Having come across the recent article by Anthony Buckley and
having read it over and over, my blood began to race. However, before I add my
tuppence worth I’d like to assure fellow readers that I am not xenophobic. I
have had the luxury of working overseas for 34 years; living and assimilating
in another culture; quite different in many ways to mine and surviving quite
well I have to say, whether it is driving to work each day, training and
managing staff, sitting on the Board of Advertising and Film Industry
associations or dealing with Corporations and the Political elite.
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| Rick Hawthorne |
The article clearly points out an insidious
dilemma and lack of leadership, lacklustre may be a kinder word, but the
failure to appoint an Australian Director for the NFSA is unjustifiable this
time around given the track record of the previous Directors. The obvious gap
of eight months between appointments is a complete insult and begs the question
of interest in Australia’s film culture and history that our leaders in
Government should have. The dedicated NFSA staff has unfairly been holding the
facility together with passion and a prayer.
It seems clearly that the interest in our film
culture is shallow compared with the other visual arts, which get real budgets
and International recognition. Perhaps art galleries are a better venue for
champagne and hobnobbing. This selective focus on the arts is appalling.
An Australian Director with a passion for his
or her craft, literate and knowledge of our film history is a far better fit, and for which I strongly advocate. Management
skills can be trained and instead of caving into budget cuts the Director
should be able throw enough weight and justification towards the Minister of
the Arts to garner respectable working budgets.
A properly crafted Vision and Mission Statement
would see the DNA of the NFSA be set for this and future Governments to adhere
to and support.
Rick Hawthorne
Business Partner
Central Digital Lab
Manila, Philippines
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