Australia for some time. But, soon this lovely book will be out in the country in which it is set, just in time for the cinema release of the film that it inspired, The Tree.

(Our Father Who Art In) The Tree will be available from the warehouse at Murdoch Books from 23 September and in your local book store soon!

Here is an excerpt of UK Kirkus’ review of the book: “This is a triumphant debut novel from Judy Pascoe that will touch the hearts of all who read it. An evocative tale, told through the wistful hopes of Simone as she faces the reality of bereavement, it manages to be both funny and sad. The author tackles the themes of love and loyalty, superstition and religious faith with such poetic imagery and yet such simple language that readers will look at these complex and unsolvable mysteries with the fresh simplicity of a child's eye.”

For more information on Judy Pascoe and and an interview about her the book check judypascoe.com

Judy Pascoe, Julie Bertuccelli, Sue Taylor and Yael Fogiel on location for The Tree,
photograph by Baruch Rafic

ISBN: 9781742662411
RRP: $22.95
Murdoch Books Australia

Want to read the book in French? Check here for the fabulous French bookshop in Australia: Le Forum

The Tree returns to Boonah

2010-09-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

A great night was had by cast, crew and local Boonah residents, when The Tree screened at the Boonah Districts Cultural Centre on Saturday night. Producer Sue Taylor, was very happy to return to the beautiful area of the Scenic Rim to catch up with some old friends and visit the beautiful tree, that is the centrepiece of the film.

Lead actress, Morgana Davies, made a surprise trip up to Boonah to share the fun on the Red Carpet with Margaret Foote, Taren and RJ Stewart, Boonah Mayor John Brent and so many of the people who helped so much during production to make Boonah such a welcoming place.


Sue Taylor in Boonah for The Tree premiere

Sue Taylor read out the call sheet from exactly a year earlier, 18th September 2009, when many of the local cast and crew were involved in the filming of a critical scene around the tree.

All those in attendance loved to see the film, which so portrayed their local area and aspects of their lives, so well. Many said they can't wait to see the film on the big screen, after its release on September 30.

Morgana Davies on the Boonah red carpet with her father Greg

The Boonah Mayor and his wife

Robert Joseph, Taren Stewart, and Morgana Davies

Margaret and John Foote

The Tree at Mission Beach Film Festival

2010-09-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Tree screening at the Gala Opening Night of the Mission Beach Film Festival was a huge success over the weekend, led by actor and environmental campaigner Ms Daryl Hannah. Local Queenslander, and Tree star, Bob Mackay, was at the festival with his family (so jealous!!), and was name- checked by Daryl Hannah when she introduced the film.

The audience, obviously appreciative of their local talent, let up a huge roar when Bob appeared in the film!!!! Check out Bob Mackay when you see The Tree, in cinemas from September 30.

Bob Mackay as AB in The Tree, photograph by Baruch Rafic

Prior to the opening night festivities Ms Hannah was joined by Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull, and
festival sponsors at a glamorous pre-screening VIP soiree at The Elandra Resort where Ms
Hannah stayed.
Festival Curator Sue Clothier said ‘Elandra was the perfect environment to thank the supporters
of the festival as we looked out over the Coral Sea to Dunk and Bedarra Islands. Daryl was
stunned by the beauty.’

Daryl Hannah

Ce que j'ai fait sur mes vacances...

2010-09-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

"What I did on my holidays.." The Tree in French Class

A close member of our Tree Family was sent a lovely, and surprising email, recently, from a friend of his who has been living in France for the past six weeks, learning the language...

" Thought you'd like to know that yesterday in French class (here in Aix en Provence) someone started telling (in French of course) about this fabulous movie and it was The Tree, which she saw here in France presumably! I of course had to tell them I knew the father of the young actress! Thought you'd like to know!"

Will you be seeing The Tree on your holidays too?

To Build A Home

2010-09-16T07:23:00.001-07:00

When the production team were putting together the soundtrack for The Tree, they came across a song, which not only touched their hearts with its beautiful melody, but amazingly, told a similar story to that of The Tree. Check out the wonderful lyrics of 'To Build A Home' by The Cinematic Orchestra below...

There is a house built out of stone

Wooden floors, walls and window sills...

Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust...

This is a place where I don't feel alone

This is a place where I feel at home...

Cause, I built a home

for you

for me

Until it disappeared

from me

from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust...

Out in the garden where we planted the seeds

There is a tree as old as me

Branches were sewn by the color of green

Ground had arose and passed it's knees

By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top

I climbed the tree to see the world

When the gusts came around to blow me down

I held on as tightly as you held onto me

I held on as tightly as you held onto me......

Cause, I built a home

for you

for me

Until it disappeared

from me

from you

And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust........

Charlotte Gainsbourg as Dawn in The Tree

Cinefest Oz

2010-09-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Tree screening at Cinefest Oz in beautiful Busselton, Western Australia, went down a treat. Maybe it was the rapturous reception from the country crowd, maybe it was the sunny winter's day, or maybe it was the proximity of the famous Margaret River wine region. Busselton seems like the perfect place to celebrate French-Australian cinema.

The Ace Central Cinemas, Busselton, decked out for the Festival

Apart from some fantastic premieres from Western Australian filmmakers, also showing at Cinefest Oz was Welcome, by Writer/Director, Phillipe Lioret, an inspiring film with a small connection to The Tree; Post-Production Supervisor, Eric Duriez.


The Tree and Welcome 'Now Showing' at Busselton

Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg and Charlotte Gainsbourg, ACMI Melbourne

2010-09-16T00:58:00.000-07:00

Je t'aime: The Filmic Lives of Gainsbourg and Birkin

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin

For decades, the Birkin - Gainsbourg family has lived music, film and fashion; exploring the taboo and delighting lovers of pop culture.

Experience the cinematic signatures of Serge, Jane and Charlotte in a season brimming with passion and enduring style at the The Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. "The Filmic Lives of Gainsbourg and Birkin" showcases the work of the Gainsbourg/Birkin family with a series of screenings from 7 to 19 October:
Curated by Kristy Matheson.

ACMI Media Release

Gainsbourg and His Girls (Gainsbourg, l'homme qui aimait les femmes)

An enlightening portrait of Gainsbourg as seen through the eyes of his many muses.

Charlotte For Ever

Gainsbourg's third feature as writer/director was created as a gift for his daughter Charlotte.

I Love You All (Je vous aime)

Claude Berri's intriguing film starring Catherine Deneuve, Serge Gainsbourg and Gérard Depardieu.

Slogan

Birkin's first French-speaking role and her debut on screen (and in song) with Gainsbourg.

Seven Deaths In the Cat's Eye (La morte negli occhi del gatto)

With secret vampires and a killer cat, this film has the makings of an unmissable B movie whodunnit.

Jane B. Par Agnès V.

This kaleidoscopic work is a charming film/game from one of France's most fascinating directors.

Daddy Nostalgia (Daddy Nostalgie)

Bertrand Tavernier's exploration of the intricacies of human relationships.

