The art of grieving

Actor Georgina Haig, who has had roles in Australia and overseas, including television shows Once Upon A Time, Secret Bridesmaids Business and Archive 81, has recently been working on the other side of the camera. The seasoned actor was born and bred on the Peninsula and has written Ashes, a short film to be filmed on the foreshore at Dromana in the middle of this month.

Ashes is Georgina’s first project as writer and director. The film is inspired by a real-life black comedy moment Georgina had after the death of her beloved father Russell Haig in February this year to cancer. Russell was a script writer and filmmaker who had a long list of notable credits in his successful career, including working with Stanley Kubrick as an art director on cult film A Clockwork Orange. He co-wrote Australian hit films BMX Bandits and The Cup and worked on numerous television shows including Water Rats and Blue Heelers.

Russell was a great inspiration to Georgina; they had a close relationship. When they spoke about Georgina becoming an actor, Russell offered his tongue-in-cheek advice with a small smile on his face: "Well, be on time, be sober and know your lines."

“I’d always been afraid of losing my dad,” Georgina says. “He was my rock. Now that it’s happened and I’ve come through the other side, I feel quite strong even though I feel very vulnerable and devastated too. I think losing Dad has given me a strength and clarity I wasn’t expecting. I’d of course rather have him back though.”

Russell was a highly punctual person and Georgina tries her best to be but sometimes life gets in the way. So when in her grief Georgina completely forgot about the appointment to pick up her father’s ashes, she laughed at the irony and thought there was a story in it.

Ashes is a 10-minute film that tells the story of Frances, who is bereft after the loss of her beloved dad James. In her grief, Frances misses the appointment to pick up her dad’s ashes. There’s a twist in the tale that speaks to the unexpected ways those who have passed continue to influence their loved ones.

“We’re very excited about our cast,” Georgina says. “We’ve got the amazing Michael Caton playing my dad, which is incredible. Michael and I worked together on Back to the Rafters. In the story the dad is quite cheeky and plays a slightly cruel trick on his daughter, so I needed someone who had that bit of sparkle, that cheekiness, and Michael definitely has that, and Dad had that as well.”

Georgina will also be in the film alongside Michala Banas and Toby Truslove. Ashes will be entered in short film festivals in Australia and overseas. Keep an eye on the Peninsula Short Film Festival program next year where Georgina hopes it will make an appearance.

“It has surprised me the part that is so love-filled. You’re so sad and broken by it but at the same time I’ve felt a lot of love from those around me. Grief accesses this really raw place. There’s a real truthfulness to that place, so to me as a creative it makes sense that that’s a good place to tell stories from.”