February 18, 2025 • 54 mins
‘School of Rock’ meets ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. Damon Gameau, director of award-winning, chart-topping documentary films 2040, and That Sugar Film, takes eight kids on the ultimate school excursion: a road trip across Europe to challenge powerful leaders and find solutions to our greatest challenges. That’s how the bill reads for Damon’s new feature documentary film, Future Council.
The group’s mission was to take the conversation from the streets, into the boardrooms of some of the world’s largest polluters and most influential companies. Astoundingly, it resulted in the children forming a ‘Future Council’ to advise and influence those companies.
It also resulted in a transformative personal story for Damon. One of the most popular guests on this podcast, and a former award-winning actor, Damon had hit a self-described ‘swamp of sadness’. But as this film emerged, so did he. Some of this story isn’t quite ready for public consumption. But some of it, you’ll hear here.
Along with some wonderful behind the scenes stuff, moments of revealing tension in the film, the challenge to even get it released, what else is going to happen as the film is released globally this year, and some amazing early reactions - including being invited to screen it at the UN.
We talk soon after that took place, which also happened to coincide with the screening of the Kachana Station story on Australian Story late last year (now nearing 1m views). So we start with that. And we close with a rousing tune from Future Council’s soundtrack.
Recorded 4 November 2024.
Title slide: The Future Council with Damon Gameau.
For more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener via the links below.
Music:
We are the Kids, by Bunny Racket.
Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp.
Circle of Life, by Letra (from Artlist).
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Damon (00:00):
Like with 2040, we did a lot of school screenings and had
some great questions and we gotsent in some amazing things
from school groups.
So I always knew that the kidssort of were switched on to it,
but I think that was six yearsago, and so just seeing where
even that generation's come tonow in terms of their level of
understanding, that was like oh,hang on, no, this can't be a
short thing.
We've got to turn this intosomething more meaningful.
(00:21):
Not knowing what that was andthen, as we filmed, just seeing
that unfold and seeing the kidsgo no, no, we want to have more
of a say.
We want to set up this thingwhere we're talking to more
people, and we want other kidsaround the world to join us.
AJ (00:37):
School of Rock meets an inconvenient truth.
Damon Gameau, director ofaward-winning, chart-topping
documentary films 2040 and ThatSugar Film, takes eight kids on
the ultimate school excursion, aroad trip across Europe to
challenge powerful leaders andfind solutions to our greatest
challenges.
That's how the bill reads forDamon's new feature documentary
(01:00):
film, future Council.
The group's mission was to takethe conversation from the
streets into the boardrooms ofsome of the world's largest
polluters and most influentialcompanies.
It resulted in the childrenforming a Future Council to
advise and influence thosecompanies.
And it hasn't ended with thefilm.
(01:23):
G'day, Anthony James, here forThe RegenNarration, your
independent, listener-supportedportal into the regenerative era
, with thanks to incrediblygenerous listeners like Dianne
Haggerty and Peter Bate and yourfamilies for being paid
subscribers for over three yearsnow and supporters long before
that.
If you're not yet part of thisgreat community of supporting
(01:45):
listeners, I'd love you to joinus.
Get benefits if you like andhelp keep the show on the road.
Just follow the links in theshow notes.
With all my gratitude, utureCouncil also resulted in a
transformative personalexperience for its director, one
of the most popular guests onthis podcast and a former
award-winning actor too.
(02:07):
Damon had slumped into aself-described swamp of sadness,
but as this film emerged, sodid he.
Some of this story isn't quiteready for public consumption,
but some of it you'll hear here,along with some wonderful
behind the scenes stuff, momentsof revealing tension in the
film, the challenge to even getit released.
(02:28):
hat else is going to happen asthe film continues its festival
run and approaches globaltheatrical release this year,
and some amazing early reactionsto the film, like being invited
to screen it at the UN.
Damon and I talked soon afterthat UN screening took place,
which had our conversation alsocoinciding with the screening of
(02:49):
the Kachana Station story onAustralian Story late last year
which, by the way, is nownearing one million views.
So we start with that and weclose with a rousing tune from
Future Council's soundtrack.
Greetings, my friend.
DG (03:05):
Is it going to work?
AJ (03:07):
We were in some vortex last time.
Damon (03:13):
We weren't meant to speak , , that's my interpretation.
AJ (03:16):
We totally weren't, because I even troubleshot stuff with
Olivia and nothing was wrong.
It's just that was amazing.
Anyway, good to see you, mate.
Damon (03:26):
Likewise, you did so well last night.
I watched the Kachana thinglast night and far out that came
up really well, didn't it?
AJ (03:33):
Didn't it?
DG (03:34):
Did you see it?
AJ (03:35):
I did, I saw it this morning.
Damon (03:36):
Yeah, it was beautiful, well spoken mate, well
articulated.
And what a story Far out.
AJ (03:41):
Thanks, mate, what a story.
Damon (03:43):
I remember listening to that podcast that you did with
him.
It would have been a few yearsago, was it?
AJ (03:47):
Well, the first one was 2018 .
So you know, the same trip thatended up at your place, that's
right.
So very early days, you know.
But I'd heard about it and,sure enough, I gave him a ring
as we neared.
I'll never forget it.
Gave as we need, and you don'tknow what.
You know Kimberly Kettleman.
Not even a road to his place,like is he going to want to pick
up the phone?
Damon (04:07):
Yeah.
AJ (04:07):
But he was so welcoming, he said, yep, come to Kununurra,
we'll fly you in.
And it was just quick, just acouple of days, but yeah, then
we were there three years afterthat, which was basically as
soon as we could, and stayed aweek and a half, and then, two
years after that, another weekor something.
It's amazing to think, though,that you know, even in their
narrative in that, in that showit, it still felt persecuted
(04:32):
until very recently, so, in asense, it was like we ended up
being part of the turning forthem I can see in retrospect
where people were showing somerecognition A hundred percent
mate Again, and this is thepotency of story and narration
and amplification.
Damon (04:50):
And suddenly this lonely guy copping shit out in the
middle of nowhere you know getssome respect from elsewhere and
that changes the whole dynamic.
That was beautiful man, andjust how beautiful that
landscape was, oh my God.
Yeah, and just theirwillingness to go.
No, no, if we have to go tojail for it, so be it and you
know his wife, his wife, for allher softness and humility.
AJ (05:11):
I actually said in the interview they just didn't use
it, but I was sort of wishingthey would.
It's almost the one line I wishthey had used, which was when
she said to me on first meetingthe times that she could have
given up.
She said but I didn't want mykids to see a mother that gave
up.
So she comes across as thishumble.
You know I would have left bynow, but nah, she was as steely
(05:32):
as he was.
Damon (05:33):
Yeah, I reckon too.
I reckon that was clear,especially when she was saying
that.
You know, I thought aboutleaving multiple times but I
could see how much, you know.
She stuck it out Like it's just, and that is tough terrain.
That is not popping out of thelocal community for some support
.
That is isolation, exactly.
Anyway, how are you?
Yes, no, I'm good man, reallygood.
(05:55):
It's been a challenging twoyears in a number of ways, but I
feel like I've um, I'vedefinitely popped out the other
side of a dense forest andfeeling, breathing in some nice,
fresh, clean air and feelinglike a new chapter has begun,
which I'm super excited about.
So, yeah, there was a.
I did a panel recently withTyson Yunker-Porter.
(06:16):
I watched him on the panel.
He was talking about there's acrocodile dreaming story around,
a man or a woman that gets adeep wound and that deep wound
is actually what flows out ofthat is what he called love
magic.
And I feel like, yeah, I hadn'thad that in my life and I think
(06:37):
we all need to somewhere if wewant to live the true, rich,
potent life that we want to.
And so, yeah, I feel I walkthrough my, my swamp of sadness
for a couple of years and andnow I feel like the love magic
starting to come out and glistenand do its thing.
So so it's nice.
It's nice to be on the otherside of that 100%, mate.
AJ (06:57):
That's it's beautiful to hear.
I think the last time we saweach other wasn't too long
before we left the country.
It was this year, right earlierthis year, and you were in
perth, yeah, and you were on oneleg.
And I wonder was that?
Do you look back at that?
Maybe you looked at it at thetime, I can't remember as a
(07:17):
manifestation of the of theworld to take a step is what it
was.
Damon (07:22):
There we go and move forward, and so the body
crumbled.
It's not really a complicatedanalogy, that one, it was very
clear.
Cut, is it really?
Yeah.
And then, so yeah, to discardthe crutches, heal the wound and
start walking freely again iswhat I'm doing now.
So yeah, man, definitely anextraordinary time.
(07:44):
Most people you know variousforms, have been through those
sorts of times, and if you canframe it right and find a way to
push through it, it is.
You end up having gratitude forit in some very complicated way
, and I feel like I'm getting tothat point now.
AJ (07:58):
I think about the process of the film then over that period
of time happening at the sametime, and I had to chuckle then,
having seen you on one leg atthe start of the year and then
the kids quipping in the filmhow, how old you are.
They were right onto it fromthe get-go but come full circle
to the end of it, mate.
You know not too many spoilersfor people, but it's fair to say
(08:20):
you know I was shedding tears.
It was, you know.
I felt your previous filmsthey're brilliant, but I was
shedding tears at the end ofthis one and it looked like
another layer of meaning for youout of this.
What was it like for you?
Damon (08:41):
yeah, it's definitely the film that I'm most proud of out
of all the films, and I feelbecause it came from a different
place for two reasons One wasthat I was going through
something extraordinary, and soI feel like this was the most
heartfelt expression ofcreativity that I've ever been
courageous enough to do, to behonest, and that's part of the
(09:02):
love magic we talked aboutbefore.
But also because I think theprevious films were, I guess,
inherently about need or degree.
I had to put myself at thecentre of them, and this is
completely different.
This is about these eightbeautiful beings and the
millions of children theyrepresent around the world, and
(09:22):
so it just had a different layerof depth.
I think, and as you saw in thefilm, there is a purity of heart
that these children have, whichI think is why they're so
potent in this moment, which iswhy this film is.
You know everyone I know that'sseen it.
The common phrase is around howmuch they weep, and not just in
(09:43):
terms of, oh, what thesechildren are holding and what
we've burdened them with.
That's an aspect of the tears,but the bigger aspect is the
hope, and they're like, oh myGod, these kids, like the acumen
they have and the emotionalbravery and their humor amongst
the adversity, like that's thetears of like, oh, like, oh, man
(10:04):
, if we could just guide themright, whoa, we got this.
Like come on.
So so, yeah, man, I I feltprivileged to, to escort them on
this journey and and theytaught me far more than I
attempted to teach them really.
I mean, I there was a littlebit of steering from me in terms
of you know, but, but theyalready knew it, as you saw in
the film.
(10:24):
And then they just taught me toget in my heart again and stop
overly worrying or being tooanxious about everything that's
going on, that you're reallyredundant if you can't find the
joy in what you do.
And there's a beautiful quote bysomeone I should know who said
it, but it's, you know, if youwant to change the world, you've
(10:50):
got to throw a better party.
But kids basically said let'smake this fun, like, yeah, we're
solving big problems, but let'snot forget to be children and
playful and joyous, and I thinka lot of people in this space
that we work in could do with adose of that, which, which is
why the film has its potency itjust felt like such a basic
human essence in that sense tome you know that it that it was
the spectrum right, there wasthe heartbreak and there was the
struggle and there was thebreakthrough and the inspiration
and the fun and the joys.
AJ (11:10):
It just and crystallizing like that and seeing you in that
position.
It's exactly how I thoughtabout it too, just from the
outside, that progression inyour, in your filmmaking.
Even I saw 2040 as sort of astep towards getting you out of
center frame because you werewriting that open letter to your
daughter, as it were.
So you're sort of shiftingframe, even there a little bit
and then obviously here a lot.
(11:31):
But with this it also appearedto be a really huge logistical
undertaking.
So I have to ask how long wasthe actual tour?
Damon (11:44):
Yeah.
AJ (11:45):
And how many people were along for it and how was that
broader community thing?
Damon (11:51):
Yeah, man.
Well, I think the magic of thefilm that comes through is due
to the complexity of how thisfilm was made.
And again, it's a little bitlike Instagram is the surface
and the finished product looks alittle bit shiny and appealing,
but there is a whole lot ofstuff that never gets seen and
in fact, I think the making ofthis film would probably be a
(12:12):
far better film than the onethat's turned out, just in terms
of a number of different things.
So, obviously, logistics ofhaving eight children from eight
different countries, eightsocioeconomic backgrounds, eight
religions, eight eatingpreferences like even that alone
would be a big thing to handle.
