Footscray is one of the lead characters in a new film hitting screens nationwide next week.
Premiered at last year’s Melbourne International Film Festival, Pawno follows a day in the lives of a dozen characters who pass through a Footscray pawnbroker’s shop on a single day.
Director Paul Ireland says people have connected with the film, set and filmed entirely in Footscray, and the “realness” of a story that reflects Australia’s cultural mix.
“The fact that it’s a love story, about real people – just the normality of it means people can relate to it,” he said.
Ireland said his desire to tell the stories of real people was influenced by his favourite directors, including Ken Loach, Mike Leigh and Andrea Arnold.
Featuring a cast that includes Vietnamese, Indian, African and Aboriginal actors,
Pawno aims to tackle the Scotland-born director’s frustration at the lack of multiculturalism on screen.
“Footscray is a massive part of the film,” he said. “It’s just a really cool melting pot of a suburb. I wanted a very multicultural suburb that shows the diversity and edginess and rawness that is still in this community.”
To create the pawnshop for the film, the film-makers took over a real Footscray shopfront for six months.
Locals and passersby were drafted in as extras, helping the film’s street scenes capture the colour.
“There are all these real characters of Footscray who were happy to help us,” he said.
“But it’s not just a film about Footscray – it’s about Australia.”
Pawno opens next week at cinemas nationwide, including Yarraville’s Sun Theatre. Details: www.pawnomovie.com
