Marking Time
Encyclopedia
Marking Time was an Australia
n television mini-series, consisting of four one-hour episodes. It first aired on 9 and 10 November 2003 on ABC-TV
. Directed by Cherie Nowlan and written by John Doyle
, it was the first mainstream television/film project to address the issue of the Australian government's refugee policy, a topic it approaches by chronicling the emotional journey of one young man during his year off after graduation, in his fictional rural home-town of Brackley, Australia.
The storyline of Marking Time was inspired by the real-life experiences of Afghan refugees and their hosts in the rural town of Young, New South Wales
; however much of the outdoor scenes of the series were actually shot at Singleton, New South Wales
, in the Hunter Valley
.
), arrive in Australia to escape the Taliban. At school Randa is teased for her religion and wearing a hijab
. The main character who finished secondary school the previous year, Hal (Abe Forsythe
) begins to feel sorry for her and over a course falls in love with her. Although her father initially allows them to date, there is a lot of tension with their culture differences (Randa is a practising Muslim
, Hal an atheist).
Soon after the September 11th attacks, Randa's father's house is destroyed by a mob. Hal's father (Morrell) offers them shelter in his house. Later that night, Randa, afraid, sneaks into Hal's room seeking comfort. The two sleep together and are later found in bed by her father. Upset by what has happened, he leaves and refuses to let Hal see Randa.
Hal and Randa continue to see each other in secret, Randa admitting she 'did not regret' what she did with Hal. Eventually their refugee status is rejected and they are ordered to return. Hal and his father try valiantly to think of a way to keep them there, but come up empty handed. Finally Hal, decides that he loves Randa and offers to run away from the law with her. He tells his plan to his father who initially disapproves, but after seeing how much they love each other, allows. He also tell Randa's father, who is initially reluctant. Hal promises to take care of her and her father agrees, realising that Randa will be deported with him unless she leaves. Randa is initially reluctant to leave her father, but ultimately agrees.
They leave on the night of Randa's deportation. Stopping off in a hotel room, they make love tenderly one last time. When Hal awakes, Randa is gone. She leaves him a note explaining she can not leave her father. He returns, but is too late as he sees Randa and her father on a bus for deportation.
Eventually he decides to go overseas to look for her. His dad buys him a plane ticket and the series ends with Hal unsure about what will happen in his search for his love.
Abe Forsythe and Bojana Novakovic already knew each other as they went to primary school together http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/04/1067708197089.html?from=storyrhs.
Won a record 7 AFI Awards in 2004. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388245/trivia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n television mini-series, consisting of four one-hour episodes. It first aired on 9 and 10 November 2003 on ABC-TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. Directed by Cherie Nowlan and written by John Doyle
John Doyle (comedian)
John Partick Doyle AM is an award-winning Australian actor, writer, radio presenter and comedian.-Early life:Doyle was born in Lithgow, New South Wales in 1953 into a music-loving, Catholic household with three sisters and a brother. His mother was a business woman and father a railway fettler...
, it was the first mainstream television/film project to address the issue of the Australian government's refugee policy, a topic it approaches by chronicling the emotional journey of one young man during his year off after graduation, in his fictional rural home-town of Brackley, Australia.
The storyline of Marking Time was inspired by the real-life experiences of Afghan refugees and their hosts in the rural town of Young, New South Wales
Young, New South Wales
-Demographics:On census night, 7 August 2001, there were 6,821 people counted in Young. There were 238 people who identified as being of Indigenous origin in the 2001 Census...
; however much of the outdoor scenes of the series were actually shot at Singleton, New South Wales
Singleton, New South Wales
-Industry & Commerce:Major industries near Singleton include coal mining, energy generation, light industry, vineyards, horse breeding and cattle production. Dairying was once a mainstay in the area, but has declined....
, in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
.