And then all those eightchildren having parents with
(12:35):
their own sets of needs andwants and requirements, and then
taking them through, you know,getting visas, and bringing them
all to Europe to get onto a busthat you know I'm driving
around Europe to eight differentcountries, of which I've only
recently acquired my truck slashbus license, and so we could
just stop there and go oh yeah,we haven't even taken off yet.
And then and then.
(12:55):
So basically it was me drivingthat bus with kids, and then
behind me was a coach, like aproper coach, with all the
parents on it and bags andvarious things, and then behind
them were three camera trucks,uh, with the crew, and so there
was this, you know, and then wewent to, I think, six or seven
countries and so, and even justtrying to shoot children on a
bus, and have three camerascovering them.
(13:16):
So it feels, you know, none ofthis was scripted.
You want to capture everyspontaneous, beautiful insight
that they're having, so you'vegot to hide three camera people
in a way that's not in thechildren's ways, it's not
confronting them.
Plus, the cameras aren'tgetting in each other's way as
well, which is a whole otherbeast.
Then there's the sound of a1960s bus, that just big ford
bus that rattles along, um, andthen you're sort of, you know,
(13:39):
you're going to different venuesand and there's obviously the
children were 10 to 13 and sothey only had a certain amount
of capacity of which they couldshoot in a day, and then they
get exhausted and they startdrifting off.
So all that was a reallyinteresting learning at the
beginning, and then I would justsay that, yeah, you know, there
was a few things that happenedthat weren't ideal in terms of
basics, like accommodation,whatnot, so the parents, to
(14:02):
their great credit went.
You know what we care sopassionately about this, this
film.
We can see how much thechildren are loving it.
Let's do this a littledifferently.
And then, I think, after aboutthe third or fourth day, we
didn't do individual hotels, webooked giant houses throughout
europe where we'd all just go intogether, all the cooking would
get done together, all thechildren would be playing when
they weren't filming, and sothis incredible camaraderie and
(14:25):
sense of community got formedand then we were like a
travelling circus moving aroundEurope filming this.
So by the end, my favouritescene is that scene at the very
end, where the children are justacknowledging what they like
about each other and what eachother taught, just acknowledging
what they like about each otherand what each other taught.
I mean, that is just anextraordinary, you know, lesson
for adults even around justfinding the best in people and
(14:47):
acknowledging them, even if youhave differences.
And that wouldn't have happenedif we hadn't have gone on this
really deep immersion andjourney, which had its
challenges, as you can imagine,and that all happened in three
and a half weeks, wow, you know.
And in three and a half weeks,wow, you know.
And the children had their ownemotions.
They, you know, I was verycareful not to steer them.
There was no, I didn't want anysense of propaganda here.
(15:08):
So we, you know, before we wentand met Nestle, for example, we
would have a discussion, likeI'd point them to Nestle's
website, some other websites,saying go and do some research
about you know how these guysare impacting the planet and
what you might say.
And then I literally just weset up the cameras and I gave
them the space to do that, andso I had all sorts of anxieties
around, you know, is this goingto work?
Are they going to be coherent,eloquent enough?
(15:29):
Am I going to be able to resistjumping in and having my two
bobs, which I had to do?
But as you can see, you know,they just stepped up like in an
extraordinary way, and even thathad its own.
You know, often there would bein tears after that because it
took a lot of energy for them togo.
I've never stood up to a worldleader like that and I knew I
(15:49):
wouldn't get this chance againand so I didn't want to let the
moment go and then they'd feelthis relief afterwards.
So there was a lot to handle,man, and it was an honor.
You know it really was.
It was the kind of richfilmmaking experience you really
hope for and, like I said, Ifeel like we're all so deeply
connected.
We've now done a couple ofpremieres.
(16:09):
We went, obviously to Melbournefor the premiere, then we all
went to New York to do ascreening within the UN, and so
we've basically been livingtogether again for the last five
weeks and I just feel like youknow that's only going to
continue, because we haven'teven released the film yet.
That's all happening next yeararound the world.
So so these children are goingto just grow in their own
strength which I'm watching nowand their own sense of potency,
of what they can do, but alsojust the bonds that are forming
(16:32):
between them.
Is is just beautiful, and whoknows what that turns into in 20
years from now, you know yeah,it's funny.
AJ (16:38):
You should say the making of could almost be a better film.
I was thinking the same thing,because it's it's got to have
had.
Well, you've outlined it reallywell, but of course you've got
this community.
They don't know each other,they're under pressure, uh,
cameras in your face, like, andall the other things you laid up
that you obviously, yeah,acutely felt.
Yeah, it would be a fascinatingmaking of.
(17:00):
Maybe that should be done atsome stage.
But but yeah, you could observethe evolution, obviously, of
the kids in the film and as much, knowing what your working
title was, to see what the titleended up, which was apparent in
the evolution of that of thekids journey, that it ends up
being called Future Council.
And I wonder for you, how wasit behind the scenes, when
(17:23):
you're thinking it's one thingand it becomes another in that
way?
Damon (17:29):
Yeah, well, I think what I've learned through the films
that I've made is that there issuch an enormous amount of
surrender that's required,especially when you're making a
documentary, that there's a leapof faith there, of that you
just have to trust.
And it was the same even incasting these children that we
had almost 1200 kids apply forthis.
But I just knew that the rightkids and that's how it turned
out, all of the kids in thatfilm literally when they
(17:51):
appeared on the screen I went,oh, they're coming, they're
coming on.
I just knew they were the rightone.
It was something about theiressence and how they were going
to work with the others that itjust felt right.
So I just had to keep trustingthat process.
And we had all sorts ofchallenges again that some
probably will never come out interms of.
You know, when you are taking agroup of kids into some of the
most powerful organizations inthe world, there's going to be,
(18:12):
you know, caveats and there'sgoing to be questions and all
sorts of things.
And some of those organizationswere very, very challenged by
how direct the children were andhow insightful they were.
I think some of them werecaught off guard at the level of
acumen that these kids had, andso that comes with a whole set
of ramifications when you'retrying to release the film.
So there's been this constantsurrendering that I feel like
(18:35):
I've had to do with this film,and that's been a really great
lesson because, as we touched onearlier, ironically that was
exactly what I was going throughin my own life.
My own personal life was justyou know this word surrender,
just keep surrendering, man,keep surrendering, don't fight,
just let go, let go.
So I was doing the same withthe filmmaking, which is
obviously no accident, and thenI just kept seeing the rewards
(18:57):
of doing that.
I kept seeing that some kind ofincredible, almost miracle or
magical moment would occurbecause I didn't control it,
because I took my hands off thewheel, which is a terrible
metaphor for a film.
When I'm driving a bus and youdidn't.
But you know what I mean, thatthere was an element of just
let's see what happens.
And that's what happened, Iguess in the narrative arc that
these children, as we went along, said no, no, we want this to
(19:20):
be real, we don't want this justto be a film.
We want to form a real lifefuture council and invite not
only the other 1,200 kids thatauditioned for this film, but
what about all the othermillions of kids around the
world that are like us, wherethere might be two or three of
us in the classroom that deeplycare about this stuff but we're
kind of perceived as the weirdos?
We now get to connect withother kids like that right
(19:40):
around the world and startmeeting these organizations,
meeting these institutions,doing something in our school
and actually forming some kindof connected global network
where we are building andshaping that future that we want
.
So again, that's just been partof the trust process and again
I've just watched that unfold aswell of all these organizations
now that are reaching out, wantto get involved with the
(20:02):
children because they feel, oh,these kids do know their stuff.
There is no avenue for them toexpress that right now, what
they know, and there's no avenuefor them to shape and design
their future.
So is there the possibility hereof the Future Council being a
much needed new decentralisedinstitution for our times,
instead of the Future Councilbeing a much-needed new
decentralised institution forour times, instead of the old
clunky, centralised ones that weknow are kind of crumbling in
(20:25):
various forms?
That why not let this besomething extraordinarily
exciting?
The kids act as this moralcompass in the room of these big
organisations, but they alsohave legitimately brilliant
ideas and fresh approaches andcreativity.
That sort of unlocks an awe anda wonder in a very static
organisation that's trapped inthe old system.
So I do think there's abeautiful opportunity here to
(20:47):
alleviate their eco-anxiety bygetting them in the room but
also breaking the ant cycle thatI say in the film, that sort of
spot of an organisation thathasn't thought in a fresh way
for a long time and these kidsget to come and do that.
So it's a win-win if we can getthis right.
And that's again why I thinkthere's all these beautiful
things unfolding with the filmalready, because it is deeply
(21:09):
heartfelt.
As you notice, it's very pure.
These kids are so honest and Ithink it's cracking open people
that are saying shit.
What are we doing here?
I'm not doing enough that aresaying shit.
What are we doing here?
I'm not doing enough?
Look at what these kids want todo.
How can I help these childrenin some way to build that future
they deserve?
AJ (21:25):
I watched it with Yeshi, our boy, and the 10-year-old girl
Nava, who's here the friendswe're staying with in Baltimore
right now.
We watched it together and theywere instantly wanting to join,
because they're they too, Iwould characterize, in the way
that you've described these kids.
I mean, we just sounderestimate them.
And not only that made well,they gave.
(21:48):
By the way, they gave the film10 out of 10 and 12 out of 10.
So you did well, that's right.
Yeah, I'll put that on theposter.
Damon (21:57):
Actually, I'll get both their names.
Put that on the poster.
AJ (22:01):
And not only that, they proceeded to do not one and not
two, but three and maybe evenfour I lost count cleanups.
They hit the streets and justdid a CC, you know.
They went out and startedpicking up and there was a
post-Halloween cleanup which wassort of the enormous one where,
but I really raked it in.
Damon (22:20):
Do you know?
What's beautiful about that manis that we obviously no one's
seen this film.
Really, we've done, I think,nine screenings, but that is the
same response.
So we did a screening inMargaret River and the teacher
messaged me afterwards and theywere supposed to go to this park
for lunch and the children saidno, we don't want to go to the
(22:43):
park, we want to go to the beachand do a cleanup.
So all these kids went.
They've already started theirown future council in their
school, so we haven't even putout the materials yet.
They're coming out in february,but we've already have a couple
of schools that have set uptheir own future councils, such
is the need for this and the andthat's again, this is this
surrendering piece where this isactually nothing to do with me.
I, I, you know, yes, we'resteering the bus, but people are
more and more people getting onthe bus and they're adding to
it in their you know, and that'swhen you know there's, there's
(23:05):
something magic afoot.
Um, because that's what it does.
It elicits this, this need togo right.
I gotta get involved.
Look at what these 10 littlejoseph from bali, who's already
collecting, recycles and usingthe money to put kids through
school, and he's 10, so what amI doing?
So are you?
AJ (23:20):
kidding me?
Yeah, I know, but they're all,of course, got their particular
angle like that.
That's just quite something.
And to think that you had 1200or whatever who probably could
have fit the bill we could havetaken 400 kids on this bus could
have.
Damon (23:34):
We could have 400, and that's what was the most hope.
Even doing the auditions Ithought, oh my God, like, look
at these legends and they're God, and I guess it makes sense.
Yeah, they've got so muchaccess to information that you
and I and older generationsnever had.
So we still almost project ontothem oh, they're just kids.
But we forget that they'reactually absorbing so much
(23:55):
content now that they do knowfar more than a lot of adults do
around this sort of stuff.
So again, now's the time togive them a voice, because they
do know their stuff.
So let's find a way to bringthem into the conversation.
AJ (24:07):
That's very interesting, you know.
It does bring to mind some ofthose meetings.
So there were a few bigorganizations they met with and
their journey evolves throughout.
Nestle was first off the rankand, yeah, I want to say it here
too that Coke and Pepsi journeyevolves throughout.
Nestle was first cab off therank and yeah, I want to say it
here too that Coke and Pepsi hadsaid no.
So kudos to Rob and Nestle fordoing this.
(24:28):
It is interesting because thatsort of I mean I don't want to
sound harsh, but almostcondescending tone yeah, it was
there, probably with all of themexcept the last one, but it
adjusted, obviously as it becameapparent that they were
nobody's fools.
But wasn't it telling, mate,when Rob Bliss says something to
(24:48):
the effect that, despite beingthe biggest food company in the
world, there's not much thatthey could do alone?
And perhaps my favourite partof the film maybe outside of the
end that we've talked about isyour deft cut to cc with the
kids cleaning up the beach.
Damon (25:07):
That contrast in that moment was like wow yeah, man,
and I think, look I, you know, Ireally wanted to give these
people a go.
A big part of this film was totry and humanize the people that
are within those organizationsbecause, as you and I both know,
many of them deeply care.
This is the humanise the peoplethat are within those
organisations because, as youand I both know, many of them
deeply care.
This is the problem with thesystem.
We're all trapped in it.
We've got to feed our kids.