Kung Fu Master (Le petit amour)

An evocative portrayal of female desire.

Come Dance With Me (Voulez-vous danser avec moi)

A deliciously entertaining romp with blonde bombshell Bardot in top form.

My Wife Is an Actress

Art imitates life in a romantic comedy that casts Charlotte Gainsbourg alongside husband Yvan Attal.

Gainsbourg

Lascivious, poetic and dizzyingly inventive; a spectacular tribute to the provocateur and his music.

Je t'aime... moi non plus

Gainsbourg's sexual taboo laden film starring Jane Birkin and Warhol superstar, Joe Dallesandro.

Antichrist

Lars Von Trier's exhilarating riff on the horror genre, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Check out Philiipa Berry's great piece on Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin here on the ACMI Blog

New interview with Jane Birkin at Boston.com on the recent reissue of a classic...

"It's made my career without anyone knowing anything about me."

Birkin reflects on her relationship and artistic work with the late Serge Gainsbourg, including their infamous song "Je t'aime... moi non plus".

The Tree and Daryl Hannah on a Mission (Beach)

2010-09-07T22:54:00.001-07:00

07/09/2010

**Daryl Hannah (Our Favourite Tree Hugger) launches The Tree screening at Mission Beach**

The Tree Team have just heard the wonderful news that Daryl Hannah will be launching the 2010 Mission Beach Film Festival prior to the special Gala screening of The Tree.

As an actor, filmmaker and environmental activist, Daryl Hannah is the perfect representative for the Mission Beach Film Festival. The Festival works hard to promote its of values of Respect for Nature, Universal Human Rights, Economic Justice, A Culture of Peace, What the World Could Be...
The Tree Team are honored that The Tree has been selected to open this fantastic Festival and so excited that Daryl Hannah will be there to share this great experience.

Here's some local Queensland news articles about the Festival Launch:

Find out more about Daryl Hannah's work to promote sustainability at her website: dhlovelife.com
And if you have a moment to spare, check out Daryl Hannah's tree sitting protest at South Central Farm in L.A. youtube
We think she too looks pretty good up in a tree.

Lucky enough to be near beautiful Mission Beach on the 17th September? Check out the website below to find out how to buy tickets.
www.missionbeachfilmfestival.com.au
For further information contact Anton Whitehead 0419 274 500 anton@whitehead19.com.au
Mission Beach Film Festival Office 07 4088 8113 .

07/09/2010

The Tree Soundtrack: J.S. Bach

2010-09-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

The Tree Soundtrack Artists:

J.S. Bach

'Die Kriegsknechte Aber, Da Sie Jesum
-As performed by The Scholars Baroque Ensemble

The Scholars Baroque Ensemble was originally founded in 1987 and has gained worldwide success throughout the last twenty years.

Each member is a specialist in the field of Baroque music and plays original instruments (or copies) using contemporary techniques. Singers and players work together without a Director to produce their own versions of great baroque masterworks.

The excerpt featured on The Tree soundtrack is a sacred oratorio of Bach. The original Latin title translates to 'The Suffering After John' and was composed by Bach during his first winter at St. Thomas Church for the Good Friday Vespers service of 1742.

The Tree soundtrack CD NOW available to buy online:
www.taylormedia.com.au/products

Or is available now online via itunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/weak/id387860044?i=387860048&ign-mpt=ou%3D4

The Tree Soundtrack: Gregoire Hetzel

2010-09-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

The Tree Soundtrack Artist:

Gregoire Hetzel

Composer

Whilst studying at the Conservatoire National Superior de Musique in Paris, Gregoire gained a reputation for creating musical scores for silent movies, playing the piano during live performances. His first composition for film was for Mathieu Amalric's Le Stade De Wimbledon.
Since then he has scored part of the official selections for Cannes in 2008, and the Emmanuel Bourdieu's Les Aminities Malefiques, which was awarded the Great Critics Prize in 2006. He also writes and arranges songs for Barbara Carlot and in 2003 wrote his first novel Le Vert Paradis.

The Tree Soundtrack CD is NOW available to buy online:
www.taylormedia.com.au/products
Also available to download through itunes here:http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/weak/id387860044?i=387860048&ign-mpt=ou%3D4

The Tree Soundtrack: The Slippers

2010-09-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

The Tree Soundtrack Artist:

The Slippers

'Flying Foxes'
'Shiver Shiver'

Christian Byers, who plays eldest son Tim in The Tree features as the guitar, organ and vocals of young band The Royal Slippers, or The Slippers for short.

Evolving from White Stripes covers to soft, glorious folk/blues tracks, they recorded their first EP - The Festival in Megaphon Studios in St Peters, which is now available online through their website.

With future recording in their sights, The Slippers continue to play when they can, and chase up gig opportunities while staying on track with their high school studies.

For more information, or to preview and purchase the EP, checkout The Slipper's myspace:
www.myspace.com/theroyalslippers

The Tree Soundtrack CD is NOW available to buy online here:
www.taylormedia.com.au/products

And is available now via itunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/weak/id387860044?i=387860048&ign-mpt=ou%3D4

The Tree Soundtrack: The Cinematic Orchestra

2010-09-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

The Tree Soundtrack Artist:

The Cinematic Orchestra

'To Build a Home'

Formed in the late 90's, The Cinematic Orchestra is a British Jazz and Electronic outfit who bless The Tree soundtrack with their gorgeous track 'To Build a Home'.

Aptly named for its use of saxophone, piano, drums, guitar and bass, featured vocalists, as well as turntables and samples, it is not surprising that The Cinematic Orchestra are a renown live act, and their recorded work has featured on the likes of Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, and Hollyoaks.

Look out for The Cinematic Orchestra while they continue their European tours in Paris, Berlin and London in September.

Check out all their releases, live updates and pics at their website:
www.cinematicorchestra.com

The Tree soundtrack CD is NOW available online at:
www.taylormedia.com.au/products

The Tree Soundtrack: Asaf Avidan and the Mojos

2010-08-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Tree Soundtrack Artist:

Asaf Avidan and the Mojos

'Weak'

Appearing at The Tree after party in Cannes, Asaf Avidan and the Mojos treated the guests to a live performance, featuring their track 'Weak' from the opening scenes of The Tree.

Israeli Folk-Rock musician Asaf Avidan gained a strong and devoted following while playing across Israel and in turn gathered the members of what would become The Mojos. The band's unique blend of rock, folk and blues is spearheaded by Avidan's voice while combining honest lyrics and a fantastic live show that has seen them become a national phenomenon and the talk of the international music industry.

After the release of their first album in 2008, 'The Reckoning', Asaf Avidan and the Mojos toured for nearly three years and garnered rave reviews and a fervent following across Europe before signing with Sony-Columbia in August 2009 and releasing a second album 'Poor Boy/Lucky Man'.

With both albums having topped the Israeli charts, Asaf Avidan and the Mojos are now spending most of their days touring across the globe.

