Dance For Recovery Screening at Mission Beach Film Festival

The film about Danielle Wilson's beautiful workshop 'Dance for Recovery' will be screening at the Mission Beach Festival. 

I hope that everyone will enjoy it.  I won't be able to attend as we have family visiting we haven't seen for two years and we are off to visit them that weekend.

I think also I get a bit nervous sitting people watch my films.  I know now why film makers like to do test audiences and sneak in and watch their films where nobody knows who they are.

I am very proud of this lovely film about a moving community project, and the participants and creator of the show were also very happy with it.

We are hoping to work on more projects, and I am especially keen to create some poetry and musical and lyrical films that reflect some of the things trialed in this film.

Several other short films from locals will be screened at the festival, as well as entries and interesting films from around the world.  Why not head along and enjoy all the festivities, including the opening night.

I will be there in spirit, and narrative, behind the camera of 'Dance for Recovery.'

All the best,

                      June

Dance for Recovery - June Perkins

Look Don't Touch

This is one of my contributions to the ABC Open project 500 words. I felt inspired by the topic and am loving reading everyone's contributions.


Girl and Hibiscus - June Perkins

Mum has always loved gardens.  She used to stop and knock on our neighbours' doors when their gardens had plants with brilliant potential cuttings.

Then she would ask 'Do you mind if I take a cutting?' She came equipped with her own garden gloves, shears and buckets.

I wonder what the neighbours thought of her as she harvested their gardens.

I remember being embarrassed, but she did do it with everyone’s blessing.  I don’t remember anyone ever saying no to her.

Mum loved to try and grow tropical plants in Tasmania to remind her of her original home in Papua New Guinea.  She had immense pride when she had success with her hibiscus. She has always been a determined lady in both her garden and other parts of her life.

When we were little Mum clearly told us to stay away from her garden flowers - ’Look, don’t touch.’ We had to water and weed the vegetable patch. Our vegetable garden was vital to our family’s survival as we didn’t have a large income.

Our Dad was often away working as a labourer so the garden gave my Mum many hours of happiness. She tried to make us follow the rules of her garden – things like 'you are not allowed to pick the flowers or pick the fruit and vegetables before they are ripe.' But the problem was I loved the delicious scent of Mum’s garden flowers and was keen to make perfumes just like the ones on her dressing table.

There was one plant in particular with a yellow mushy part that you could crush easily into a yellow powder and it made a vibrant paste for not only perfume but for making your own paint.

One day I found myself with this glorious plant busy making my perfume - how I loved  the feel of the soft yellow part of the plant - when my Mum stepped out of the back door and began to yell out and run for me – ‘No, how could you….’  I was sure I turned the bright pink of my Mum’s hibiscus.

I looked up from my perfume making efforts at my Mum’s anguished face, and glanced briefly at the very empty flower bed.  Had I really used that many flowers?

Holding my bowl of flowers forward, as if it was now the best treasure of all, I managed to squeeze out the words, ‘I made it just for you.’

                            
 By June Perkins

  For more Caught Out Stories head over to ABC Open's 500 Words.