But he had a great opportunitythere to answer that differently
(25:28):
and I do feel like he trippedhimself up and so you know, the
kids were right, they saw thatmoment and they went for him in
a healthy way and said that'snot good enough, mate, like I'm
sorry, you are the biggest inthe world, you're the biggest
food company in the world,you're the third biggest
polluter.
You can lead the way.
But he deferred thatresponsibility and, as you said,
(25:48):
it's juxtaposed with these kidsare out there every weekend
picking up the plastic.
And while you're saying, thislittle Sky, for example, who is
11, from Wales, when she cameout to Melbourne for the film
festival, she felt souncomfortable about the
emissions she was going to emitto fly from Wales to Melbourne
that she collected plastic for50 days in a row at her local
(26:10):
beach and collected 290 kilos ofplastic.
Wow, when she's doing that andthen one of the heads of this
massive company is againdeflecting all this nonsense
while they're making 5 millionKit Kats a day and 38 million
pods of coffee out into theecosystem.
It's like I'm sorry, mate, butyou do need to be held
(26:31):
accountable there.
And look, there's been somepushback there.
Obviously there's been someagain.
This has been a challenge toeven get this film out into the
world, but you know we're righthere, aren't we?
As you and I know we can't.
We've got to have theseconversations now, like, come on
, we can't keep misleading, andespecially, you know, these
children.
That was a big caveat of doingthis film.
(26:51):
I'm not going to do it if we'regoing to not allow these kids
to say what needs to be said.
And, yeah, let's give them thatopportunity.
Can you just pause?
I've just got here some kind ofvacuum cleaner.
Just one second, it's outside.
Okay, sorry, brother.
AJ (27:09):
That's all right, mate.
Leaf blowers.
It's ironic that they werecleaning up at the time we're
talking about cleanups and wetold them to bugger off.
I don't know if a leaf bloweris technically cleaning up at
the time we're talking aboutcleanups and we told them to
bugger off.
Damon (27:19):
I don't know if a leaf blower is technically cleaning
up.
I think it's deferringresponsibility.
It's like pushing the rubbishoff a path to make it someone
else's problem, which is kind ofthe perfect analogy, I think.
AJ (27:29):
It is the perfect analogy and because, of course, fall is
falling here right and beforeHalloween, the leaf blowers hit
the streets.
I think we were talking,weren't we, on the eve of it
originally.
So, yeah, the leaf blowers wereout on force and I did watch
one, because you know a lot ofleaves on the ground already.
I did watch one actually justblow the leaves next door, so
(27:50):
their leaves went from you knowhalf a foot deep to a foot deep
Like dude.
What are they going to do?
That's very.
Damon (27:57):
Nestle man there Like dude.
What are they going?
AJ (28:01):
to do.
That's very Nestle man.
There you go, that's the Nestlemove.
It does say and it did hit methrough that experience watching
that in the film the degree towhich well, I guess you said it
before the degree to which it'sbeen normalised, that we just
this is the way.
Still, even with the intent,and you know, again, bless, it
was beautiful how Rob took thepeak of that moment with Sky and
(28:26):
spoke to his fatherhood.
In that way he did the perfect,he did get back to the human
essence and I don't doubt it.
But wow, it says thenormalization.
And you know what else reallystruck me, mate, and I've said
this to a few people, the factthat he said to the kids well,
(28:46):
you know, we sort of need thispackaging because some of our
food stays on the shelf for notjust months but years.
Damon (28:54):
And I'm like whoa, I'm not sure I want food like that,
let alone the wrapping yeah, Ithink food is a very generous
term as well which is the otherlayer of this is like yeah, how
much of that stuff does peopleactually need, let's be honest,
and what impact is that havingon their own bodies, let alone
the oceans and the planet?
So yeah, it's a big,complicated story, mate, but you
(29:16):
just touched on somethinginteresting there, which what
was really clear with all thoseinterviews was that the potency
and power of the children isthat they did force these people
, and particularly the two men,to drop the corporate mask, to
drop the corporate veneer ofthey're so used to talking in
certain terms and a language andthen suddenly, when there are
children in the room, that stuffdoesn't cut it.
(29:38):
They have to find a way tosimplify, like, they have to
find a way to simplify, but theyalso have to find a way to
answer the common sensequestions that are coming back
at them that they've bullshittedthemselves into over the years,
you know.
So that's what I was sayingbefore why the kids, if we can
get them the platform, act asthis beautiful moral compass
without actually doing anything.
It's just their presence inthose spaces does something and
(30:01):
humanizes people, and that'swhere their power is?
I think right now it just oh,shivers.
Okay, what would I say to mychild?
The decisions I've made todayin this board meeting?
How would I tell my child that?
Because how's that going toimpact their future, what I've
just done then?
And at the moment, moment,they're out of sight and they're
invisible and wecompartmentalize that, that
(30:23):
humanity, in the family life,and then I go to work and
they're separate.
AJ (30:27):
But I think that's come at a great cost because we're not
thinking about how it willaffect our children's lives in a
meaningful way yeah, and partof you marveled at the way you
know, because, knowing also someof our conversations, even
after 2040, you're like the nextone's got to be systems really
systemic, and you were talkingto some serious heavy hitters
and to see you come to thismoment and you found a way to do
(30:51):
that in a way that excites kids, it's like dude kudos to you.
Way that excites kids, it'slike dude kudos to you.
But then, yes, it does saysomething about the capacity of
the kids to get it.
I mean, there was thisbeautiful moment I think it was.
Joseph talked about the.
Was it the waste dynamic?
I think it was the wastedynamic where he said it's like
(31:11):
emptying a bath with a spoonwhile you still got the taps
running yeah, I mean could yousay it any better?
Damon (31:17):
I know, or I think jockwin, who's 14 early on, says
, yeah, what nature does is acircular economy, what humans do
is a linear economy.
It's like, oh man, okay, so,yeah, no, you're right, mate,
that that was.
And I've got to giveacknowledgement there to the
wonderful nate hagan so youprobably know nate, who does the
great simplification podcast,and he wrote a paper called the
super organism some years ago,and and I reached out to Nate
(31:40):
and said, look, I just love thisbecause what it does is just
give such a beautiful analogyfor the system at large that we
often don't see, I think,particularly some kids.
You know you're focusing onocean plastics or you're
focusing on emissions and you'renot seeing the architecture
that's creating both, and sothat's why there's this fairy
tale that weaves through thisfilm with the kids about this
mythical creature called groth,which basically starts out as
(32:03):
this really benign kind ofcreature that helped us trade
goods between communities thatwe needed.
That's fine, but then itstarted to grow more and more
arms as we traded more thingsaround the world, and then it
discovered fossil fuels and justhad this huge boost of energy,
and now it's fouling its ownnest and now it's plundering its
own home because it's grown toobig.
And yet we keep growing, growthbigger and bigger each year.
(32:24):
So that felt like just a lovelyway to discuss systemic issues
through this fairy tale lens.
And so when we go to Nestle,you know you can see this is how
growth Nestle is impactinggrowth, all these millions of
things they're doing every daythat are getting bigger and
bigger.
So again, we try and fightthings with renewables.
We're just not making any dentbecause growth is getting bigger
(32:47):
and bigger.
We've had talk about chemicalson our food since Rachel Carlson
.
We've still got more chemicalsthan we ever have before.
This is why these things arestill occurring and we haven't
had the headway, despite allthese big movements is because
growth keeps growing bigger andbigger every year, and I think
the kids really, you know thisis why these things are still
occurring and we haven't had theheadway, despite all these big
movements is because Groff keepsgrowing bigger and bigger every
year and I think the kidsreally got that and in fact,
even in some of the Q&As they'vetalked about like we've just
(33:08):
got to how do we tame Groff, orhave a Groff mindset, or it's
just been lovely to watch themreinterpret in their own ways
what that means and havediscussions with audiences about
that and I think I hope thatcontinues as well just to get
kids to understand and see theseproblems that they're systemic,
(33:31):
they're not isolated.
AJ (33:31):
It is interesting when you often I find it too you just
need to provide a little bit ofcontext or impetus and the
insight does flow, like withthose kids.
In those moments they totallyget it, which it does say
something to the generation.
I think that you you talkedabout yeah, all right.
So you premiered this at themelbourne international film
festival.
It went really well and you gotan invitation to the un to
climate week and you screened itthere.
(33:53):
Tell me about the screening andthe week.
How did it go?
Damon (33:57):
oh man, big conversation.
So, yeah, the the screening inmelbourne was extraordinary
because all the children flew infrom around the world.
So so we were all theretogether again.
We all stayed in the same housefor a week and you know, you,
you're never quite sure no onehad really seen the film and you
know, especially as a, as afilmmaker, you're always, even
though you feel something aboutit, it's it's very hard to know
(34:17):
how an audience is going torespond and and just feeling
that euphoria, like you said,all the tears you felt.
You know, the kids got astanding ovation at all of their
screenings and more than that,it was just watching even the
screenings we did with childrenin the room, the amount of hands
that would go up after the film, and, and I feel like the film
just created this safe space inthe room for kids to be heard,
(34:38):
and so children just had amillion questions.
We had to end Q&As with still15 hands in the air because they
wanted to speak or they wantedto join the council, find out
how they can align with thesekids.
So I was like, oh OK, all right, there's something going on
here.
This has got its own littlemagic that you can't predict.
And then I got this phone callbasically saying, you know, from
(35:01):
someone who works at the UNFoundation saying can I see the
film?
Because the theme of UNGA itwasn't Climate Week, it was the
UN General Assembly, was Summitof the Future.
And then they watched the filmand so basically I said to the
kids hey, guess what?
We're all going to New York now, we're going to do a screening
inside the UN and they also wantyou to be involved in various
(35:25):
events that open the summit andyou know functions.
And Ruby, who's in the filmthat you saw, who's Jimmy
Barnes' granddaughter, who justsings about her eco-anxiety.
She got to sing at all theseyou know high-level functions
and sing her songs about whatshe's feeling about the world.
So it was this crazy beautifuljourney that was mad and again,
(35:46):
and a whole nother logisticalexercise of managing these kids
in New York and all theactivities and also just
protecting them.
I guess probably one of mybiggest takeaways was there is a
tendency to want to extractfrom these kids, or kids in
general oh, aren't they cute,they know about the climate.
Let's roll them out as a nicelittle like no, no, no, not, not
(36:08):
these kids, you're not doingthat.
So again, there was sometension and pushback there
around these.
These kids are the real dealLike.
Unless you're going to listenand acknowledge them, then let's
not play this dance anymore,because that's an old dance that
doesn't work anymore.
How can we actually see andhear these children legitimately
?
So that was an interestingexercise and then also I would
(36:30):
say that one of the greatprivileges we had was the
children got a full tour insidethe building and they got into
the Security Council where allthe countries come that are in
conflict to mediate.
They got inside the GeneralAssembly Hall.
You know Antonio Guterreswalked past with 15 of his
entourage, looking He'd justbeen on the phone to Putin for
(36:51):
three hours.
He was just literally over.
My own daughter wrote in herdiary he looked like a man with
the weight of the world on hisshoulders.
And so to see that and alsojust to be inside what no doubt
has been an incredibleinstitution for a long period of
time and was built at a certainmoment in our history and has
done extraordinary things thatwe don't even know about,
because they've managed todiffuse tensions that we would
(37:15):
never have heard about in themedia.
There's no doubt about that.
But what?
Also?
What felt very clear was that itwas built for a different time
and and there was no lightinside and there was no nature
inside, and and there waslargely men in suits with sullen
eyes and the art on the wallsmy god, you know this.
This is the biggest decisionsthat affect all of us, and and
the art was, you know, often theworst of us.
(37:38):
It was just, you know, peoplein chains and people getting
stabbed.
It was like you know, I calledit russian gulag porn.
Sometimes it was just, it wasjust too much.
It was so dark and and andthere was no love, there was no
light, and and then walkingthrough with these little
radiant heartbeams that we have.
This is so clear that there isa desperate need to build
(38:00):
something new, build lots of newthings, not one thing, but many
new versions of institutions,and I feel like what the kids
have started with the FutureCouncil might be one of those
that might contribute.
So it was terrific.
I think I knew some of thatintellectually, but I needed to
go inside and feel it.
And also just the pomp andpageantry of global power.
(38:23):
That's the thing that also tookmy breath away.
The you know my daughter burstinto tears the first time we saw
it, because it was just, youknow, huge cavalcades of the
leaders turning up with big armytrucks and ambulances and
choppers overhead and drones andboats and guns everywhere, and
just that intensity, yeah, was alot, you know, for these kids
to go, holy shit, you know, andtook us a long time to get
(38:46):
anywhere inside the buildings.
It is a, I get it.
You know, netanyahu was thereand Zelensky was there.
This was a big gathering andthere were protesters on the
street.