To sample or purchase their music, more information, and up to date touring info, please visit their website here:
www.mymojolove.com

The Tree soundtrack CD will be available online here early next week:
www.taylormedia.com.au/products
Or via itunes here now at
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/weak/id387860044?i=387860048&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Garden dedicated to Charlotte Gainsbourg's father

2010-08-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Last month, Parisians witnessed the inauguration of the Jardin Serge Gainsbourg (Serge Gainsbourg Garden), set up in memory of the famous singer/songwriter/actor/artist who passed away in 1991.

The garden celebrated its offical opening above the Peripherique at the Porte des Lilas on 8 July. The Mayor, Charlotte Gainsbourg, her mother Jane Birkin, and other family members attended.


From left: Roger Madec, mayor of Paris 19th district; Jane Birkin; Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe; Charlotte Gainsbourg. Photo: Getty Images, http://www.daylife.com/photo/08Xm1HEc332nk?q=Jane+Birkin

Previously, fans had paid homage to Serge Gainsbourg in the form of graffiti on the outside walls of his Parisian flat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrKR9Ry-vqA
http://blog.mtviggy.com/2009/11/23/five-years-of-graffiti-dedicated-to-serge-gainsbourg/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/7879711/Serge-Gainsbourg-by-those-who-knew-him-best.html

You asked for it; you got it...The Tree Soundtrack CD

2010-08-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

We have had many many requests, and now, yes, it is available!!

The Tree soundtrack can be purchased at Itunes online here.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-tree-original-motion-picture/id387860044The Soundtrack CD features the beautiful track, To Build A Home, by The Cinematic Orchestra, as well as the gorgeous opening piece, Weak, by Asaf Avidan and the Mojos. You will also find the fantastic composition pieces by Gregoire Hetzel, and tracks by The Tree star Christian Byers' own band, The Slippers. Lastly, there is the stunning Bach piece that so many people have asked about.

The Tree; Original Soundtrack CD, will be available in record stores across Australia, and worldwide, very soon. In the meantime, pick it up first from Itunes

From seed to The Tree

2010-08-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sue Taylor, Australian producer of The Tree, was published in the West Australian Newspaper this weekend, with an article on her experience of making the film...

The article appeared in the Agenda section of the West Australian on the 21st August. You can read the article in full below...

Mission: To find and measure the tree

2010-08-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

A professional Arborist, known as Ekka, famous around the world for his fantastic forum on everything to do with trees, Tree World, made it his mission to find, measure and classify the tree from the film The Tree.

And within a few days, his mission accomplished, he returned with measurements, photos and a youtube video, to boot!

Ekka decided to spend an afternoon with the tree and the lovely owners of the property at its location. Thanks to Ekka, we learned something new about Fig Trees! He informed us that our tree is actually not a Moreton Bay Fig Tree, as we had previously thought, but a Port Jackson Fig. According to Ekka, the Moreton Bay Fig Tree has larger buttresses (those fantastic roots that look like they belong on the side of a Cathedral) and larger leaves.

Our fig tree looks like it is over 130 years old, over 20 metres high, and the branches (as they haven't been pruned) reach the ground when they are laden with fruit. Apparently, this is very rare to find!

Check out Ekka's fantastic video here:

Notes from a French-Australian in Paris

2010-08-16T21:11:00.001-07:00

We feel very privileged to share with you the blog from Mathieu Ravier(aka Matt Riviera), our winner of the competition to travel to Paris to attend a premiere of The Tree.
He has written up an engaging and detailed account of his trip, including his time spent with the Les Films du Poisson production team, at the traditional first public screening of the film, and the reading of the first reviews in the French press.

"I was surprised how closely I identified with the film. I also moved to Australia as young European immigrant, I too spent Christmases camping by deserted beaches in the bush. Watching The Tree in Paris in these unlikely circumstances turned out to be quite the emotional experience, especially sleep deprived and under the spell of jet lag..."

Matt has also shared some fantastic pictures from the premiere, his journey and the The Tree's first week of release in France on Flickr. You can check out all of the photos here.

The Tree released in France

2010-08-12T00:47:00.001-07:00

The Tree opened across France today in over 220 cinemas, and received a fantastic response from the audience. Judging by the 9 am session (attended by the French production team and Matt Ravier, our Paris competition winner) and great reviews in all the major papers (Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, Le Parisien...), it seems the French are very taken with our Tree!

The L'Arbre posters are all over Paris. Here's a photo of a bus poster passing a kiosk poster!

Our Paris comp winner, Matt Ravier beat the jet lag to practically tumble straight off the plane into the cinema for Monday night's advance premiere of The Tree. His late night email reported a full house, with people sitting in the aisles and on the stairs. Matt was very happy to meet Director, Julie Bertuccelli and Producer, Yael Fogiel and share a drink at Cafe Oz after the premiere. He says he has taken loads of photos. Can't wait to see them and share them!

Here's the French poster in the UGC Ciné Cité Movie Theatre, the biggest cinema in Paris.

2010 AFI Samsung Mobile Awards

2010-08-11T01:04:00.001-07:00

Well, we are very excited. Why you may ask? Well if you haven’t heard already, our film The Tree has been selected as one of 19 feature films contending for an AFI award this year. The Australian Film Institute have recognized and celebrated excellence in Australian film and television for over 50 years. As of late August, all of the contenders for the AFI Awards will be screened for both AFI members and the public in Melbourne and Sydney at the 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards Screenings.

AFI CEO, Damian Trewhella said: “2010 marked an exceptional year for Australian screen production and we’re delighted 2011 is shaping up strongly as well. Works from both world renowned and exceptional emerging talents illuminate a refreshingly diverse and exciting slate of Australian films that are creating waves at home and abroad. If you’ve an appetitive for big screen entertainment, make sure you catch most of this bumper film harvest and participate in its yield, another intensely competitive awards season.”

After being honoured with official selection at the Cannes Film Festival as well as the Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne and New Zealand International Film Festivals, we are excited about our selection as a contender for an AFI Award. A great big thank you to everyone for your ongoing support!

And the winner is...

2010-08-11T01:03:00.001-07:00

The Tree team are very happy to announce the winner of the Paris competition.

Matt Ravier from Sydney submitted the winning entry, which was judged anonymously, on the answer alone.

Here is his winning answer:

“Like The Tree, I ‘m a French-Australian coproduction. I’ve been branching out, shaking my foliage in Sydney most of my life, but miss my Parisian roots.”

Matt will be heading off to Paris on the 8th August, just in time to attend a premiere screening of The Tree.

The details of the Australian Premiere Competition will be announced very soon.

Good Luck to all and Watch this space!

I Know Where Dad is..

2010-08-11T01:02:00.001-07:00

Keep an eye on Cinefest OZ....

2010-08-11T01:01:00.001-07:00

Where would a French/Australian coproduction most likely screen in Australia?
How about Western Australia's unique French/Australian Film Festival - CinéfestOZ 10…

25th August to 29th August 2010

Hmmmm... we're just saying....