Plot
An Afghan father and his daughter, Randa (Bojana NovakovicBojana Novakovic
Bojana Novakovic is a Serbian Australian actress who works in Australia and the United States.-Early and personal life:Novakovic was born in 1981 in Serbia. She moved to Australia in 1988, at the age of seven. Novakovic was initially interested in becoming a social worker or doctor, but after a...
), arrive in Australia to escape the Taliban. At school Randa is teased for her religion and wearing a hijab
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
. The main character who finished secondary school the previous year, Hal (Abe Forsythe
Abe Forsythe
Abe Forsythe is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe.-Career:He first appeared on the TV series The Miraculous Mellops...
) begins to feel sorry for her and over a course falls in love with her. Although her father initially allows them to date, there is a lot of tension with their culture differences (Randa is a practising Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Hal an atheist).
Soon after the September 11th attacks, Randa's father's house is destroyed by a mob. Hal's father (Morrell) offers them shelter in his house. Later that night, Randa, afraid, sneaks into Hal's room seeking comfort. The two sleep together and are later found in bed by her father. Upset by what has happened, he leaves and refuses to let Hal see Randa.
Hal and Randa continue to see each other in secret, Randa admitting she 'did not regret' what she did with Hal. Eventually their refugee status is rejected and they are ordered to return. Hal and his father try valiantly to think of a way to keep them there, but come up empty handed. Finally Hal, decides that he loves Randa and offers to run away from the law with her. He tells his plan to his father who initially disapproves, but after seeing how much they love each other, allows. He also tell Randa's father, who is initially reluctant. Hal promises to take care of her and her father agrees, realising that Randa will be deported with him unless she leaves. Randa is initially reluctant to leave her father, but ultimately agrees.
They leave on the night of Randa's deportation. Stopping off in a hotel room, they make love tenderly one last time. When Hal awakes, Randa is gone. She leaves him a note explaining she can not leave her father. He returns, but is too late as he sees Randa and her father on a bus for deportation.
Eventually he decides to go overseas to look for her. His dad buys him a plane ticket and the series ends with Hal unsure about what will happen in his search for his love.
Cast
- Abe ForsytheAbe ForsytheAbe Forsythe is an Australian film and television actor, director, writer and producer. He is the son of actor and comedian Drew Forsythe.-Career:He first appeared on the TV series The Miraculous Mellops...
- Hal Fleming - Geoff Morrell - Geoff Fleming
- Elena CarapetisElena CarapetisElena Carapetis is an Australian actress of Greek and Cypriot descent, known for her role as Jackie Kassis in Heartbreak High, as well as numerous other television series and theatre roles.-Biography:...
- Gemma - Bojana NovakovicBojana NovakovicBojana Novakovic is a Serbian Australian actress who works in Australia and the United States.-Early and personal life:Novakovic was born in 1981 in Serbia. She moved to Australia in 1988, at the age of seven. Novakovic was initially interested in becoming a social worker or doctor, but after a...
- Randa - Matthew Le NevezMatthew Le NevezMatthew Le Nevez is an award-winning Australian actor.-Early life :Le Nevez was born in Canberra in 1978 and attended The French-Australian School, Telopea Park School and St Edmund's College, Canberra before accepted into NIDA aged 17...
- Bullet Sheather - Abbie CornishAbbie CornishAbbie Cornish is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, particularly her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault, and internationally for her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star and her appearance as Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch.-...
- Tracey - Katie WallKatie Wall-Television roles:* Dirt Game as Caz Cohen* Dangerous as Esther* Love My Way as Sonia McClusky* The Surgeon as Siobhan Kerry* The Secret Life of Us as Karen* All Saints as Diana Short...
- Belinda
- Gyton GrantleyGyton GrantleyGyton Grantley is a Logie Award and AFI Award-winning Australian actor, best known for his portrayal of convicted murderer and drug trafficker Carl Williams in the hit Australian television show Underbelly, for which he was nominated for both Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Most...
- Shane Sheather - Scott Swalwell - Jamie
- Lech MackiewiczLech MackiewiczLech Mackiewicz is an polish actor, director, playwright; graduate of the National Academy of Theatrical Arts in Cracow , and UTS . He formed Auto Da Fe Theatre Co. in Sydney in 1987...