I get it.
But it was also like, oh, lookat this, still what we've done,
look at what we, how we make ourdecisions, and look at the
energy that surrounds it.
You know, there was lots oftalk of policy change, there was
(39:06):
lots of talk of investment andthere was lots of talk of
technology, but there was notalk of values change.
There was no talk of love or,like I said to you, the last
scene in the film when the kidsare sitting around.
That's the goal, that's thestuff we need that's going to
change the world, not the sametools and the same thinking
that's got us into this mess,and that was just crystal clear.
(39:32):
Being there with these kids.
It was like, oh okay, okay, theyreally are sitting outside this
and offering a different way,and that's not easy.
Of course, this is very, veryeasy to talk about, but I think
I just I deeply felt it and Ihad moments where I felt in
tears and very upset at thisorganisation, the UN's not going
to get us to where we need toget to.
I think I needed to go andrealise that.
I think a lot of people alreadyknow that, but I just needed to
feel it.
And then I also had tears ofhope, of like, oh yeah, but
(39:56):
we've got something here.
Who knows what this could turninto?
We've just got to make sure theright people get around these
kids and we get more kids intothis and let them start to build
those new things as they moveforward.
So it was a really valuableexperience, as chaotic as it was
.
I went there with my owndaughter and my father, which
was lovely to share that withthem, but I definitely feel like
(40:16):
I needed to have a deep, feltexperience to motivate me for
moving forward with this project.
AJ (40:23):
That is so interesting, mate .
I was just talking about thisessentially with Douglas
Rushkoff when I was in New Yorkas well, because we just missed
each other.
Obviously and you know I'm alsoI also hasten to add, I
appreciate the people in therewho invited you and the kids in,
right, so they're seeing it toan extent to what's needed.
(40:43):
But I do feel what you felt,that the degree of again, just
the normalization of thosestructures is just so deep.
So even when you put a bit ofcolor in it, it's a big well,
it's a big beast, it's a biggroth beautiful.
Damon (41:00):
That's actually a beautiful analogy, mate, because
that's how I would describeeven the like I was trying to
describe the art there.
But but it was great, you know,like all the art pieces, gray
and devoid of color, and thekids, and they went into this
second floor but they don'treally allow anyone other than
the, the world leaders and theirstaff and and even watching
people go hang on what thesekids doing in here.
But what they were, they werethe color, they were like
(41:20):
literally splashing the wallswith all these different rays of
light and tones in a very greyspace.
And again, sometimes you justneed to see that to go.
Oh, I get it, I did understandit, but now I deeply feel what's
required.
AJ (41:34):
Yeah, it's a hell of an invitation too, isn't it, and an
empowering one, to think thatwe need the variety of
institutions and gatherings andscale that we've been talking
about.
And hey, this is one case whereit's been done already and you
can join this if you want, anddo whatever over there as well.
It's a huge invitation and it'sinteresting too, because I even
(41:59):
see with our independentfederal MP, Kate Cheney, back
home in Perth.
I've seen her campaign kickingoff now towards the next federal
election and it's taken anotherlevel in expression of joy and
colour which is interestingbecause I didn't necessarily
expect that.
I thought she could play astraighter bat, but she's gone.
(42:21):
No, she must.
Clearly.
I haven't spoken to her since Ileft either.
Right, she was on the podcastjust before I left too, but just
that.
And she was candid there too.
So I mean, I guess it's part ofthat movement, isn't it?
It is real.
So if they're feeling something, it's going to be portrayed,
and if the community's therewith them, then here we are.
And why wouldn't we want tohave fun?
It's a classic case of what youwere talking about hey, what
(42:45):
was that line you trotted out?
We better be laughing anddancing to that effect.
Damon (42:50):
If we want to change the world, we've got to throw a
better party Bang.
AJ (42:53):
So I'm seeing that there and I'm seeing it here with the
equivalent movements, andthey're up and running.
There's many of them.
I've covered a little bit andthere's more to be covered,
irrespective, again, of theresult at the elections this
week, but I've seen the samething.
It's doing that whole.
We're going to create a lifefilled from the get go.
(43:14):
If we're about the regenerationof life, we're going to fill it
with life from the get go.
Yeah, and we'll see where thisgoes.
And we're not asking the UN tobe disbanded or even any major
party.
We're not asking the UN to bedisbanded or even any major
party.
But if those things don't adoptmore of this, more of life, and
no slaves of the world,whatever, then something else
(43:35):
will emerge Correct.
Damon (43:36):
That will be fast and there's a history of that.
Yeah, that's always been thecase that there is a cycle.
I've just been reading thatfourth turning book, which just
illustrates that beautifullyaround.
You know that history does worklike nature does and it cycles,
and there is a spring andthere's a, there's a there's a
winter and there's a summer, andit does happen.
And we do invent newinstitutions all the time, and
as new as the new generationcomes through with different
(43:59):
values.
And I certainly feel that withthese kids and we are, you know,
they are going to lead anincredible movement.
Well, they already are, really.
But again, that's why we justneed to make sure they're able
to be heard, because right now,yeah, their options are taken to
the streets and then they get,you know, completely eviscerated
for doing that.
There's nowhere for them toexpress themselves.
So why wouldn't we create somesort of platform where they can?
(44:22):
Obviously, as you saw whichagain is one of my most, the
most beautiful scenes in thefilm, I think, is when they are
sharing their grief in abeautiful and honest way in the
mountains of Switzerland.
They need to be heard in thatsense, but then also, once that
is sort of freed out and theycan move into more action.
They need a place where theycan do that designing and
co-creation about that futurethey want.
AJ (44:45):
All right, mate.
So there's a whole other wingto this, of course, as there
always is, with your work andyour other production.
Half Anna, back in the impactengagement quarter of all this,
and I see in the credits Jade'sstill there as well.
Yep, what's in store this timeon?
Damon (45:02):
that front.
Yeah, I think in the pastobviously this has been a big
factor in all the things we'vedone.
But this one just feels alittle different because it's
now embedded in the film itself.
Yeah, Like the idea of thisfuture council kind of gets
birthed during the film.
So it does feel like this nowhas to keep going, that this is
what the children want.
(45:23):
They want to invite more kidsaround the world.
So we're just working withpeople now to work out what that
architecture is, how do we dothat properly, but but also,
most importantly, to make surethat the children themselves are
doing the design and the buildof it.
So we've we've done a couple ofdifferent workshops now with
the children in the film, butalso recently I met with five
(45:43):
schools and they put forward youknow five or ten from their
school as well their ownenvironmental clubs and whatnot.
To go right, what would thislook like?
What would a future councillook like in your school?
So we've got that happening.
Look like for the children tohave a voice somehow or act as
(46:04):
that moral compass within someof our decision making, because
obviously there's.
You know, you don't want themon the board per se, because of
legal ramifications.
You don't want them exposed toall those things.
But how do we do this in areally meaningful way so the
children do feel like they'rebeing heard and seen?
And then other another thingthat's come off the back of it
is is sort of this idea of youknow, some organizations have us
(46:24):
and said, look, we want to workwith the kids on particular
products or things that they vetand think are right for their
future, which is a fascinatingsort of conversation.
And talking to the childrenabout that, they said, look,
we'd love to do that.
Only if, you know, any profitsfrom that would go back into a
fund that we would then get tovote on to send that money to
(46:45):
regeneration and restorationprojects.
So I feel like to me that'squite exciting as well.
Is that okay?
The children might be able togenerate some really interesting
things here and be healing theplanet at the same time.
So that's all being worked outright now.
Obviously, we released the filmin march and april around
australia next year, so we'llhave phase one of that ready for
there.
But then we release acrossEurope and America in July.
(47:08):
So I think by then we'll have alot more children in there.
We'll have a betterunderstanding.
We'll have regular meetups.
We will have worked with a lotof children already to find out
what's working and what isn't,because, as you said, yoshi and
your friend there wanted to signup.
It's the same.
We've done nine screenings.
I think we've had over 100 kidsalready sign up just from those
(47:28):
screenings.
So there is this beautifulopportunity here to get it right
.
But again, it can't begreenwashing, it can't be
misleading, it can't beproviding false hope, all those
things the kids have had enoughof Like.
This has to feel genuine ifit's going to work, and I think
we've got that so far.
But that's just the number.
(47:48):
One thing that I've gotplastered on my head is like let
them drive it.
You guide, but also make sureit's got integrity.
You know these kids just can'tbe let down any more than they
have been.
AJ (47:57):
Yeah, so true, mate.
It's really interesting tothink about what it's going to
bloom into, because it does feellike a more global affair to
manage in this sense and and Iguess it makes sense because it
looked like your originalconnections for this came out of
the netherlands and was onlygoing to be a short film
(48:18):
initially, so there must havebeen a real um shift in
relationship there too, eh 100.
Damon (48:23):
Well, as soon as we saw the children yeah, it was going
to be a short film and then,once we had all these auditions
and then we cast those kids, itwas like, oh man, this is.
There's something way bigger inhere, because I think, you know,
like with 2040, we did a lot ofschool screenings and had some
great questions and we got sentin some amazing things from
school groups.
(48:46):
So I always knew that the kidssort of switched on to it, but I
think that was, you know, sixyears ago, and so, just seeing
where even that generation'scome to now in terms of their
level of understanding, that waslike, oh, hang on, no, this,
this can't be a short thing.
This, this, we've got to turnthis into something more
meaningful.
Not knowing what that was, andthen, as we film, just seeing
that unfold and seeing the kidsgo no, no, we want to have more
of a say.
We want to set up this thingwhere we're talking to more and
we want other kids around theworld to join us, and that's
(49:06):
just kind of what's kepthappening.
So again, I just yeah, justkeep, keep moving forward, keep
trusting and rendering, and whoknows where this is going to end
up, but it does feel likethere's yeah, there's something
happening, you know, right onand community screenings.
AJ (49:20):
Will that be sort of an invitation to after it's done
the rounds?
Damon (49:24):
100, so that, like the same with the other films, once
we've done that sort of cinemarun and we're sort of
negotiating all the streamersort of thing as well right now
there'll be, you know, there'llbe opportunities for people to
do school screenings, to docorporate screenings, council
screenings, all that stuff, likewe've done with the previous
films.
That's yeah, we'll be providingsort of toolkits so that people
can do that themselves and then, you know, follow up with this
(49:45):
is how you set it up and this ishow you join the global network
and this is how you start onein your school or this is how
you work with the council ifyou're a business.
All those things, thosetoolkits, are what we're putting
together now.
AJ (49:54):
Good, work, mate.
Well, you know it's time totalk music when we start to wind
up, and it's good fodder, ofcourse, when I come to talk to
to you, because you end up withripping soundtracks as well.
So I'm going to ask you, whichpiece from this soundtrack might
we go out with?
Damon (50:12):
Oh, it is a tough call because, as you know, there's
some cracking tracks in there.
But I think I'm going to haveto go with a mate, a local mate,
who has been doing such greatstuff.
He does a lot of kids' showsbut he's tried to introduce rock
and roll to the kids.
So he's got a band called BunnyRacket and he dresses up as a
giant bunny and he's a rock androll kid and it's pretty darn
awesome.
And so he wrote a song calledwe Are the Kids, which he didn't
(50:35):
write it for the film.
He just wrote it and played itto me in his garage one night.
I went oh, good one, I think,to end this wonderful
conversation.
AJ (50:51):
It sure is, and as much because it's such a moment in
the film.
It's a moment of filmmaker joy.
Damon (50:57):
It is.
It's borrowing on a lot oftropes, but sometimes those
tropes work for a reason.
AJ (51:04):
Well, mate, it has been great talking to you.
I think I even have a few moreyears on you, so I don't feel
like we're that old yet.
But I am feeling a sense ofpride in your work, mate, and, I
guess, having got to know you abit over the years, in that
last circle in which the filmculminated, and seeing you
feeling so strongly as you werewith those kids, in those
(51:27):
heartfelt moments yeah, heartwent out to you, mate, and well
done.
Damon (51:31):
on another, brilliant film t hanks, mate and thank you
for the support, as always.
Um, it's gonna be fascinatingto see what happens with this
one in the years ahead, where ittakes us.
SONG (51:38):
open your eyes and get out of bed.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
Slip out and off some Devon and check your head.
Everything is A-OK.
Hey, hey, open the door andstep outside, play with the dog
or go for a ride.
It's another sunny day.
(52:04):
Hey hey, we are the kids and wewant to play.
Come and join us or get out ofthe way.
We are the kids and we're bornto run.
AJ (52:21):
A That was Damon Gameau, the world's best movie director,
according to one former criticin the film.
For more on Damon and FutureCouncil, see the links in the
show notes.
A little update on the film'srelease too.