MIFF sssshhhhhh!!!!!

2010-08-11T01:00:00.001-07:00

A little bird in the tree tweeted that The Tree may just be appearing at MIFF also known as the Melbourne International Film Festival at the end of July 2010. Keep an eye on their website here for updates on screenings and tickets...We'll be keeping an eye to update you too!

"To Build A Home" The Cinematic Orchestra

2010-08-11T00:59:00.001-07:00

The Tree soundtrack is blessed with the gorgeous track;To Build A Home by The Cinematic Orchestra.
Check out this video of The Cinematic Orchestra featuring Patrick Watson performing To Build A Home live!

The band are touring Europe later this year, with these dates locked in:

September 17 Friday	Paris Ninja Tune XX @ Centre Pompidou, Paris	France

September 17 Friday	Berlin Ninja Tune XX @ Astra, Berlin	Germany

November 14 Sunday	London Ninja Tune XX @ The Royal Albert Hall, London

The Tree appearing all over New Zealand very soon

2010-08-11T00:56:00.001-07:00

The New Zealand International Film Festival is a national event extending the cinematic options of audiences and filmmakers throughout New Zealand. A programme of between 150-170 features is presented.

This festival is MASSIVE! You can find the Auckland and Wellington schedules online now at the Festival websitehere. Other schedules will follow shortly. Here's an idea:

The Tree screenings kick off on Friday 16th July at theLido Cinema in Auckland, then rolls on to Wellington, Christchurch and the rest.

So all you Kiwis, wannabe Kiwis, temporary Kiwis and Tree fans, get your tickets NOW!

Sydney Fest audience appreciates The Tree

2010-08-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

The Tree screened to packed houses at the beautiful, and huge, State Theatre during its run at the Sydney Film Festival. The film has been honoured to be selected in the top five of the SHOWTIME Movie Channels Audience Awards. These awards highlight the crowd-pleasing titles across feature films and documentaries screened at the Festival.

Fiction Features at the State Theatre:

1. Boy

2. Me, Too

3. Home by Christmas

4. The Tree

5. Kawasaki's Rose

The Tree was the only film from the Official Competition to make the top five of the Audience Awards at this year's Festival.

For more Audience Award winners in other categories, please visit the Sydney Film Festival website.

Our Morgana on the list... The Sun Herald 13 June 2010

2010-08-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

"They clapped a lot longer than we do at the school assembly"

Morgana talks about Cannes and acting in the Sun Herald.

Paris Competition closing date: get your answers in NOW!

2010-08-11T00:53:00.000-07:00

For all Tree members, the closing date for the Paris comnpetition is coming up soon!

You need to get your entry in before midnight on Friday 16th July 2010. The winner will be announced on Monday 19th July. The trip will be set to take place some time before the 11th August 2010, but as this is all just “hot off the press” the final date for the Paris screening is yet to be finalised.

We have now published the full Terms and Conditions. Good luck everyone!!

Talking Tree at the Sydney Film Fest

2010-08-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

Q and A with The Tree...

The audience are amused....
Do i spy an incognito Penne Hackforth-Jones in the crowd?

Sue Taylor and Julie Bertuccelli, with presenter and hostJulie Rigg

The director speaks...listen to the full Public Talk onlinehere

Next question please?

Christian Byers gets his point across.

Morgana Davies talks to her home town crowd, as Julie Bertuccelli looks on.

One Saturday night in Sydney

2010-08-11T00:50:00.001-07:00

The stylish Tree gang were displaying their snappy outfits and new hairstyles on the Red Carpet at the Sydney Film Festival last night.

The wet weather didn't dampen anyone's excitement...these guys have survived cyclones together.
Neither did it deter the audience of thousands, as the film played to a packed house at the State Theatre in central Sydney.

Christian Byers, Gabriel Gotting, Tom Russell and Morgana Davies.

Christian Byers, Gabriel Gotting, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Tom Russell and Morgana Davies.

Christian Byers, Gabriel Gotting, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Julie Bertuccelli, Tom Russell, Morgana Davies, Zoe Boe, Sue Taylor and Marton Csokas.

Christian Byers, Gabriel Gotting, Tom Russell, Julie Bertuccelli, Morgana Davies and Zoe Boe.

Clare Stewart, Sydney Film Festival Director, with Rosemary Blight, Sue Taylor and Julie Bertuccelli.

Natasha Bassett and Christian Byers

The interior of thr beautiful State Theatre, Sydney.

The Tree arrives in Australia, in the nick of time!

2010-08-11T00:49:00.001-07:00

The film print of The Tree literally arrived in Australia today under the arm of the director, Julie Bertuccelli, who landed at Sydney International Airport after a red eye flight from Paris. Julie was met at her hotel at 6 am by Ben Amy, the dedicated Guest Coordinator of the Sydney Film Festival, who wheeled the cans of 35 mm film down George Street in the dark of the Sydney morning adn delivered it safely to the State Theatre, where it is to be screened tonight.

Asaf Avidan and the after party

2010-08-11T00:48:00.002-07:00

Guests at The Tree after party, in Cannes, were treated to the wonderful sounds of Asaf Avidan and the Mojos, whose song 'Weak', features in the opening titles of the film. The Israeli band were on tour in France, so we were lucky to have them along to perform.
The Tree kids were front of stage, watching in awe at Asaf...no surprise. His voice is amazing.

Here's a clip of 'Weak' by Asaf Avidan and The Mojos

Montee des Marches

2010-08-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

Montee des Marches, or The Mounted Steps, is the French term for The Red Carpet.
Here are The Tree team on the march!
(And by the way, Morgana, we love your shoes!!!)

The Tree can Cannes

2010-08-11T00:47:00.000-07:00

Morgana Davies, Gabriel Gotting, Julie Bertuccelli and Zoe Boe ready to hit the red carpet!

Morgana Davies and Gabriel Gotting looking sunsafe and sophisticated on the beach in Cannes!

Pimp my ride! The Cannes limo ready to take Morgana nad Gabriel to the photo call.

Clap you hands, say yeah! The Tree gets a 7 minute standing ovation at Cannes.

Getting ready for the red carpet walk, Salma Hayek and the other Award Ceremony stars.

That's a long carpet. The Tree crew about to walk through the parted sea of paparazzi, on their way into the Palais des Festivals.

Stunning sunset over Cannes. The view from the Screen Australia office.

All photographs above skilfully taken and kindly donated by Michelle Gotting

Cannes: behind the scenes

2010-08-11T00:46:00.000-07:00

Cannes, in Festival season, is a beautiful and crazy place. As a wise woman once said, it's a bit like the Easter Show, but without the rides and showbags!
It is certainly very busy and seems to have a natural mix of choas and glamour. Here's some behind the scenes pics from The Tree crew.

