Volta™ – Irish Independent Film Online

A scabrous tale of modern manners, the story has an advertising executive who dies and goes to hell, which appears remarkably similar to the life he lived on earth. An audacious mix of black comedy, fantasy and farce, the film won Best Film and Best Director at the Australian Film Institute Awards in 1985.

Lawrence joined Peter Weir, Fred Schepisi and Bruce Beresford as a leading light in the Australian New Wave - but did not make another film for 16 years. His second feature Lantana (2001), cemented Lawrence’s reputation as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema. Starring Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia and Barbara Hershey, the film is a slow-burning murder mystery that weaves the disappearance of a wealthy psychiatrist into the fabric of Australian society and how the mystery affects three different families. One of the highest grossing Australian films of all time, once again Lantana swept the boards at the AFI Awards.

In 2006, Lawrence adapted the Raymond Carver short story So Much Water So Close to Home (which also formed one of the segments in Robert Altman’s 1993 portmanteau Short Cuts) for Jindabyne. Gabriel Byrne stars as an Irish car mechanic living with his wife (Laura Linney) living in the Australian town of Jindabyne. The discovery of a murdered girl in the local river leads to schisms within the community as the people involved are forced to account for their actions. Writing and producing his own films, on his own terms, Lawrence insists on complete creative control over his films, which are shot in natural light, often using one-take shots.

Key Films: Bliss (1985), Lantana (2001), Jindabyne (2006)