It's now due out mid-year, withEurope and the UK soon after,
north America soon after thatand all sorts of community
(52:43):
screening opportunities afterthat.
You can jump on their emaillist for further updates.
As usual, I'll have more forpaid subscribers to the podcast
and the new Sub stack soon.
In great thanks for making thisepisode possible.
You can join this greatcommunity of listeners by
heading to the website or theshow notes and following the
prompts.
Thank you, and thanks, too, forsharing the episode wherever
(53:05):
you can.
The music you're hearing is weAre the kids from the soundtrack
of the film, with thanks tobunny racket.
My name's anthony james.
Thanks for listening.
La, la, la, la, la la.
Ooh, la, la, la, la la.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
Ooh la la la la la, ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la, ooh la la la lala.
Like with 2040, we did a lot of school screenings and had
some great questions and we gotsent in some amazing things
from school groups.
So I always knew that the kidssort of were switched on to it,
but I think that was six yearsago, and so just seeing where
even that generation's come tonow in terms of their level of
understanding, that was like oh,hang on, no, this can't be a
short thing.
We've got to turn this intosomething more meaningful.
(00:21):
Not knowing what that was andthen, as we filmed, just seeing
that unfold and seeing the kidsgo no, no, we want to have more
of a say.
We want to set up this thingwhere we're talking to more
people, and we want other kidsaround the world to join us.
AJ (00:37):
School of Rock meets an inconvenient truth.
Damon Gameau, director ofaward-winning, chart-topping
documentary films 2040 and ThatSugar Film, takes eight kids on
the ultimate school excursion, aroad trip across Europe to
challenge powerful leaders andfind solutions to our greatest
challenges.
That's how the bill reads forDamon's new feature documentary
(01:00):
film, future Council.
The group's mission was to takethe conversation from the
streets into the boardrooms ofsome of the world's largest
polluters and most influentialcompanies.
It resulted in the childrenforming a Future Council to
advise and influence thosecompanies.
And it hasn't ended with thefilm.
(01:23):
G'day, Anthony James, here forThe RegenNarration, your
independent, listener-supportedportal into the regenerative era
, with thanks to incrediblygenerous listeners like Dianne
Haggerty and Peter Bate and yourfamilies for being paid
subscribers for over three yearsnow and supporters long before
that.
If you're not yet part of thisgreat community of supporting
(01:45):
listeners, I'd love you to joinus.
Get benefits if you like andhelp keep the show on the road.
Just follow the links in theshow notes.
With all my gratitude, utureCouncil also resulted in a
transformative personalexperience for its director, one
of the most popular guests onthis podcast and a former
award-winning actor too.
(02:07):
Damon had slumped into aself-described swamp of sadness,
but as this film emerged, sodid he.
Some of this story isn't quiteready for public consumption,
but some of it you'll hear here,along with some wonderful
behind the scenes stuff, momentsof revealing tension in the
film, the challenge to even getit released.
(02:28):
hat else is going to happen asthe film continues its festival
run and approaches globaltheatrical release this year,
and some amazing early reactionsto the film, like being invited
to screen it at the UN.
Damon and I talked soon afterthat UN screening took place,
which had our conversation alsocoinciding with the screening of
(02:49):
the Kachana Station story onAustralian Story late last year
which, by the way, is nownearing one million views.
So we start with that and weclose with a rousing tune from
Future Council's soundtrack.
Greetings, my friend.
DG (03:05):
Is it going to work?
AJ (03:07):
We were in some vortex last time.
Damon (03:13):
We weren't meant to speak , , that's my interpretation.
AJ (03:16):
We totally weren't, because I even troubleshot stuff with
Olivia and nothing was wrong.
It's just that was amazing.
Anyway, good to see you, mate.
Damon (03:26):
Likewise, you did so well last night.
I watched the Kachana thinglast night and far out that came
up really well, didn't it?
AJ (03:33):
Didn't it?
DG (03:34):
Did you see it?
AJ (03:35):
I did, I saw it this morning.
Damon (03:36):
Yeah, it was beautiful, well spoken mate, well
articulated.
And what a story Far out.
AJ (03:41):
Thanks, mate, what a story.
Damon (03:43):
I remember listening to that podcast that you did with
him.
It would have been a few yearsago, was it?
AJ (03:47):
Well, the first one was 2018 .
So you know, the same trip thatended up at your place, that's
right.
So very early days, you know.
But I'd heard about it and,sure enough, I gave him a ring
as we neared.
I'll never forget it.
Gave as we need, and you don'tknow what.
You know Kimberly Kettleman.
Not even a road to his place,like is he going to want to pick
up the phone?
Damon (04:07):
Yeah.
AJ (04:07):
But he was so welcoming, he said, yep, come to Kununurra,
we'll fly you in.
And it was just quick, just acouple of days, but yeah, then
we were there three years afterthat, which was basically as
soon as we could, and stayed aweek and a half, and then, two
years after that, another weekor something.
It's amazing to think, though,that you know, even in their
narrative in that, in that showit, it still felt persecuted
(04:32):
until very recently, so, in asense, it was like we ended up
being part of the turning forthem I can see in retrospect
where people were showing somerecognition A hundred percent
mate Again, and this is thepotency of story and narration
and amplification.
Damon (04:50):
And suddenly this lonely guy copping shit out in the
middle of nowhere you know getssome respect from elsewhere and
that changes the whole dynamic.
That was beautiful man, andjust how beautiful that
landscape was, oh my God.
Yeah, and just theirwillingness to go.
No, no, if we have to go tojail for it, so be it and you
know his wife, his wife, for allher softness and humility.
AJ (05:11):
I actually said in the interview they just didn't use
it, but I was sort of wishingthey would.
It's almost the one line I wishthey had used, which was when
she said to me on first meetingthe times that she could have
given up.
She said but I didn't want mykids to see a mother that gave
up.
So she comes across as thishumble.
You know I would have left bynow, but nah, she was as steely
(05:32):
as he was.
Damon (05:33):
Yeah, I reckon too.
I reckon that was clear,especially when she was saying
that.
You know, I thought aboutleaving multiple times but I
could see how much, you know.
She stuck it out Like it's just, and that is tough terrain.
That is not popping out of thelocal community for some support
.
That is isolation, exactly.
Anyway, how are you?
Yes, no, I'm good man, reallygood.
(05:55):
It's been a challenging twoyears in a number of ways, but I
feel like I've um, I'vedefinitely popped out the other
side of a dense forest andfeeling, breathing in some nice,
fresh, clean air and feelinglike a new chapter has begun,
which I'm super excited about.
So, yeah, there was a.
I did a panel recently withTyson Yunker-Porter.
(06:16):
I watched him on the panel.
He was talking about there's acrocodile dreaming story around,
a man or a woman that gets adeep wound and that deep wound
is actually what flows out ofthat is what he called love
magic.
And I feel like, yeah, I hadn'thad that in my life and I think
(06:37):
we all need to somewhere if wewant to live the true, rich,
potent life that we want to.
And so, yeah, I feel I walkthrough my, my swamp of sadness
for a couple of years and andnow I feel like the love magic
starting to come out and glistenand do its thing.
So so it's nice.
It's nice to be on the otherside of that 100%, mate.
AJ (06:57):
That's it's beautiful to hear.
I think the last time we saweach other wasn't too long
before we left the country.
It was this year, right earlierthis year, and you were in
perth, yeah, and you were on oneleg.
And I wonder was that?
Do you look back at that?
Maybe you looked at it at thetime, I can't remember as a
(07:17):
manifestation of the of theworld to take a step is what it
was.
Damon (07:22):
There we go and move forward, and so the body
crumbled.
It's not really a complicatedanalogy, that one, it was very
clear.
Cut, is it really?
Yeah.
And then, so yeah, to discardthe crutches, heal the wound and
start walking freely again iswhat I'm doing now.
So yeah, man, definitely anextraordinary time.
(07:44):
Most people you know variousforms, have been through those
sorts of times, and if you canframe it right and find a way to
push through it, it is.
You end up having gratitude forit in some very complicated way
, and I feel like I'm getting tothat point now.
AJ (07:58):
I think about the process of the film then over that period
of time happening at the sametime, and I had to chuckle then,
having seen you on one leg atthe start of the year and then
the kids quipping in the filmhow, how old you are.
They were right onto it fromthe get-go but come full circle
to the end of it, mate.
You know not too many spoilersfor people, but it's fair to say
(08:20):
you know I was shedding tears.
It was, you know.
I felt your previous filmsthey're brilliant, but I was
shedding tears at the end ofthis one and it looked like
another layer of meaning for youout of this.
What was it like for you?
Damon (08:41):
yeah, it's definitely the film that I'm most proud of out
of all the films, and I feelbecause it came from a different
place for two reasons One wasthat I was going through
something extraordinary, and soI feel like this was the most
heartfelt expression ofcreativity that I've ever been
courageous enough to do, to behonest, and that's part of the
(09:02):
love magic we talked aboutbefore.
But also because I think theprevious films were, I guess,
inherently about need or degree.
I had to put myself at thecentre of them, and this is
completely different.
This is about these eightbeautiful beings and the
millions of children theyrepresent around the world, and
(09:22):
so it just had a different layerof depth.
I think, and as you saw in thefilm, there is a purity of heart
that these children have, whichI think is why they're so
potent in this moment, which iswhy this film is.
You know everyone I know that'sseen it.
The common phrase is around howmuch they weep, and not just in
(09:43):
terms of, oh, what thesechildren are holding and what
we've burdened them with.
That's an aspect of the tears,but the bigger aspect is the
hope, and they're like, oh myGod, these kids, like the acumen
they have and the emotionalbravery and their humor amongst
the adversity, like that's thetears of like, oh, like, oh, man
(10:04):
, if we could just guide themright, whoa, we got this.
Like come on.
So so, yeah, man, I I feltprivileged to, to escort them on
this journey and and theytaught me far more than I
attempted to teach them really.
I mean, I there was a littlebit of steering from me in terms
of you know, but, but theyalready knew it, as you saw in
the film.
(10:24):
And then they just taught me toget in my heart again and stop
overly worrying or being tooanxious about everything that's
going on, that you're reallyredundant if you can't find the
joy in what you do.
And there's a beautiful quote bysomeone I should know who said
it, but it's, you know, if youwant to change the world, you've
(10:50):
got to throw a better party.
But kids basically said let'smake this fun, like, yeah, we're
solving big problems, but let'snot forget to be children and
playful and joyous, and I thinka lot of people in this space
that we work in could do with adose of that, which, which is
why the film has its potency itjust felt like such a basic
human essence in that sense tome you know that it that it was
the spectrum right, there wasthe heartbreak and there was the
struggle and there was thebreakthrough and the inspiration
and the fun and the joys.
AJ (11:10):
It just and crystallizing like that and seeing you in that
position.
It's exactly how I thoughtabout it too, just from the
outside, that progression inyour, in your filmmaking.
Even I saw 2040 as sort of astep towards getting you out of
center frame because you werewriting that open letter to your
daughter, as it were.
So you're sort of shiftingframe, even there a little bit
and then obviously here a lot.
(11:31):
But with this it also appearedto be a really huge logistical
undertaking.
So I have to ask how long wasthe actual tour?
Damon (11:44):
Yeah.
AJ (11:45):
And how many people were along for it and how was that
broader community thing?
Damon (11:51):
Yeah, man.
Well, I think the magic of thefilm that comes through is due
to the complexity of how thisfilm was made.
And again, it's a little bitlike Instagram is the surface
and the finished product looks alittle bit shiny and appealing,
but there is a whole lot ofstuff that never gets seen and
in fact, I think the making ofthis film would probably be a
(12:12):
far better film than the onethat's turned out, just in terms
of a number of different things.
So, obviously, logistics ofhaving eight children from eight
different countries, eightsocioeconomic backgrounds, eight
religions, eight eatingpreferences like even that alone
would be a big thing to handle.
And then all those eightchildren having parents with
(12:35):
their own sets of needs andwants and requirements, and then
taking them through, you know,getting visas, and bringing them
all to Europe to get onto a busthat you know I'm driving
around Europe to eight differentcountries, of which I've only
recently acquired my truck slashbus license, and so we could
just stop there and go oh yeah,we haven't even taken off yet.
And then and then.
(12:55):
So basically it was me drivingthat bus with kids, and then
behind me was a coach, like aproper coach, with all the
parents on it and bags andvarious things, and then behind
them were three camera trucks,uh, with the crew, and so there
was this, you know, and then wewent to, I think, six or seven
countries and so, and even justtrying to shoot children on a
bus, and have three camerascovering them.
(13:16):
So it feels, you know, none ofthis was scripted.
You want to capture everyspontaneous, beautiful insight
that they're having, so you'vegot to hide three camera people
in a way that's not in thechildren's ways, it's not
confronting them.