...even the paparazzi have to wear black tie to get on the red carpet!
...you have to get up early to lock your step ladder into prime position!
(This is what the paparazzi pit looks like when the snappers are elsewhere).
...you should be prepared for a rugby scrum, even in your evening dress and heels!
(Unless you're an A-lister it can be a struggle to even get on to the red carpet. And hang on to your ticket, as you'll be accosted by hundreds of people literally begging to relieve you of it.)
...the poster girl ends up winning the Best Actress award.
Congratulations to the gracious and beautiful Juliette Binoche.
...the directors will see their name in large letters, as well is in lights!
The Tree director, Julie Bertuccelli, is up there. Go Julie!
One of few women among the many men, but that's a different story...
...you could probably boat-hop to Monaco and back!
If you are rich and famous enough to get on board, that is.
The Sea Shepherd ship, the Steve Irwin was docked in the bay during the festival, its black hull standing out amid the monolithic luxury yachts.

...Australian filmmakers get an office with a view.
The Screen Australia office was in a great position and they were kind enough to hold a small function to welcome The Tree cast and crew to the Festival. Thanks everyone.
..its a wonder the photographers get any photos that aren't the back of other photographer's heads!They are a noisy bunch. We had fun with them at thephotocall.
...Morgana signs her autograph for fans on Friday...
then get's Tim Burton and Kirsten Dunst's autographs for herself on Saturday.
...it is actually possible to find a quiet moment!
The Old Town of Cannes is a gorgeous place of cobblestone streets and homely restuarants. One of our favourites was Hast Siempre which makes the best gnocchi and fresh pesto!! La Pizza, down on the quay was another favourite.

The Red Carpet!!

2010-08-11T00:43:00.001-07:00

Wow, and when we say wow, we mean WOW!!!! Check out these absolutely BEAUTIFUL photos of the crew and cast from The Tree as they glamorously walked down THE RED CARPET for the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival.

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julie Bertucelli, Gabriel Gotting, Morgana Davies, Sue Taylor, Zoe Boe, Guest and

Yael Fogiel attend 'The Tree' Premiere held at the Palais des Festivals during the 63rd Annual International Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2010 in Cannes, France.

Sue Taylor, Yael Fogiel, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julie Bertucelli, Morgana Davies, Guest, Gabriel Gotting, Zoe Boe all looking STUNNING!

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Zoe Boe, Morgana Davies, Julie Bertucelli, Gabriel Gotting, Sue Taylor, Guest and Yael Fogiel upon arrival of the premier of The Tree

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sue Taylor, Zoe Boe, Julie Bertucelli, Guest, Morgana Davies, Gabriel Gotting and Yael Fogiel

Sue Taylor, Yael Fogiel, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Julie Bertucelli, Morgana Davies, Guest, Gabriel Gotting and Zoe Boe

Guest, Sue Taylor, Zoe Boe, Yael Fogiel, Gabriel Gotting, Julie Bertucelli, Morgana Davies and Charlotte Gainsbourg

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gabriel Gotting, Julie Bertucelli, Morgana Davies, Sue Taylor, Zoe Boe, Guest and Yael Fogiel

Yael Fogiel, Sue Taylor, Zoe Boe, Julie Bertucelli, Gabriel Gotting, Morgana Davies and Charlotte Gainsbourg all looking happy and celebrating!!!

Below are two photos from the photo call...

Yael Fogiel, Julie Bertcelli, Zoe Boe, Gabriel Gotting, Morgana Davies, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Sue Taylor (and WHAT a beautiful setting this is!!)

Julie Bertcelli, Morgana DAvies and Charlotte Gainsbourg are all smiles.....

All photo's were retrieved from LIFE

Cannes TV Interview

2010-08-11T00:41:00.001-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Cannes Photo call... Charlotte!! Morgana!! Julie!!

2010-08-11T00:40:00.001-07:00

The team turns up for the official photocall.
What an attratcive and coordinated bunch.
Believe it or not, no stylist was involved!

Cannes Press Conference

2010-08-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

The Tree Cannes Press Conference Part 1

The Tree Cannes Press Conference Part 2

The Tree Cannes Press Conference Part 3

Day one down...

2010-08-11T00:38:00.000-07:00

Well, we are proud to say that the first night of Cannes was a success.. the ladies worked that red carpet, some even say that the fashions were more impressive than the Oscars!

As we all know the opening film was Robin Hood starring Russel Crowe, it seemed to be a success..

BUT

We are still holding out for the 23rd of May which is when our dear film will be premiered... wish us luck..

http://celebrities.ninemsn.com.au/blog.aspx?blogentryid=645893&showcomments=true

The Show Must Go On!

2010-08-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

Its currently 15 degrees, cloudy and rain is forecast over the next three days, but that is not enough to ruin the atmosphere at this years Cannes Film Festival. There have been hundreds of news articles reporting the freakish stormy weather that has disturbed the usually sunny south France.

"Ash from the volcano in Iceland is still creating havoc with flights from northern Europe. Last week a thirty foot wave reportedly battered the Cannes coastline and caused significant damage to automobiles and ocean front businesses." (Merri News)

While some people might be struggling to get to Cannes due to the volcanic ash, Sue Taylor has arrived and little Morgana Davies is on her way there right now.

"This is a festival that can't be missed" (The Star)

The trouble all started on the 4th of May, when a major storm hit the Mediterranean shoreline, with the opening night of Cannes just eight days away there was not much time for cleanup. But alas, it has been done and the famous white tents have been erected in order to accommodate all the celebs that will be attending this amazing festival.

Check out some photos taken just three days ago of all the prep that was being done to ensure that the festival would be a success. Oh and there are also some photos of the grey weather that they are experiencing over there.

Regardless of this, I know that I for one, am dying to be there right now....

Prep to make sure that Cannes is picture perfect

Grey skies in Cannes

More gloomy weather

For more news about the weather and prep for Cannes click on any one of the following links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10099156.stm

http://www.merinews.com/article/cannes-film-festival-opens-preview-list-of-movies-celebrities/15807130.shtml

http://www.examiner.com/x-43907-Mediterranean-Examiner~y2010m5d10-63rd-Cannes-Film-Festival-will-be-ready-for-the-stars

The Royal Slippers

2010-08-11T00:36:00.002-07:00

So many of you may not know this, but Christian Byers is actually in a band! Yup, and its called The Royal Slippers! or for short, The Slippers. Their music is pretty cool, actually its so cool that two of their songs are being featured in the soundtrack of The Tree. Which songs you may ask? well the first is Flying Foxes and the second is Shiver Shiver.

We are very excited and its great to feature music from people who played such a significant role in the film.

You can check out The Slippers' music on their MySpace page just follow the link below. Let us know what you think!

Enjoy!

http://www.myspace.com/theroyalslippers

Sydney Film Festival

2010-08-11T00:36:00.000-07:00

WELL ITS OFFICIAL....

We are very pleased to announce that The Tree will be featured in this years Sydney Film Festival. The news will only be announced on Friday 7 May, but to all you loyal members we have decided to break it to you early!

We will most certainly keep you posted. And on the gossip side of things.. little Morgana Davies attended the launch of the Sydney Film Festival this morning! How exciting!

