Sydney Premiere – Protection, a film about childhood

Made collaboratively with children from public housing areas in the Illawarra. Protection uses a unique blend of film and animation to tell stories about childhood. It is inspired by the lives and experiences of the film’s adventurous and often hilarious young cast.
There’s a re-telling of Goldilocks – featuring a display home and a big, bad real estate agent. There’s witches, parties and billy cart derbies, and a lovely wedding to an imaginary prince. And there are also stories of bullying and racism, death and grief and facing up to your fears and mistakes.

These are stories told by kids from their perspective making Protection a celebration of childhood and a tribute to the resilience of children.

The company behind this project is Beyond Empathy – a not-for-profit organisation with the catch cry: “We love art and we hate disadvantage!”

Children from the cast will be at the screening to introduce their film and run a Q and A at the end of the screening.

The message of the film through the young stars and the project they have collaborated on is that even small actions can help to improve a child’s future and that by building stronger communities, we are creating safer environments for our children

Tickets: $24.00
Tickets are available through Fan Force https://fan-force.com/screenings/protection-dendy-cinemas-opera-quays-nsw/

Review of Protection from Steve Biddulph

Steve Biddulph is the author of the million selling Raising Boys, Secrets of Happy Children, and The New Manhood.  He has been a psychologist working with children for 40 years.

Protection is one heck of a film.  It gleams and sparkles from a myriad facets of the real life children who are its stars, and the caring and struggles of the adults who nurture them.

Protection is so real, it grabs your heart within the first few frames, and never lets it go as the avalanche of stories and lives unfold.  You fall in love with these kids, and ache for their lives to turn out okay.  It’s a testament to what happens when adults work respectfully with kids, give them a voice, and unleash all that is inside them.

Shadows loom close around these children, bereavement, addiction, violence, marriage breakup, loss of home and friends,  but they are never in the foreground, instead these lives seem to burn even brighter because of them.  Its closing scenes make you want to laugh, cry, and dance with the kids themselves.   Just writing about it brings back the tears to my eyes.

It’s something I have seen over and again in my forty years working with children – that it’s the most disadvantaged communities that somehow have more heart, more vigour and connection, despite the heartache.

My wife grew up in one of these communities, where every day was haunted by what the police, the welfare, or your own parents difficulties might plunge you into.  So the love and loyalty and shining intelligence that this hardship can bring if just a shred of opportunity is offered to seize a better life, is very evident to me.  Not a day goes by that I don’t admire or sometimes, envy her.  But if I could go back in time, it would be to try and shield her, and every kid who is so at risk.   Protection is absolutely what is needed in these children’s lives. But they are far from helpless.

See this film. You’ll walk out wanting to dance and with your heart busted open.

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