MEET THE WALLERS

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY | 80 MINS | AUSTRALIA | DIRECTORS: JIM STEVENS | PRODUCER: GIL SCRINE | NSW PREMIERE

Meet the Wallers …. A seemingly happy, aussie couple with two beautiful daughters, living the middle-class life by the beach at beautiful Lennox Head...what could possibly go wrong?

Artistic obsession, money, the mortgage, mysticism, sibling rivalry, the neighbours, rapacious developers, depression, not to mention cancer – Meet The Wallers abounds in issues that define our very existence. In a world of Instagram, The Kardashians, and staged ‘reality’ shows Meet the Wallers is a welcome gust of fresh air. They talk, fight and face their personal challenges and material struggles while we watch with under-tones of schadenfreude. They share their highs and lows without filters, and we sympathize with their commitment to overcome the obstacles that try to push them down.

As the years pass onscreen, we begin to ponder: what makes a happy marriage? What stops us from being happy? Can art and marriage co-exist? Mark Waller believes his beautiful paintings can touch the darkest of hearts and make them generous. His wife Nicole does her best but suffers depression and needs to understand why. Their daughters Emily and Jasmine are the future and like any parents, Mark and Nicole want only the best for them but when Mark undergoes emergency cancer surgery, all the family’s concerns are thrown into stark relief.

Over a 90-minute, twenty-year journey we are presented with the question: How can we change the world if we cannot change ourselves?