For more information about the Sydney Film Festival you can also check out their website (http://sff.org.au/cms/) This year's theme is called "unleash".

Blogger Mathieu Ravier posted an article about the films that are said to be featuring at the festival. Definitely check it out, just click on the logo below..

In other news.. we would love to hear your comments on anything! Are you excited about watching The Tree, do you have any questions, are you happy with you membership, will you be attending either the Sydney or Cannes festival??? We would love to hear anything you have to say. So please free to leave your comments... email us.. facebook us, whatever suits you best.

Much love

Mathieu Ravier's Blog
Last Night With Riviera

So you've already met the cast.. well meet some more!

2010-08-11T00:35:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to some more of the characters from The Tree....

MRS JOHNSON

Penne Hackforth-Jones

Penne began her career in early landmark Australian television programs such as Bellbird, Number 96, Riptide, Division 4 and Matlock Police. She starred in Alivin Purple and Alvin Purple Rides Again and had roles in many television series' including Cash and Company, Tandarra, Skyways, A Country Practice, The Young Doctors and, more recently, Headland, Bitter & Twisted, All Saints and Chandon Pictures.Penne's film credits are many and include Last Breakfast in Paradise, Kokoda Crescent, Paradise Road, Muriels' Wedding, Diana & Me, Black and White and last year's Australian box office smash hit Mao's Last Dancer.

Mrs Jones is Dawn's next door neighbor who is constantly pushing Dawn for the removal of the Tree.

VONNIE

Gillian Jones

A NIDA graduate, Gillian is one of Australia's most respected actors. She has appeared in some Australia's most successful television dramas including Wildside, GP, Cody, The Flying Doctors, Come in Spinner, Rafferty's Rules, Cop Shop and Homicide. Recent credits include the hit series Packed to the Rafters, Spirited and Love My Way.

Since her first film, Heatwave, Gillian has appeared in such films as Terra Nova, Gilliam Armstrong's Oscar and Lucinda, the experimentalWhat I Have Written, Shame, Last Train to Freo and Lucky Miele. Gillian also starred in AFI Award nominated short feature So Close to Home, which has become a festival hit.

Gillian performed in the original Australian production of Hair and has since amassed an impressive list of theatre credits for all of the country's major theatre companies. Her most recent stage work includes Company B Belvoirs international tour of Cloudstreet,Melbourne Theatre company's production of The Glass Menagerie and Cloud Nine (receiving a Green Room Award nomination for the latter) and Far Away for the Sydney Theatre Company.

Vonnie is Dawn's neighbor who supports her through her struggles. She helps Dawn learn how to stand on her own two feet.

AB

Photo Currently Unavailable

Bob Mackay

This marks Bob's feature film debut, in fact this is Bob's first professional acting role. He was discovered by the team when delivering the house in which most of our action is set, to location.... he's perfect to play the role of friend and colleague to Aden Young's Peter O'Neill

MEGAN LU

Zoe Boe

This is Megan's first feature film debut. She is a Queensland local and is sharing the screen with her uncle Patrick Boe, who was cast as her father.

Megan is Simone's best friend

The Tree is off to Cannes

2010-08-11T00:34:00.000-07:00

FROM THE RED DUST TO THE RED CARPET

The Tree crew are more used to red dust storms than red carpet celebrities. But, yes, its true! The Tree will be the closing film at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The Tree will screen for the first time ever, as a special event, on Sunday, the 23rd May. Your trusty blogger will be sneaking aloong to the festivities to keep you updated on all of the excitement.

Here are some behind-the-scenes snapshots of Julie Bertuccelli and crew, not quite in a their red carpet finery, but out on the dusty and desolate road, in the stunning landscape near Winton in west Queensland.

Aden Young and Julie Bertuccelliphotograph by Sue Taylor

photograph by Sue Taylor

There is a truck coming, somewhere at the end of this road!!photograph by Sue Taylor

Julie Bertuccelli and Nigel Bluck get to grips with the oversize truck.photograph by Sue Taylor

An oversize truck requires an oversize boom pole!photograph by Sue Taylor

The Two Cuties

2010-08-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

WE GIVE YOU A SNEAK PEEK BEHIND THE INTERVIEWS WHERE WE GOT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL TO MORGANA DAVIES AND GABRIEL GOTTING.. AKA THE TWO CUTIES FROM THE TREE.
What happened on the storm night?
"They had big, big wind machines and water machines and the water [came] down and it was freezing when it came down on you and then the wind blew and it blew the ones on the side and it blew straight onto your face and it was freezing cold!"
What did they do when you got out of the tree after the storm?
"they wrap you up and you get a hot water bottle... and they shut all the doors in the kitchen and put two heaters in it..they looked very small but they were very, very hot"
What's been the best thing about the film?
"When I got to do hammering and climbing up the tree!"
Has there been thing you haven't liked?
"theres been something they haven't like when I have to do some scenes"

The personal records of Mr and Mrs O'Neill

2010-08-11T00:30:00.001-07:00

An insight into the personal lives of the O'Neill family

They always say its rude to open someone else's mail...well we've decided that today its okay for everyone to have a sneak peak at the O'Neill's personal records. We have their phone bill, their power bill, their rates bill.. and we have have the funeral bill that Mrs O'Neill received after the tragic loss of her darling husband...just scroll down and check it out!

The attention to detail is thanks to our FANTASTIC art department who have spent hours helping to make The Tree the wonderful film it is going to be!

The big rush to the end

2010-08-11T00:29:00.000-07:00

It's only weeks away now until the film is finished. For the producers it has been 5 years of work, or more, so it is a very important time.

We can't wait to show you a preview. Watch this space!

Grading is underway, and the Sound Mix begins!

2010-08-11T00:28:00.001-07:00

The Director of Photography, Nigel Bluck, traveled to Paris, to work on the colour grade of the film. The DOP, the Director and the Grader work together to ensure the colour on the film is consistent and reflects the mood and style that they were wanting to achieve.

The Sound Mix is where the finished dialogue, music, background sound and foley are mixed together to create the right sound for the film. This is a very involved process and the sound mixing desk can resemble the controls of the Starship Enterprise.

Foley Time

2010-08-11T00:27:00.003-07:00

An important part of the sound edit is Foley, where a Foley Artist uses particular techniques and improvisation to recreate sounds that would be impossible to record live during production. To learn more about Foley Artistry, follow this link to filmsound.org.

Buzz at the Berlinale

2010-08-11T00:27:00.001-07:00

The Tree created a buzz at the Berlin Film Festival when the promo was previewed to the European Film Market by the sales agent, Memento, causing a lot of international interest. The film was pre-sold to 11 territories at the Festival market place, with more to come. Watch this space….

What exactly is ADR?

2010-08-11T00:26:00.003-07:00

ADR, sometimes known as Automatic Dailogue Replacement or Additional Dialogue Recording, is when the actor goes into a sound studio to revoice any dialogue that may be hard to hear on the film, or may not sound just right. A studio engineer works with the actor in front of a video of their scene and the voice is rerecorded then and there.