Plus, the cameras aren'tgetting in each other's way as
well, which is a whole otherbeast.
Then there's the sound of a1960s bus, that just big ford
bus that rattles along, um, andthen you're sort of, you know,
(13:39):
you're going to different venuesand and there's obviously the
children were 10 to 13 and sothey only had a certain amount
of capacity of which they couldshoot in a day, and then they
get exhausted and they startdrifting off.
So all that was a reallyinteresting learning at the
beginning, and then I would justsay that, yeah, you know, there
was a few things that happenedthat weren't ideal in terms of
basics, like accommodation,whatnot, so the parents, to
(14:02):
their great credit went.
You know what we care sopassionately about this, this
film.
We can see how much thechildren are loving it.
Let's do this a littledifferently.
And then, I think, after aboutthe third or fourth day, we
didn't do individual hotels, webooked giant houses throughout
europe where we'd all just go intogether, all the cooking would
get done together, all thechildren would be playing when
they weren't filming, and sothis incredible camaraderie and
(14:25):
sense of community got formedand then we were like a
travelling circus moving aroundEurope filming this.
So by the end, my favouritescene is that scene at the very
end, where the children are justacknowledging what they like
about each other and what eachother taught, just acknowledging
what they like about each otherand what each other taught.
I mean, that is just anextraordinary, you know, lesson
for adults even around justfinding the best in people and
(14:47):
acknowledging them, even if youhave differences.
And that wouldn't have happenedif we hadn't have gone on this
really deep immersion andjourney, which had its
challenges, as you can imagine,and that all happened in three
and a half weeks, wow, you know.
And in three and a half weeks,wow, you know.
And the children had their ownemotions.
They, you know, I was verycareful not to steer them.
There was no, I didn't want anysense of propaganda here.
(15:08):
So we, you know, before we wentand met Nestle, for example, we
would have a discussion, likeI'd point them to Nestle's
website, some other websites,saying go and do some research
about you know how these guysare impacting the planet and
what you might say.
And then I literally just weset up the cameras and I gave
them the space to do that, andso I had all sorts of anxieties
around, you know, is this goingto work?
Are they going to be coherent,eloquent enough?
(15:29):
Am I going to be able to resistjumping in and having my two
bobs, which I had to do?
But as you can see, you know,they just stepped up like in an
extraordinary way, and even thathad its own.
You know, often there would bein tears after that because it
took a lot of energy for them togo.
I've never stood up to a worldleader like that and I knew I
(15:49):
wouldn't get this chance againand so I didn't want to let the
moment go and then they'd feelthis relief afterwards.
So there was a lot to handle,man, and it was an honor.
You know it really was.
It was the kind of richfilmmaking experience you really
hope for and, like I said, Ifeel like we're all so deeply
connected.
We've now done a couple ofpremieres.
(16:09):
We went, obviously to Melbournefor the premiere, then we all
went to New York to do ascreening within the UN, and so
we've basically been livingtogether again for the last five
weeks and I just feel like youknow that's only going to
continue, because we haven'teven released the film yet.
That's all happening next yeararound the world.
So so these children are goingto just grow in their own
strength which I'm watching nowand their own sense of potency,
of what they can do, but alsojust the bonds that are forming
(16:32):
between them.
Is is just beautiful, and whoknows what that turns into in 20
years from now, you know yeah,it's funny.
AJ (16:38):
You should say the making of could almost be a better film.
I was thinking the same thing,because it's it's got to have
had.
Well, you've outlined it reallywell, but of course you've got
this community.
They don't know each other,they're under pressure, uh,
cameras in your face, like, andall the other things you laid up
that you obviously, yeah,acutely felt.
Yeah, it would be a fascinatingmaking of.
(17:00):
Maybe that should be done atsome stage.
But but yeah, you could observethe evolution, obviously, of
the kids in the film and as much, knowing what your working
title was, to see what the titleended up, which was apparent in
the evolution of that of thekids journey, that it ends up
being called Future Council.
And I wonder for you, how wasit behind the scenes, when
(17:23):
you're thinking it's one thingand it becomes another in that
way?
Damon (17:29):
Yeah, well, I think what I've learned through the films
that I've made is that there issuch an enormous amount of
surrender that's required,especially when you're making a
documentary, that there's a leapof faith there, of that you
just have to trust.
And it was the same even incasting these children that we
had almost 1200 kids apply forthis.
But I just knew that the rightkids and that's how it turned
out, all of the kids in thatfilm literally when they
(17:51):
appeared on the screen I went,oh, they're coming, they're
coming on.
I just knew they were the rightone.
It was something about theiressence and how they were going
to work with the others that itjust felt right.
So I just had to keep trustingthat process.
And we had all sorts ofchallenges again that some
probably will never come out interms of.
You know, when you are taking agroup of kids into some of the
most powerful organizations inthe world, there's going to be,
(18:12):
you know, caveats and there'sgoing to be questions and all
sorts of things.
And some of those organizationswere very, very challenged by
how direct the children were andhow insightful they were.
I think some of them werecaught off guard at the level of
acumen that these kids had, andso that comes with a whole set
of ramifications when you'retrying to release the film.
So there's been this constantsurrendering that I feel like
(18:35):
I've had to do with this film,and that's been a really great
lesson because, as we touched onearlier, ironically that was
exactly what I was going throughin my own life.
My own personal life was justyou know this word surrender,
just keep surrendering, man,keep surrendering, don't fight,
just let go, let go.
So I was doing the same withthe filmmaking, which is
obviously no accident, and thenI just kept seeing the rewards
(18:57):
of doing that.
I kept seeing that some kind ofincredible, almost miracle or
magical moment would occurbecause I didn't control it,
because I took my hands off thewheel, which is a terrible
metaphor for a film.
When I'm driving a bus and youdidn't.
But you know what I mean, thatthere was an element of just
let's see what happens.
And that's what happened, Iguess in the narrative arc that
these children, as we went along, said no, no, we want this to
(19:20):
be real, we don't want this justto be a film.
We want to form a real lifefuture council and invite not
only the other 1,200 kids thatauditioned for this film, but
what about all the othermillions of kids around the
world that are like us, wherethere might be two or three of
us in the classroom that deeplycare about this stuff but we're
kind of perceived as the weirdos?
We now get to connect withother kids like that right
(19:40):
around the world and startmeeting these organizations,
meeting these institutions,doing something in our school
and actually forming some kindof connected global network
where we are building andshaping that future that we want
.
So again, that's just been partof the trust process and again
I've just watched that unfold aswell of all these organizations
now that are reaching out, wantto get involved with the
(20:02):
children because they feel, oh,these kids do know their stuff.
There is no avenue for them toexpress that right now, what
they know, and there's no avenuefor them to shape and design
their future.
So is there the possibility hereof the Future Council being a
much needed new decentralisedinstitution for our times,
instead of the Future Councilbeing a much-needed new
decentralised institution forour times, instead of the old
clunky, centralised ones that weknow are kind of crumbling in
(20:25):
various forms?
That why not let this besomething extraordinarily
exciting?
The kids act as this moralcompass in the room of these big
organisations, but they alsohave legitimately brilliant
ideas and fresh approaches andcreativity.
That sort of unlocks an awe anda wonder in a very static
organisation that's trapped inthe old system.
So I do think there's abeautiful opportunity here to
(20:47):
alleviate their eco-anxiety bygetting them in the room but
also breaking the ant cycle thatI say in the film, that sort of
spot of an organisation thathasn't thought in a fresh way
for a long time and these kidsget to come and do that.
So it's a win-win if we can getthis right.
And that's again why I thinkthere's all these beautiful
things unfolding with the filmalready, because it is deeply
(21:09):
heartfelt.
As you notice, it's very pure.
These kids are so honest and Ithink it's cracking open people
that are saying shit.
What are we doing here?
I'm not doing enough that aresaying shit.
What are we doing here?
I'm not doing enough?
Look at what these kids want todo.
How can I help these childrenin some way to build that future
they deserve?
AJ (21:25):
I watched it with Yeshi, our boy, and the 10-year-old girl
Nava, who's here the friendswe're staying with in Baltimore
right now.
We watched it together and theywere instantly wanting to join,
because they're they too, Iwould characterize, in the way
that you've described these kids.
I mean, we just sounderestimate them.
And not only that made well,they gave.
(21:48):
By the way, they gave the film10 out of 10 and 12 out of 10.
So you did well, that's right.
Yeah, I'll put that on theposter.
Damon (21:57):
Actually, I'll get both their names.
Put that on the poster.
AJ (22:01):
And not only that, they proceeded to do not one and not
two, but three and maybe evenfour I lost count cleanups.
They hit the streets and justdid a CC, you know.
They went out and startedpicking up and there was a
post-Halloween cleanup which wassort of the enormous one where,
but I really raked it in.
Damon (22:20):
Do you know?
What's beautiful about that manis that we obviously no one's
seen this film.
Really, we've done, I think,nine screenings, but that is the
same response.
So we did a screening inMargaret River and the teacher
messaged me afterwards and theywere supposed to go to this park
for lunch and the children saidno, we don't want to go to the
(22:43):
park, we want to go to the beachand do a cleanup.
So all these kids went.
They've already started theirown future council in their
school, so we haven't even putout the materials yet.
They're coming out in february,but we've already have a couple
of schools that have set uptheir own future councils, such
is the need for this and the andthat's again, this is this
surrendering piece where this isactually nothing to do with me.
I, I, you know, yes, we'resteering the bus, but people are
more and more people getting onthe bus and they're adding to
it in their you know, and that'swhen you know there's, there's
(23:05):
something magic afoot.
Um, because that's what it does.
It elicits this, this need togo right.
I gotta get involved.
Look at what these 10 littlejoseph from bali, who's already
collecting, recycles and usingthe money to put kids through
school, and he's 10, so what amI doing?
So are you?
AJ (23:20):
kidding me?
Yeah, I know, but they're all,of course, got their particular
angle like that.
That's just quite something.
And to think that you had 1200or whatever who probably could
have fit the bill we could havetaken 400 kids on this bus could
have.
Damon (23:34):
We could have 400, and that's what was the most hope.
Even doing the auditions Ithought, oh my God, like, look
at these legends and they're God, and I guess it makes sense.
Yeah, they've got so muchaccess to information that you
and I and older generationsnever had.
So we still almost project ontothem oh, they're just kids.
But we forget that they'reactually absorbing so much
(23:55):
content now that they do knowfar more than a lot of adults do
around this sort of stuff.
So again, now's the time togive them a voice, because they
do know their stuff.
So let's find a way to bringthem into the conversation.
AJ (24:07):
That's very interesting, you know.
It does bring to mind some ofthose meetings.
So there were a few bigorganizations they met with and
their journey evolves throughout.
Nestle was first off the rankand, yeah, I want to say it here
too that Coke and Pepsi journeyevolves throughout.
Nestle was first cab off therank and yeah, I want to say it
here too that Coke and Pepsi hadsaid no.
So kudos to Rob and Nestle fordoing this.
(24:28):
It is interesting because thatsort of I mean I don't want to
sound harsh, but almostcondescending tone yeah, it was
there, probably with all of themexcept the last one, but it
adjusted, obviously as it becameapparent that they were
nobody's fools.
But wasn't it telling, mate,when Rob Bliss says something to
(24:48):
the effect that, despite beingthe biggest food company in the
world, there's not much thatthey could do alone?
And perhaps my favourite partof the film maybe outside of the
end that we've talked about isyour deft cut to cc with the
kids cleaning up the beach.
Damon (25:07):
That contrast in that moment was like wow yeah, man,
and I think, look I, you know, Ireally wanted to give these
people a go.
A big part of this film was totry and humanize the people that
are within those organizationsbecause, as you and I both know,
many of them deeply care.
This is the humanise the peoplethat are within those
organisations because, as youand I both know, many of them
deeply care.
This is the problem with thesystem.
We're all trapped in it.
We've got to feed our kids.
But he had a great opportunitythere to answer that differently
(25:28):
and I do feel like he trippedhimself up and so you know, the
kids were right, they saw thatmoment and they went for him in
a healthy way and said that'snot good enough, mate, like I'm
sorry, you are the biggest inthe world, you're the biggest
food company in the world,you're the third biggest
polluter.
You can lead the way.
But he deferred thatresponsibility and, as you said,
(25:48):
it's juxtaposed with these kidsare out there every weekend
picking up the plastic.
And while you're saying, thislittle Sky, for example, who is
11, from Wales, when she cameout to Melbourne for the film
festival, she felt souncomfortable about the
emissions she was going to emitto fly from Wales to Melbourne
that she collected plastic for50 days in a row at her local
(26:10):
beach and collected 290 kilos ofplastic.
