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I am absolutely thrilled that "Celia" is having its World Premiere release on Blu-ray through the wonderful UK company Second Run. It's a truly beautiful transfer, from the restored version of the film by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. The Blu-ray also features a documentary, "Celia's World", that I directed with Annabelle Murphy about the broader context of the story, that we made especially for the release. Featuring leading Australian intellectuals recounting childhood memories of the fifties, including the politics and personal ordeals of the Bolte Government rabbit muster. Renowned Cinema Studies scholar Professor Barbara Creed positions "Celia" in the current landscape of horror films, and Dr Mary Tomsic positions the film within a feminist context. Annette Blonski shares her time growing up in Melbourne with parents who had been Communists in Poland and who fled Europe after World War Two, only to be confronted by the Cold War in Australia. Emeritus Professor Ann Curthoys, Honorary Professor John Docker and Professor Sheila Fitzpatrick share their memories of growing up as children of Communists and Communist sympathisers, and Professor Joy Damousi talks about the politics of suburbia and corporal punishment at the time.
Also included is a terrific talk by wonderful commentators Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (author of 1000 Women in Horror) and Maria Lewis at the Australian Centre of the Moving Image. I love what they say, and it certainly gave me a new perspective on the film.
And there's more! Michael Brooke and Joy Damousi write insightful essays on the film and documentary, which are included in a booklet, along with the story of The Hobyahs.
Here's a link to Second Run, where you can find more details, and where the Blu-Ray can be purchased.