The ADR for The Tree took place in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane, to fit in with the actor's work and living locations. For the young child actors, it was their first experience of what can be a very strange activity. But they took to it like ducks to water. It was also a great opportunity to catch up again.

Let's have music!

2010-08-11T00:26:00.001-07:00

The director now has more time and thinking space to focus on aspects other than the visual. Music has been an important part of this film from the beginning, and a major factor in the mind of the director. A film composer's work is very difficult and it is a very involved process. The composition needs to work with the images of the film and be careful not to dominate them, as well as working with the dialogue and background sound. The story told again through music alone.

Picture Lock off today

2010-08-11T00:25:00.003-07:00

Picture lock off was finalised today, which means that although the sound edit and visual effects can be still be worked on, the visual edit of the film muct not be changed.

Editing Continues

2010-08-11T00:25:00.001-07:00

The team are busy editing away on the visuals and sound in Paris, while the Visual Effects team are at work in Sydney, the music team are at work in Melbourne. It's a big rush to get everything ready at the right time, but it can be done.

Good morning, good night!

2010-08-11T00:24:00.003-07:00

Today was just another day of working on an international production, with a long Skype session between Penny, the Production Accountant, in London, and Emily, the Accounts Assistant and I in the Perth office. With all of the files and paperwork here in Australia, and Penny and Emily, both able to access the online account software at the same time, it works a lot better than you would think.

With effects houses and sound studios now installed with online and ISDN hook-ups, it is quite common for films to use such technology in postproduction to keep up the communication and work flow when distance may be an issue. The only problem is, with time differences, it's usually up to one party (or both) to get up very early or stay up very late.

Jonathan gets measured

2010-08-11T00:24:00.001-07:00

It's not every day I get a call at the office asking me to find out the dimensions of a bat, particularly not one called Jonathan! Well today, the visual effects team got in touch with just that request, so I had a chat with The Tree's animal wrangler, Tania, who said she would gladly make the necessary measurements.

Jonathan is a Black Flying-fox, generally found throughout coastal areas of tropical and subtropical northern Australia. He has a wing span of approximately one metre and is about 35 cm tall. Jonathan, in this case wasn't being fitted up for a "hero" costume of any sort. The visual affects team need to make sure that any work they do matches exactly with what has been filmed, and although Jonathan plays a very small part in the film, it is important to get the details just right!

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-08-11T00:23:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas et Joyeux Noël!

Today was a day for moving office furniture but once the desks, cabinets and boxes found their resting place we took a moment for a toast to best wishes for the festive season to all.

My new office pin up board.

Through rain, snow, sleet and hail

2010-08-11T00:22:00.001-07:00

After coming in close contact with dust storms, floods, bushfires and cyclones during preproduction and production in Queensland, The Tree have found the winter of 2009/2010 in Europe to be a different story altogether. The Tree team have faced snowstorms, record freezing temperatures, flight cancellations and Eurostar closures. It must be very strange to step out of the edit suite with a head full of images of sunny Southern Queensland, to face snow, ice and darkness.

Paris trip No.1

2010-08-11T00:21:00.003-07:00

The Australian producer, Sue Taylor, headed off to Paris on Saturday to join the postproduction team as they work on the picture edit over Christmas and the New Year. Sue is headed for the cold European winter to join director; Julie Bertuccelli, editor; François Gédigier and coproducer; Yaël Fogiel as they get to work in the edit suite and screening room. Unfortunately, Sue had to miss the AFI awards, where she was nominated for her previous production 3 Acts of Murder. By the time Sue returns to Australia next year, the picture lock will be almost complete.

How to pack a film into boxes

2010-08-11T00:21:00.001-07:00

It's a big task to pack the pieces of a feature film into boxes, but as the production office closes and the production crew leave for well earned holidays, or other work, it has to be done.

The "hero" costumes, props and set pieces for The Treewere packed up at Boonah and shipped to our office in Perth. It is extremely important to keep these items safe in case of any need for reshoots or fix ups that show up in postproduction.

The boxes usually contain interesting items unique to the film which would be extremely difficult to replace. A key item from Peter's wardrobe, for example, was shipped by special courier to the visual effects team. Never before has a flanny been given such special treatment.

Welcome to the big wide world of Postproduction

2010-08-11T00:20:00.001-07:00

Hi, my name is Tina. I am the Producer's Assistant at Taylor Media in Perth and the main point of contact during post-production which, in this case, stretches from here to Paris, London, Sydney and Melbourne with Skype chats, late night phone calls and early morning emails in between. I hope to keep you updated on the toings and froings and comment on the point of view from sunny Perth.

I hope you are enjoying The Tree screenplay. The idea for the bilingual book came from, our director, Julie's own personal script, which was formatted by the production office to include both French and English versions. I don't speak French but working on this production is helping me learn a little bit along the way.

Personally, I love the script and can't wait to see it on the big screen, not to mention hear how the sound and music turns out. Post production is the time when the pieces of the giant jigsaw all come together!

Post-production: Bye Bye Boonah, the last one to leave please turn off the lights!

2010-08-11T00:19:00.000-07:00

The Production Assistant is usually the first one to arrive at the office, and the last one to leave. It was true in this case, for Jasmin Lyford, the Assistant Co-ordinator, and Kat Westbrook, the Production Assistant, who locked the door of the Production Office, at Church Street, Boonah, this afternoon, leaving an empty church building behind, but with a warm send off from local Boonah residents. The production team have spent the week packing up and now the boxes are headed for Paris in one direction and Perth, Western Australia, in the other, to get ready for post-production. Although the hustle and bustle of the shoot is over, we step into a new exciting phase where the story is put together and the film is shaped. Stay tuned...

Jasmin and Kat in the Production Office, before they started to pack up. Note bubble wrap at the ready!

Week Ten: A sunny Saturday to say goodbye

2010-08-11T00:18:00.001-07:00

The last day of the full shoot was the Saturday, 17th October. It was a very sunny day and happy for all to have been involved in such a fantastic production but sad for all who had to say goodbye to the friends made over the many weeks. It was important to make time in the schedule to get a photo of as many of the cast, crew, friends and family members as possible, and the tree, of course!

A very small crew travelled out to Winton, with Aden Young and Bob Mackay to film the scenes of the truck hauling a house through the desert.

Week Nine: Was there really a cyclone?

2010-08-11T00:17:00.001-07:00

Although they're usually called upon to make things for a film, the Art Department are just as skilled when it comes to destruction!

As the house was brought onto the location especially for the film, it was the perfect scenario for wreaking the damage required to show the after effects of the cyclone. It looks so convincing it's scary! Can't wait to see what it looks like on the big screen.

Week Eight: Wind! Thunder! Lightning! Rain!