Wow, when she's doing that andthen one of the heads of this
massive company is againdeflecting all this nonsense
while they're making 5 millionKit Kats a day and 38 million
pods of coffee out into theecosystem.
It's like I'm sorry, mate, butyou do need to be held
(26:31):
accountable there.
And look, there's been somepushback there.
Obviously there's been someagain.
This has been a challenge toeven get this film out into the
world, but you know we're righthere, aren't we?
As you and I know we can't.
We've got to have theseconversations now, like, come on
, we can't keep misleading, andespecially, you know, these
children.
That was a big caveat of doingthis film.
(26:51):
I'm not going to do it if we'regoing to not allow these kids
to say what needs to be said.
And, yeah, let's give them thatopportunity.
Can you just pause?
I've just got here some kind ofvacuum cleaner.
Just one second, it's outside.
Okay, sorry, brother.
AJ (27:09):
That's all right, mate.
Leaf blowers.
It's ironic that they werecleaning up at the time we're
talking about cleanups and wetold them to bugger off.
I don't know if a leaf bloweris technically cleaning up at
the time we're talking aboutcleanups and we told them to
bugger off.
Damon (27:19):
I don't know if a leaf blower is technically cleaning
up.
I think it's deferringresponsibility.
It's like pushing the rubbishoff a path to make it someone
else's problem, which is kind ofthe perfect analogy, I think.
AJ (27:29):
It is the perfect analogy and because, of course, fall is
falling here right and beforeHalloween, the leaf blowers hit
the streets.
I think we were talking,weren't we, on the eve of it
originally.
So, yeah, the leaf blowers wereout on force and I did watch
one, because you know a lot ofleaves on the ground already.
I did watch one actually justblow the leaves next door, so
(27:50):
their leaves went from you knowhalf a foot deep to a foot deep
Like dude.
What are they going to do?
That's very.
Damon (27:57):
Nestle man there Like dude.
What are they going?
AJ (28:01):
to do.
That's very Nestle man.
There you go, that's the Nestlemove.
It does say and it did hit methrough that experience watching
that in the film the degree towhich well, I guess you said it
before the degree to which it'sbeen normalised, that we just
this is the way.
Still, even with the intent,and you know, again, bless, it
was beautiful how Rob took thepeak of that moment with Sky and
(28:26):
spoke to his fatherhood.
In that way he did the perfect,he did get back to the human
essence and I don't doubt it.
But wow, it says thenormalization.
And you know what else reallystruck me, mate, and I've said
this to a few people, the factthat he said to the kids well,
(28:46):
you know, we sort of need thispackaging because some of our
food stays on the shelf for notjust months but years.
Damon (28:54):
And I'm like whoa, I'm not sure I want food like that,
let alone the wrapping yeah, Ithink food is a very generous
term as well which is the otherlayer of this is like yeah, how
much of that stuff does peopleactually need, let's be honest,
and what impact is that havingon their own bodies, let alone
the oceans and the planet?
So yeah, it's a big,complicated story, mate, but you
(29:16):
just touched on somethinginteresting there, which what
was really clear with all thoseinterviews was that the potency
and power of the children isthat they did force these people
, and particularly the two men,to drop the corporate mask, to
drop the corporate veneer ofthey're so used to talking in
certain terms and a language andthen suddenly, when there are
children in the room, that stuffdoesn't cut it.
(29:38):
They have to find a way tosimplify, like, they have to
find a way to simplify, but theyalso have to find a way to
answer the common sensequestions that are coming back
at them that they've bullshittedthemselves into over the years,
you know.
So that's what I was sayingbefore why the kids, if we can
get them the platform, act asthis beautiful moral compass
without actually doing anything.
It's just their presence inthose spaces does something and
(30:01):
humanizes people, and that'swhere their power is?
I think right now it just oh,shivers.
Okay, what would I say to mychild?
The decisions I've made todayin this board meeting?
How would I tell my child that?
Because how's that going toimpact their future, what I've
just done then?
And at the moment, moment,they're out of sight and they're
invisible and wecompartmentalize that, that
(30:23):
humanity, in the family life,and then I go to work and
they're separate.
AJ (30:27):
But I think that's come at a great cost because we're not
thinking about how it willaffect our children's lives in a
meaningful way yeah, and partof you marveled at the way you
know, because, knowing also someof our conversations, even
after 2040, you're like the nextone's got to be systems really
systemic, and you were talkingto some serious heavy hitters
and to see you come to thismoment and you found a way to do
(30:51):
that in a way that excites kids, it's like dude kudos to you.
Way that excites kids, it'slike dude kudos to you.
But then, yes, it does saysomething about the capacity of
the kids to get it.
I mean, there was thisbeautiful moment I think it was.
Joseph talked about the.
Was it the waste dynamic?
I think it was the wastedynamic where he said it's like
(31:11):
emptying a bath with a spoonwhile you still got the taps
running yeah, I mean could yousay it any better?
Damon (31:17):
I know, or I think jockwin, who's 14 early on, says
, yeah, what nature does is acircular economy, what humans do
is a linear economy.
It's like, oh man, okay, so,yeah, no, you're right, mate,
that that was.
And I've got to giveacknowledgement there to the
wonderful nate hagan so youprobably know nate, who does the
great simplification podcast,and he wrote a paper called the
super organism some years ago,and and I reached out to Nate
(31:40):
and said, look, I just love thisbecause what it does is just
give such a beautiful analogyfor the system at large that we
often don't see, I think,particularly some kids.
You know you're focusing onocean plastics or you're
focusing on emissions and you'renot seeing the architecture
that's creating both, and sothat's why there's this fairy
tale that weaves through thisfilm with the kids about this
mythical creature called groth,which basically starts out as
(32:03):
this really benign kind ofcreature that helped us trade
goods between communities thatwe needed.
That's fine, but then itstarted to grow more and more
arms as we traded more thingsaround the world, and then it
discovered fossil fuels and justhad this huge boost of energy,
and now it's fouling its ownnest and now it's plundering its
own home because it's grown toobig.
And yet we keep growing, growthbigger and bigger each year.
(32:24):
So that felt like just a lovelyway to discuss systemic issues
through this fairy tale lens.
And so when we go to Nestle,you know you can see this is how
growth Nestle is impactinggrowth, all these millions of
things they're doing every daythat are getting bigger and
bigger.
So again, we try and fightthings with renewables.
We're just not making any dentbecause growth is getting bigger
(32:47):
and bigger.
We've had talk about chemicalson our food since Rachel Carlson
.
We've still got more chemicalsthan we ever have before.
This is why these things arestill occurring and we haven't
had the headway, despite allthese big movements is because
growth keeps growing bigger andbigger every year, and I think
the kids really, you know thisis why these things are still
occurring and we haven't had theheadway, despite all these big
movements is because Groff keepsgrowing bigger and bigger every
year and I think the kidsreally got that and in fact,
even in some of the Q&As they'vetalked about like we've just
(33:08):
got to how do we tame Groff, orhave a Groff mindset, or it's
just been lovely to watch themreinterpret in their own ways
what that means and havediscussions with audiences about
that and I think I hope thatcontinues as well just to get
kids to understand and see theseproblems that they're systemic,
(33:31):
they're not isolated.
AJ (33:31):
It is interesting when you often I find it too you just
need to provide a little bit ofcontext or impetus and the
insight does flow, like withthose kids.
In those moments they totallyget it, which it does say
something to the generation.
I think that you you talkedabout yeah, all right.
So you premiered this at themelbourne international film
festival.
It went really well and you gotan invitation to the un to
climate week and you screened itthere.
(33:53):
Tell me about the screening andthe week.
How did it go?
Damon (33:57):
oh man, big conversation.
So, yeah, the the screening inmelbourne was extraordinary
because all the children flew infrom around the world.
So so we were all theretogether again.
We all stayed in the same housefor a week and you know, you,
you're never quite sure no onehad really seen the film and you
know, especially as a, as afilmmaker, you're always, even
though you feel something aboutit, it's it's very hard to know
(34:17):
how an audience is going torespond and and just feeling
that euphoria, like you said,all the tears you felt.
You know, the kids got astanding ovation at all of their
screenings and more than that,it was just watching even the
screenings we did with childrenin the room, the amount of hands
that would go up after the film, and, and I feel like the film
just created this safe space inthe room for kids to be heard,
(34:38):
and so children just had amillion questions.
We had to end Q&As with still15 hands in the air because they
wanted to speak or they wantedto join the council, find out
how they can align with thesekids.
So I was like, oh OK, all right, there's something going on
here.
This has got its own littlemagic that you can't predict.
And then I got this phone callbasically saying, you know, from
(35:01):
someone who works at the UNFoundation saying can I see the
film?
Because the theme of UNGA itwasn't Climate Week, it was the
UN General Assembly, was Summitof the Future.
And then they watched the filmand so basically I said to the
kids hey, guess what?
We're all going to New York now, we're going to do a screening
inside the UN and they also wantyou to be involved in various
(35:25):
events that open the summit andyou know functions.
And Ruby, who's in the filmthat you saw, who's Jimmy
Barnes' granddaughter, who justsings about her eco-anxiety.
She got to sing at all theseyou know high-level functions
and sing her songs about whatshe's feeling about the world.
So it was this crazy beautifuljourney that was mad and again,
(35:46):
and a whole nother logisticalexercise of managing these kids
in New York and all theactivities and also just
protecting them.
I guess probably one of mybiggest takeaways was there is a
tendency to want to extractfrom these kids, or kids in
general oh, aren't they cute,they know about the climate.
Let's roll them out as a nicelittle like no, no, no, not, not
(36:08):
these kids, you're not doingthat.
So again, there was sometension and pushback there
around these.
These kids are the real dealLike.
Unless you're going to listenand acknowledge them, then let's
not play this dance anymore,because that's an old dance that
doesn't work anymore.
How can we actually see andhear these children legitimately
?
So that was an interestingexercise and then also I would
(36:30):
say that one of the greatprivileges we had was the
children got a full tour insidethe building and they got into
the Security Council where allthe countries come that are in
conflict to mediate.
They got inside the GeneralAssembly Hall.
You know Antonio Guterreswalked past with 15 of his
entourage, looking He'd justbeen on the phone to Putin for
(36:51):
three hours.
He was just literally over.
My own daughter wrote in herdiary he looked like a man with
the weight of the world on hisshoulders.
And so to see that and alsojust to be inside what no doubt
has been an incredibleinstitution for a long period of
time and was built at a certainmoment in our history and has
done extraordinary things thatwe don't even know about,
because they've managed todiffuse tensions that we would
(37:15):
never have heard about in themedia.
There's no doubt about that.
But what?
Also?
What felt very clear was that itwas built for a different time
and and there was no lightinside and there was no nature
inside, and and there waslargely men in suits with sullen
eyes and the art on the wallsmy god, you know this.
This is the biggest decisionsthat affect all of us, and and
the art was, you know, often theworst of us.
(37:38):
It was just, you know, peoplein chains and people getting
stabbed.
It was like you know, I calledit russian gulag porn.
Sometimes it was just, it wasjust too much.
It was so dark and and andthere was no love, there was no
light, and and then walkingthrough with these little
radiant heartbeams that we have.
This is so clear that there isa desperate need to build
(38:00):
something new, build lots of newthings, not one thing, but many
new versions of institutions,and I feel like what the kids
have started with the FutureCouncil might be one of those
that might contribute.
So it was terrific.
I think I knew some of thatintellectually, but I needed to
go inside and feel it.
And also just the pomp andpageantry of global power.
(38:23):
That's the thing that also tookmy breath away.
The you know my daughter burstinto tears the first time we saw
it, because it was just, youknow, huge cavalcades of the
leaders turning up with big armytrucks and ambulances and
choppers overhead and drones andboats and guns everywhere, and
just that intensity, yeah, was alot, you know, for these kids
to go, holy shit, you know, andtook us a long time to get
(38:46):
anywhere inside the buildings.
It is a, I get it.
You know, netanyahu was thereand Zelensky was there.
This was a big gathering andthere were protesters on the
street.
I get it.
But it was also like, oh, lookat this, still what we've done,
look at what we, how we make ourdecisions, and look at the
energy that surrounds it.
You know, there was lots oftalk of policy change, there was
(39:06):
lots of talk of investment andthere was lots of talk of
technology, but there was notalk of values change.
There was no talk of love or,like I said to you, the last
scene in the film when the kidsare sitting around.
That's the goal, that's thestuff we need that's going to
change the world, not the sametools and the same thinking
that's got us into this mess,and that was just crystal clear.
(39:32):
Being there with these kids.
It was like, oh okay, okay, theyreally are sitting outside this
and offering a different way,and that's not easy.
Of course, this is very, veryeasy to talk about, but I think
I just I deeply felt it and Ihad moments where I felt in
tears and very upset at thisorganisation, the UN's not going
to get us to where we need toget to.
