On Black Saturday, 7 February 2009, townships north-east of Melbourne were engulfed by fire-storms. Considered our worst ever natural disaster, these fires resulted in the highest loss of life peacetime Australia has ever known. After the horror of immediate losses, people embarked on various journeys of repair and recovery. The Blacksmiths’ Tree was one of them.
Designer and metal artist Amanda Gibson gathered a team of seasoned blacksmiths from around the world to create a life-size stainless steel and copper gum tree. This happened within a community traumatised by the Black Saturday Fires. The Blacksmiths’ Tree would not be without its challenges, but what it became for the people involved is something no one could have imagined.
The Blacksmiths’ Tree was an instinctive response to the devastating effects of loss and the inspired flourishing of life that followed. Forged from Fire charts the valleys and peaks of this heart-warming project. It documents the remarkable social history of a tragic but important moment for Australia and its people.
In an environment of increasingly frequent catastrophic natural disasters around the world,
Forged from Fire offers communities an insight into how lives evolve throughout the aftermath of such an event and perhaps forecasts pathways through such tragedies that may prove helpful and hopeful to others, now, and in times to come.
Forged from Fire is a film we intend to take directly to audiences via mediated local, regional and rural screening events; safe and respectful spaces in which the film can be screened and open floor discussions take place. Audiences are expected to include the bereaved, their friends and families, sponsors who have donated to the project, international contributors, artists and artisans, locals and blacksmiths from around the world. The few screenings to date of the OUR TREE short have seen audiences moved to express their own responses to Black Saturday, often for the first time. From the stories of personal loss shared at the 2014 Human Rights Arts & Film Festival screening launch, the intimate screenings at the Hurstbridge Uniting Church, to the emotional responses and encouragement offered by non-fire affected audiences at both the 2014 Community Development Conference in Glasgow and the Internet Rights are Human Rights Workshops in Barcelona, time and again audiences responded with cheers, applauds and tears. In producing this documentary we have found the project already bringing people together, particularly those that gave generously, by way of financial donations and volunteer labour to the creation of the Blacksmiths' Tree. They have come to meet many people from fire-affected communities. This sense of connection, healing through openness, frank discussion and the support these opportunities afford, is significant in the healing process and its social impact is invaluable.
Forged from Fire is a social document, enabling community members to reflect on journeys made since Black Saturday, and share them with each other. That is why mediated screenings are so important. We intend, for reporting and marketing purposes, to measure the impact of our film by tracking invited and curated screenings, audience numbers, DVD sales and audience feedback. However, it is the qualitative impact that we are really interested in. Such impact may be measured in responses to the film through direct contact with audiences, recorded and documented testimonials such as hand-written testimonials that may be left in a “reflections book” at screenings, sourced online and through various community publications.
“I feel so honoured to have watched this project grow and succeed. My leaf is a little treasure and I was left speechless seeing the tree in person yesterday. It talked to me like it was a living breathing thing. My three heartfelt photos that sum up my presence at the launch are attached. Thank you!” The Dave
The Blacksmiths' Tree was made possible by way of international collaboration and a vast network of local volunteers from fire-affected communities in Victoria. The Black Saturday fires, the devastation, the pain and loss felt by a few was somehow felt by many. The Blacksmiths' Tree gave form to that. In terms of outreach, it has already begun and will continue as knowledge of The Blacksmiths' Tree reaches out beyond the tiny hamlet of Strathewen where it has been installed.
In keeping with the local context in which The Blacksmiths' Tree was conceived, forged, assembled and installed the production of Forged from Fire is marketing itself. Everyone who has contributed to the project is not only local to the region from which The Blacksmiths' Tree grew, we are each of us affected by the Black Saturday fires. This process of collaboration and outreach has continued through post-production. All facets of production have been completed by filmmakers, composers and post-production within fire-affected regions of Victoria. Everyone involved has a fire story to share.
Forged from Fire will be available on DVD by March 2019 and Video on Demand after festival screenings by 2020. In the meantime, community screenings are being organised throughout Australia commencing first in Victoria coinciding with 10 year Black Saturday memorial events.