- Hassan - Graeme BlundellGraeme BlundellGraeme Blundell is an Australian actor, director, producer, writer and biographer.Blundell was born in Melbourne; he grew up in Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne...
- Ralph Dare - Anthony SimcoeAnthony SimcoeAnthony Simcoe is an Australian actor, best known for his portrayal of Ka D'Argo in the science fiction television series Farscape.The 6' 6" Simcoe is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney...
- Scott Seaton - Brian Meegan - Ross Ferguson
- Matthew Lilley - Todd Paynter
- Barbara Morton - Marie Stockard
- Ian BlissIan BlissIan Bliss is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Bane in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, for which he was chosen by the Wachowski Brothers because of his accurate impersonation of Hugo Weaving , and also his partial resemblance to Weaving...
- Col Bryant - Paul Pantano - Remus Migotso
- Thea Gumbert - Katey
- Arianthe GalaniArianthe GalaniArianthe Galani is an Australian actress.Galani played a regular role in soap opera Number 96 from late 1976 until the end of the series in August 1977, and then took a regular role in Australian Broadcasting Corporation situation comedy series Home Sweet Home...
- Mrs. Spiro - Sharin Contini - Constable Welch
- Dave Rondo - Cos
- Rhonda Doyle - Aunt Holly
- Ben Tate - Troy
- Adam Cahill - Troy's mate
- Sueyan Cox - Aunty Sarah
- Andrew Harris - Salesman
- Cecil Parkee - Billy Chan
- Shauna Jensen - Wedding Singer
Abe Forsythe and Bojana Novakovic already knew each other as they went to primary school together http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/04/1067708197089.html?from=storyrhs.
Awards
| Australian Film Institute Television Awards Australian Film Institute Television Awards The Australian Film Institute Television Awards are annual awards presented for excellence in Australian television annually as part of the AFI Awards by the Australian Film Institute. The AFI Awards cover non-feature films, films, television, and special awards... |
|||
| Year | Category | Winner | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Best Actor in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in Television Drama is awarded annually by the Australian Film Institute as part of the awards in television for excellence in acting in television drama by a guest or supporting actor.... |
Matt Le Nevez Matthew Le Nevez Matthew Le Nevez is an award-winning Australian actor.-Early life :Le Nevez was born in Canberra in 1978 and attended The French-Australian School, Telopea Park School and St Edmund's College, Canberra before accepted into NIDA aged 17... |
|
| Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama is awarded annually by the Australian Film Institute as part of the awards in television for excellence in acting in television drama by a guest or supporting actress.... |
Katie Wall Katie Wall -Television roles:* Dirt Game as Caz Cohen* Dangerous as Esther* Love My Way as Sonia McClusky* The Surgeon as Siobhan Kerry* The Secret Life of Us as Karen* All Saints as Diana Short... |
||
Won a record 7 AFI Awards in 2004. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388245/trivia
Nominations
| Australian Film Institute Television Awards Australian Film Institute Television Awards The Australian Film Institute Television Awards are annual awards presented for excellence in Australian television annually as part of the AFI Awards by the Australian Film Institute. The AFI Awards cover non-feature films, films, television, and special awards... |
|||
| Year | Category | Winner | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Best Actress in a Supporting or Guest Role in a Television Drama or Comedy Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama The Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in Television Drama is awarded annually by the Australian Film Institute as part of the awards in television for excellence in acting in television drama by a guest or supporting actress.... |
Abbie Cornish Abbie Cornish Abbie Cornish is an Australian actress. She is well known in Australia for a number of film and television roles, particularly her award-winning lead performance in 2004's Somersault, and internationally for her role as Fanny Brawne in Bright Star and her appearance as Sweet Pea in Sucker Punch.-... |
|
External links
- Marking Time at the National Film and Sound ArchiveNational Film and Sound ArchiveThe National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...