131. A Narrative of Possibility
A ‘Town Hall’ conversation with school student Kate Fenech
Kate Fenech is a 15 year old student who’s found herself part of the extraordinary SS4C movement (the School Strikes for Climate), with growing passions for marine science and regenerative farming. I met her when we were both late conscripts to a premiere screening of Regenerating Australia in Busselton, WA, that ended up becoming a unique post-film dialogue.
Anthony James and Kate Fenech at the Orana Cinema in Busselton, WA (pic: Jennifer Seccull).
“I definitely think I feel it myself. It’s always there. That my future might be slightly different and a little bit more difficult than the futures I hear about, or the past that I hear about - with my mum and my grandfather for that matter.”
The film’s director, Damon Gameau, was a late withdrawal, as was young activist and author, Bella Burgemeister. So Kate and I stepped into the breach, and that seemed to set up a vibe among the 75 or so people present of, ‘well I guess it’s just us!’ And to tell you the truth, for a while, I wondered if the whole thing was going to bomb. I’ve never hosted an event with an audience that was so pin-drop quiet. But that silence turned out to be more a measure of how much people were listening and contemplating, as just about everybody stayed, and we even drifted over time a little, for what became a frank, vital and ultimately wonderful community conversation.
3.45m - A short welcome from me
5.20m - A pre-recorded introduction to the film by Damon. (Damon actually came to feel that this was the most impactful part of the film tour, more than the film itself.) You can find the image Damon is talking to below
10.35m - In conversation with Kate Fenech
22.15m - Our all-in dialogue starts
This conversation was recorded in the week leading up to Australia’s recent transformative federal election, at Orana Cinema in Busselton WA, on 16 May 2022.
Click on the photos below for full view, and hover over them for descriptions.
Get more:
Regenerating Australia is available for community screenings now (and grant applications, requests for materials etc.).
School Strike 4 Climate Australia.
Community Independents Project.
You can hear my conversation with Jess Beckerling on the cessation of native logging in WA in episode 105.
Music:
Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the film Regenerating Australia.