I think I needed to go andrealise that.
I think a lot of people alreadyknow that, but I just needed to
feel it.
And then I also had tears ofhope, of like, oh yeah, but
(39:56):
we've got something here.
Who knows what this could turninto?
We've just got to make sure theright people get around these
kids and we get more kids intothis and let them start to build
those new things as they moveforward.
So it was a really valuableexperience, as chaotic as it was
.
I went there with my owndaughter and my father, which
was lovely to share that withthem, but I definitely feel like
(40:16):
I needed to have a deep, feltexperience to motivate me for
moving forward with this project.
AJ (40:23):
That is so interesting, mate .
I was just talking about thisessentially with Douglas
Rushkoff when I was in New Yorkas well, because we just missed
each other.
Obviously and you know I'm alsoI also hasten to add, I
appreciate the people in therewho invited you and the kids in,
right, so they're seeing it toan extent to what's needed.
(40:43):
But I do feel what you felt,that the degree of again, just
the normalization of thosestructures is just so deep.
So even when you put a bit ofcolor in it, it's a big well,
it's a big beast, it's a biggroth beautiful.
Damon (41:00):
That's actually a beautiful analogy, mate, because
that's how I would describeeven the like I was trying to
describe the art there.
But but it was great, you know,like all the art pieces, gray
and devoid of color, and thekids, and they went into this
second floor but they don'treally allow anyone other than
the, the world leaders and theirstaff and and even watching
people go hang on what thesekids doing in here.
But what they were, they werethe color, they were like
(41:20):
literally splashing the wallswith all these different rays of
light and tones in a very greyspace.
And again, sometimes you justneed to see that to go.
Oh, I get it, I did understandit, but now I deeply feel what's
required.
AJ (41:34):
Yeah, it's a hell of an invitation too, isn't it, and an
empowering one, to think thatwe need the variety of
institutions and gatherings andscale that we've been talking
about.
And hey, this is one case whereit's been done already and you
can join this if you want, anddo whatever over there as well.
It's a huge invitation and it'sinteresting too, because I even
(41:59):
see with our independentfederal MP, Kate Cheney, back
home in Perth.
I've seen her campaign kickingoff now towards the next federal
election and it's taken anotherlevel in expression of joy and
colour which is interestingbecause I didn't necessarily
expect that.
I thought she could play astraighter bat, but she's gone.
(42:21):
No, she must.
Clearly.
I haven't spoken to her since Ileft either.
Right, she was on the podcastjust before I left too, but just
that.
And she was candid there too.
So I mean, I guess it's part ofthat movement, isn't it?
It is real.
So if they're feeling something, it's going to be portrayed,
and if the community's therewith them, then here we are.
And why wouldn't we want tohave fun?
It's a classic case of what youwere talking about hey, what
(42:45):
was that line you trotted out?
We better be laughing anddancing to that effect.
Damon (42:50):
If we want to change the world, we've got to throw a
better party Bang.
AJ (42:53):
So I'm seeing that there and I'm seeing it here with the
equivalent movements, andthey're up and running.
There's many of them.
I've covered a little bit andthere's more to be covered,
irrespective, again, of theresult at the elections this
week, but I've seen the samething.
It's doing that whole.
We're going to create a lifefilled from the get go.
(43:14):
If we're about the regenerationof life, we're going to fill it
with life from the get go.
Yeah, and we'll see where thisgoes.
And we're not asking the UN tobe disbanded or even any major
party.
We're not asking the UN to bedisbanded or even any major
party.
But if those things don't adoptmore of this, more of life, and
no slaves of the world,whatever, then something else
(43:35):
will emerge Correct.
Damon (43:36):
That will be fast and there's a history of that.
Yeah, that's always been thecase that there is a cycle.
I've just been reading thatfourth turning book, which just
illustrates that beautifullyaround.
You know that history does worklike nature does and it cycles,
and there is a spring andthere's a, there's a there's a
winter and there's a summer, andit does happen.
And we do invent newinstitutions all the time, and
as new as the new generationcomes through with different
(43:59):
values.
And I certainly feel that withthese kids and we are, you know,
they are going to lead anincredible movement.
Well, they already are, really.
But again, that's why we justneed to make sure they're able
to be heard, because right now,yeah, their options are taken to
the streets and then they get,you know, completely eviscerated
for doing that.
There's nowhere for them toexpress themselves.
So why wouldn't we create somesort of platform where they can?
(44:22):
Obviously, as you saw whichagain is one of my most, the
most beautiful scenes in thefilm, I think, is when they are
sharing their grief in abeautiful and honest way in the
mountains of Switzerland.
They need to be heard in thatsense, but then also, once that
is sort of freed out and theycan move into more action.
They need a place where theycan do that designing and
co-creation about that futurethey want.
AJ (44:45):
All right, mate.
So there's a whole other wingto this, of course, as there
always is, with your work andyour other production.
Half Anna, back in the impactengagement quarter of all this,
and I see in the credits Jade'sstill there as well.
Yep, what's in store this timeon?
Damon (45:02):
that front.
Yeah, I think in the pastobviously this has been a big
factor in all the things we'vedone.
But this one just feels alittle different because it's
now embedded in the film itself.
Yeah, Like the idea of thisfuture council kind of gets
birthed during the film.
So it does feel like this nowhas to keep going, that this is
what the children want.
(45:23):
They want to invite more kidsaround the world.
So we're just working withpeople now to work out what that
architecture is, how do we dothat properly, but but also,
most importantly, to make surethat the children themselves are
doing the design and the buildof it.
So we've we've done a couple ofdifferent workshops now with
the children in the film, butalso recently I met with five
(45:43):
schools and they put forward youknow five or ten from their
school as well their ownenvironmental clubs and whatnot.
To go right, what would thislook like?
What would a future councillook like in your school?
So we've got that happening.
Look like for the children tohave a voice somehow or act as
(46:04):
that moral compass within someof our decision making, because
obviously there's.
You know, you don't want themon the board per se, because of
legal ramifications.
You don't want them exposed toall those things.
But how do we do this in areally meaningful way so the
children do feel like they'rebeing heard and seen?
And then other another thingthat's come off the back of it
is is sort of this idea of youknow, some organizations have us
(46:24):
and said, look, we want to workwith the kids on particular
products or things that they vetand think are right for their
future, which is a fascinatingsort of conversation.
And talking to the childrenabout that, they said, look,
we'd love to do that.
Only if, you know, any profitsfrom that would go back into a
fund that we would then get tovote on to send that money to
(46:45):
regeneration and restorationprojects.
So I feel like to me that'squite exciting as well.
Is that okay?
The children might be able togenerate some really interesting
things here and be healing theplanet at the same time.
So that's all being worked outright now.
Obviously, we released the filmin march and april around
australia next year, so we'llhave phase one of that ready for
there.
But then we release acrossEurope and America in July.
(47:08):
So I think by then we'll have alot more children in there.
We'll have a betterunderstanding.
We'll have regular meetups.
We will have worked with a lotof children already to find out
what's working and what isn't,because, as you said, yoshi and
your friend there wanted to signup.
It's the same.
We've done nine screenings.
I think we've had over 100 kidsalready sign up just from those
(47:28):
screenings.
So there is this beautifulopportunity here to get it right
.
But again, it can't begreenwashing, it can't be
misleading, it can't beproviding false hope, all those
things the kids have had enoughof Like.
This has to feel genuine ifit's going to work, and I think
we've got that so far.
But that's just the number.
(47:48):
One thing that I've gotplastered on my head is like let
them drive it.
You guide, but also make sureit's got integrity.
You know these kids just can'tbe let down any more than they
have been.
AJ (47:57):
Yeah, so true, mate.
It's really interesting tothink about what it's going to
bloom into, because it does feellike a more global affair to
manage in this sense and and Iguess it makes sense because it
looked like your originalconnections for this came out of
the netherlands and was onlygoing to be a short film
(48:18):
initially, so there must havebeen a real um shift in
relationship there too, eh 100.
Damon (48:23):
Well, as soon as we saw the children yeah, it was going
to be a short film and then,once we had all these auditions
and then we cast those kids, itwas like, oh man, this is.
There's something way bigger inhere, because I think, you know,
like with 2040, we did a lot ofschool screenings and had some
great questions and we got sentin some amazing things from
school groups.
(48:46):
So I always knew that the kidssort of switched on to it, but I
think that was, you know, sixyears ago, and so, just seeing
where even that generation'scome to now in terms of their
level of understanding, that waslike, oh, hang on, no, this,
this can't be a short thing.
This, this, we've got to turnthis into something more
meaningful.
Not knowing what that was, andthen, as we film, just seeing
that unfold and seeing the kidsgo no, no, we want to have more
of a say.
We want to set up this thingwhere we're talking to more and
we want other kids around theworld to join us, and that's
(49:06):
just kind of what's kepthappening.
So again, I just yeah, justkeep, keep moving forward, keep
trusting and rendering, and whoknows where this is going to end
up, but it does feel likethere's yeah, there's something
happening, you know, right onand community screenings.
AJ (49:20):
Will that be sort of an invitation to after it's done
the rounds?
Damon (49:24):
100, so that, like the same with the other films, once
we've done that sort of cinemarun and we're sort of
negotiating all the streamersort of thing as well right now
there'll be, you know, there'llbe opportunities for people to
do school screenings, to docorporate screenings, council
screenings, all that stuff, likewe've done with the previous
films.
That's yeah, we'll be providingsort of toolkits so that people
can do that themselves and then, you know, follow up with this
(49:45):
is how you set it up and this ishow you join the global network
and this is how you start onein your school or this is how
you work with the council ifyou're a business.
All those things, thosetoolkits, are what we're putting
together now.
AJ (49:54):
Good, work, mate.
Well, you know it's time totalk music when we start to wind
up, and it's good fodder, ofcourse, when I come to talk to
to you, because you end up withripping soundtracks as well.
So I'm going to ask you, whichpiece from this soundtrack might
we go out with?
Damon (50:12):
Oh, it is a tough call because, as you know, there's
some cracking tracks in there.
But I think I'm going to haveto go with a mate, a local mate,
who has been doing such greatstuff.
He does a lot of kids' showsbut he's tried to introduce rock
and roll to the kids.
So he's got a band called BunnyRacket and he dresses up as a
giant bunny and he's a rock androll kid and it's pretty darn
awesome.
And so he wrote a song calledwe Are the Kids, which he didn't
(50:35):
write it for the film.
He just wrote it and played itto me in his garage one night.
I went oh, good one, I think,to end this wonderful
conversation.
AJ (50:51):
It sure is, and as much because it's such a moment in
the film.
It's a moment of filmmaker joy.
Damon (50:57):
It is.
It's borrowing on a lot oftropes, but sometimes those
tropes work for a reason.
AJ (51:04):
Well, mate, it has been great talking to you.
I think I even have a few moreyears on you, so I don't feel
like we're that old yet.
But I am feeling a sense ofpride in your work, mate, and, I
guess, having got to know you abit over the years, in that
last circle in which the filmculminated, and seeing you
feeling so strongly as you werewith those kids, in those
(51:27):
heartfelt moments yeah, heartwent out to you, mate, and well
done.
Damon (51:31):
on another, brilliant film t hanks, mate and thank you
for the support, as always.
Um, it's gonna be fascinatingto see what happens with this
one in the years ahead, where ittakes us.
SONG (51:38):
open your eyes and get out of bed.
Speaker 3 (51:43):
Slip out and off some Devon and check your head.
Everything is A-OK.
Hey, hey, open the door andstep outside, play with the dog
or go for a ride.
It's another sunny day.
(52:04):
Hey hey, we are the kids and wewant to play.
Come and join us or get out ofthe way.
We are the kids and we're bornto run.
AJ (52:21):
A That was Damon Gameau, the world's best movie director,
according to one former criticin the film.
For more on Damon and FutureCouncil, see the links in the
show notes.
A little update on the film'srelease too.
It's now due out mid-year, withEurope and the UK soon after,
north America soon after thatand all sorts of community
(52:43):
screening opportunities afterthat.
You can jump on their emaillist for further updates.
As usual, I'll have more forpaid subscribers to the podcast
and the new Sub stack soon.
In great thanks for making thisepisode possible.
You can join this greatcommunity of listeners by
heading to the website or theshow notes and following the
prompts.
Thank you, and thanks, too, forsharing the episode wherever
(53:05):
you can.
The music you're hearing is weAre the kids from the soundtrack
of the film, with thanks tobunny racket.
My name's anthony james.
Thanks for listening.
La, la, la, la, la la.
Ooh, la, la, la, la la.
Speaker 3 (53:48):
Ooh la la la la la, ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la la la.
Ooh la la la, ooh la la la lala.
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