Performances in short film recognised around the world
Castlemaine resident John Flaus is well known to Australian audiences and has been appearing on our cinema and TV screens for more than 50 years (The Castle, Jack Irish, Lillian’s Story), but it is his recent performance in the short film Trust Frank that has earned him and his co-star international acclaim at festivals around the world.
The winner of seven Best Actor awards, Flaus is being recognised and applauded for his tender and lovable portrayal of Frank. A boozer, a gambler and a man without hope, Frank is a Vietnam veteran who lives alone with lung cancer. When his neighbour Rose has a bad dementia episode and crashes into his life, a friendship develops and together they find the strength and determination to go on living.
Playing opposite John is the talented Daylesford resident Brenda Palmer (Winners and Losers, Animal Kingdom, Bed of Roses). The winner of six Best Actress awards, she gives a heart-wrenching performance in the complicated role of Rose, a retired teacher who lost her fiancée in the Vietnam war, she is suffering from the early onset of dementia.
“Two old and feeble people fall in love, what a joy,” Palmer says.
A sentimental and gently humorous romantic comedy with dramatic undertones, Trust Frank explores issues related to ageing and the human need to connect.
A story about ordinary people, it explores the essential bonds and relationships that give us purpose in our day-to-day life.
“The commonplace has depth of meaning and emotional richness in Trust Frank, delivering universal themes through the exploration of Australian culture,” Flaus says.
“It is a revelation how many other countries have embraced this film, but it plants a seed for a much bigger narrative that we need to have both here in Australia and around the world about ageing in the modern world.”
Officially selected to compete at 28 festivals, the short has won more than 20 Best Film awards since it was released six months ago and has screened to audiences in 11 countries around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Greece, India, Romania, Russia, Turkey and the USA.
In June the film will be screened in Mumbai, St Petersburg, New York and Hong Kong. The film will continue on the international festival circuit for the next 12 months but a local screening is planned in 2022.
