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A
Note from Jocelyn Moorhouse (Writer and Director)
"In 1986 someone told me
that they had met a blind photographer. At the time I didn't think to ask
why a blind person would take photographs, but I soon found the unknown
answer haunted me. I'm fascinated by blindness and how blind people
cope with not having visual knowledge ~ the everyday confirmation of ;what
is' ~ that I take for granted.
Blind
people have to place their faith in others. I wanted to tell the story
of a man who couldn't."
From
Moorhouse's introduction to the Published Screenplay
"Certain scenes in the screenplay
did not end up in the finished film, although they were shot.
The hardest cut was the
nightclub scene, and the confrontation that follows. Sarah Pierse, the
actress who played Gloria, gave an exquisite performance and the song,
by Phil Judd, was great.
The scene where Martin punches
Andy was very powerful. It was not until the last week of editing that
the editor Ken Sallows and Lynda House, the producer, convinced me that
Celia's obsession with Martin - and what happens after she forces Andy
to lie - was all the audience would care about at this point of the film.
The onscreen chemistry that
evolved between Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe imbued the film, and especially
the ending, with much more hope then I had anticipated". To see the entire
introduction, go to Cafe
Crowe
Biographies
Hugo
Weaving ~ Martin
One of Australia's most exciting
young actors, Hugo first achieved major public and critical recognition
for his role in the television series The Bodyline
Series. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic
Arts, he has been able to divide his acting experiences between stage,
film and television. He has appeared in the television series The
Dirtwater Dynasty and Bangkok
Hilton with Nicole Kidman.
He spent a great deal of time researching blindness and received tutoring
in the use of the cane and the basics of survival. On more than one occasion
he was spotted by bemused friends strolling the streets and eating in cafes
while blindfolded.
Genevieve
Picot ~ Celia
Genevieve graduated from NIDA
in 1979. Since then she has become one of Australia's best known stage
actresses, appearing in numerous theatrical productions, including Antigone
and
Who's
Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Her television
credits include The Four Minute Mile, Inside Running and
The
Petrov Affair. Previous to her role as Celia in Proof, Genevieve
appeared in the feature film Undercover, directed by David Stevens.
Russell
Crowe ~ Andy
With parents as location caterers,
Russell grew up on film sets and had his first acting role at the age of
six with an appearance in the television series Spy Force.
After leaving school, he played in carious rock bands for six years before
landing a role in The Rocky Horror Show.
He made his feature film debut last year in Blood Oath, which also
featured Bryan Brown. He was nominated for a Best Actor Award at the 1990
Australian Film Awards for his role in The Crossing, directed by
George Oglivy and recently finished work on Spotiswood with Anthony
Hopkins.
His theatre
credits include Blood Brothers and Simpson J202 .
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Proof Review