A LIFELONG love affair with Bali and its people has inspired a West Footscray filmmaker to share his experiences with the world.
Jamie Wilson has made six trips to Bali since his first visit in 1997.
“Arriving at the Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar, I can remember smelling that distinctive aroma and feeling the moist, tropical air that one can only experience in Asia. It seemed so remote from the smells and climate of Melbourne,” he recalls.
During his most recent visit, Wilson noticed a change after the 2002 Bali bombings, various drug cases, tsunamis, the refugee issue and, more recently, the live cattle export trade debate.
“I recently returned to Bali with my mum, a little older and somewhat wiser. We both felt somewhat apprehensive as a lot has happened in 15 years.”
And he says that while the Indonesian island has been hit hard financially, with tourist numbers falling, it’s slowly getting back on track.
“It’s not as dangerous as we are led to believe here, and that was enough to get the wheels turning about an idea for a film,” Wilson says.
“My aim is to show the changes since I first went there. It’s to encourage more people to go back.”
Wilson will travel to Bali for three weeks early next month with a cameraman, and little else.
Going Back to Bali will be made “on the run”, with Wilson relishing the chance to shoot a mainly unscripted film. He doesn’t want it to be just a travel log of the tourist spots but rather a complete look at life in Bali and its many attractions. He says interesting places such as Lovina, Jimbaran Bay and Candi Dasi are “less touristy” than the main areas. “I want to contrast these places with the more tourist-driven areas.”
And after he has filmed Bali for 13 days, he will make a music video for one of Indonesia’s top performers, Doddy Katamsi. The clip will be released throughout South East Asia.
Wilson has been involved with 12 short films and documentaries, with some showcased at festivals such as the Angry Film Festival and Tropfest. He hopes to have a rough cut of his Bali film ready in October for entry to the next Melbourne International Film Festival.