2010-08-11T00:16:00.001-07:00

This was a very big week for the production, with the cyclone scenes being shot (at night!). It's a very complicated process with a huge team of special effects technicians, an additional Grip and extra ELX (Electrics) crew. The safety and wellbeing of the cast and crew is number one priority, so eye and ear protection must be provided, as well as heating and warm clothing for cast members that have been soaked in the rain.

The Art Department were busy preparing the root ball of the tree for next week. Check out the before and after pictures below. It's amazing what they can make from scratch!

Week Seven: Uncle Jack comes to help out

2010-08-11T00:15:00.001-07:00

The action this week was focused around the visit from Uncle Jack and the three Auntys and the ongoing tension between the O'Neills and neighbour Mrs Johnson. This meant that the set was honoured with the presence of some very familiar faces from Australian screens in the form of distinguished acrors, Penne Hackforth-Jones, Gillian Jones, Arthur Dignam, Jackie Kelleher, Wendy Playfair and Benita Collings.
Director, Julie Bertuccelli, with Arthur Dignam, who plays Uncle Jack

All of the Australian crew were in awe of Benita Collings, who they fondly remembered as their favourite presenter from Play School in their childhood days. Click here for a video of Benita in action in Play School on the ABC.

Left to right; Wendy Playfair, Jackie Kelleher and Benita Collings as Aunt Harriet, Aunty Jacqueline and Aunt Mary

Week Six: Happy times and sad

2010-08-11T00:14:00.001-07:00

This week the crew travelled down to Fingal Head in New South Wales to film the beach holiday scenes. There was a slight problem on 23rd September, however. The usually sunny blue sky was totally blocked out by a deep red dust storm that stretched from western New South Wales to southern Queensland. The skies of Sydney was particularly thick with smoke, as all Sydney ferry services were cancelled and flights were diverted to Melbourne and Brisbane. Click this link to view video of the coast that morning at Newcastle NSW.

On Friday it was back to the house to film the funeral scene, which involved the largest amount of cast for the whole film, with 19 cast members and 22 extras, including John Foote, the owner of the Booah property, who was very happy to be a part of the film, alongside his wife, Margaret Foote, who with sister, Betty Cartmill, appear as the Mackenzie sisters.

Week Five: A lot of activity around The Tree

2010-08-11T00:13:00.001-07:00

After starting the week, shooting at the Rosewood Hotel , where Dawn shows off her dart skills to George, the crew returned to Boonah for a lot of tricky shots around the tree, involving a lot of gear and lifting equipment! Extra crew on the set this week included two stunt riggers, rwo special effects specialists, a lugger and a lizard wrangler!

The blue tongue lizard asks director, Julie Bertuccelli, for it's motivation.

Week Four: Visitors

2010-08-11T00:12:00.003-07:00

he Tree set had a few extra special visitors this week. There were green frogs in the toilet bowl and a bat in the kitchen. A very welcome visitor, however, was the author of Our Father Who Art in The Tree, Judy Pascoe, who dropped in for a visit, all the way from her home in the UK! Below, from right, is Judy Pascoe; Director, Julie Bertuccelli, Producer, Sue Taylor and Producer, Yael Fogiel.

Week Three: Dawn gets a job and The Tree causes trouble

2010-08-11T00:12:00.001-07:00

Apart from filming around the house this week the crew moved to Church Street in Boonah to film George's Plumber's Shop, as well as Boonah Hospital and locations in Kalbar and Harrisville. The Plumber's Shop was conveniently located down the road from the Production Office and right opposite the Art Department's Base! Back at the house (or under the house) we were filming amongst the tree's undermining roots. This is where Lou, played by Tom Russell, plays his electric guitar. It's easy to see by Tom's rocking stance that he's played guitar many a time before!

Week Two: Green Cordial

2010-08-11T00:11:00.001-07:00

Week Two is over and that's 10 shooting days in the can. The scenes this week were based on the O'Neill family at home and in the tree. Everyone gets a chance to climb the tree and the cast get their first taste of green cordial! Yes, green cordial is the main character Dawn's speciality. Wonder what the French cast and crew think of it?

Julie Bertuccelli and Christian Byers on set inside the O'Neill house

Week One: Lights, Camera, Action!

2010-08-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

First week of shooting, hooray! Majority of the filming is on location at the house with the massive tree. The search for the perfect tree ended when the filmmakers came across a property in Kalbar, the neighbouring town to Boonah.

Once the tree was found, an old Queenslander house was split in half and brought in on the back of a couple of trucks, to be positioned beside the tree. The art department have done an amazing job with the house and even the tree. Looking closely you wouldn’t pick the fake tree roots that have been added to enhance the root system.

The house being brought in and positioned.

Matt Jordin, the scenic artist, touches up the fake tree root on day 1 of filming.

Crew setting up for the first shot on day one of filming

Elsa, who is the Director’s Assistant from France encountered a fun task of going to Ipswich to film flying foxes/bats as reference for our bat scene. Here’s a snippet of the bats in action! Mmmm, watch out for the guano

Started Rolling

2010-08-11T00:08:00.001-07:00

The cameras started rolling in Boonah, South East Queensland, on August 17^th and will continue until October 21^st 2009. Then we’re off to Paris to do all the editing, with a final release planned in the second half of 2010.

The film – which we’ve lazily nicknamed The Tree (aka L’Arbre) – stars Charlotte Gainsbourg (recent winner at Cannes Film festival), Marton Csokas and Aden Young. It’s being directed by Julie Bertuccelli (also a past winner at Cannes) and produced by Taylor Media and Les Films Du Poisson.

Based on the book Our Father Who Art In The Tree, it’s the story of a young girl who believes her late father whispers to her through the leaves of her favourite tree and the impact this has on her relationship with friends and family, especially her mother. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but ultimately joyful and life affirming.

The film is a co-production between France and Australia and has the backing of both state and federal governments through Screen Australia and the Pacific Film and Television Corporation.

Introducing Poppy

2010-08-11T00:07:00.000-07:00

So, I’ve been asked to be the blogger for The Tree. I’m a first time blogger, so you’ll just have to bear with me if I bore you with my stories that seem to have no point or destination. It’s a habit I have. A quick intro about me, my name is Poppy, I’m the Producers’ Assistant on this job. I like animals, Japanese animations, wine, and cheese, you might find hints of such subjects throughout my blogging……

So starting at the beginning…. pre production was initially at the Warner Bros Studios on the Gold Coast and then we did the big move to Boonah once the office was set up. The Gold Coast was interesting for the short amount of time I was there, next door to our production offices was the Narnia crew cranking up for their shoot, lots of big dragon heads being wheeled around the studio lot. Perhaps the most entertaining part was hearing the people screaming on the rides at the MovieWorld theme park as the roller coaster went past the windows of the production offices.
We all made our way out to Boonah, and instantly there was an air of relaxation in the air, just looking out at the magnificent mountains that surround the area. Boonah is one of those great country towns where if you’re walking down the main street, every person will stop to say hello to you. It didn’t take long before we started to know all the locals by first name! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boonah,_Queensland

Photo: Boonah, Queensland, Australia.