HIGH GROUND
Australia / 2020 / 105min / DCP / Adventure
Director : Stephen Maxwell Johnson
Script : Chris Anastassiades
Advisor : Wittiyana Marika
Cinematography : Andrew Commis
Editing : Jill Bilcock, Karryn de Cinque, Hayley Miro Browne
Production : Maggie Miles, David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin
Cast : Simon Baker (Travis), Jacob Junior Nayinggul (Gutjuk), Jack Thompson (Moran), Callan Mulvey (Eddy), Caren Pistorius (Claire), Ryan Corr (Braddock), Sean Mununggurr (Baywara)
Berlin Festival 2020
1919. WW1 sniper Travis, now a policeman in the vast and remote landscape of Northern Australia, loses control of an operation resulting in the massacre of an Indigenous tribe. With his superior officers intent on burying the truth Travis leaves disgusted before being forced back twelve-years later in the hunt for outlaw Baywara, an Aboriginal warrior attacking new-settlers. Recruiting Gutjuk as his Tracker, Travis realises this young mission-raised man is the only known massacre-survivor. When the truths of Travis’ past actions are suddenly revealed, it is Travis who becomes the hunted.
Stephen Maxwell Johnson
Stephen grew up in the Bahamas, Africa and the Northern Territory of Australia. He began his film and television career at Channel 9 as a trainee cameraman and has worked on mainstream drama, news and current affairs shows. He went to acting school in London for a while and then headed back to the Northern Territory intent on making his first movie. He established a production house and narrow cast television station in Darwin and directed, produced and photographed drama, documentaries, TV commercials, animation, and rock clips all over the Australia’s Northern Territory and in many remote Indigenous communities. Stephen’s most notable achievements are his multi award winning rock clips for the band Yothu Yindi, an AFI award for best Children’s drama ‘Out There’ (Series Director), an AFI nomination for best direction in television and his first movie which he directed, executive produced and script edited ‘Yolngu Boy’. High Ground has been 20 years in the making.