THINK FILMS

26/07/2024

I've recently become nail bitingly obsessed with something called dot watching. It's an exciting little deviation from work-related demands.

The reason I've become obsessed with dot watching is a person called Abdullah Zeinab - an Adelaide born ultra-endurance cyclist who's redefining limits.

Seven years ago, whilst filming the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race across Australia, one of the main characters in his film, Mike Hall, died in a tragic road accident whilst competing.

Drawing on inspiration from Mike and other competitors in the race, Abdullah decided to begin his own cycling journey and went on to win that very same race just one year later. He subsequently won the 2019 Transamerica BikeRace (6800kms) and the 2022 RHINO Run (2,741km course across Africa.)

This year Abdullah is taking part in the 10th anniversary of the prestigious The Transcontinental Race (founded by Mike Hall). He sees this as an opportunity to not only take on his biggest challenge to date, but also to close a circle that was opened seven years ago when he met Mike and began his ultra-endurance journey.

For Abdullah, cycling is about much more than riding a bike. He believes its true value lies in the opportunity to explore the outer limits of his mind by pushing his body beyond its conceivable limits.

Abdullah is currently in second place. He's the underdog in this race, having never competed in a TCR before. He has now been riding for 3 days, 20 minutes and has slept for only 9 hours 53 minutes.

Our THINK FILMS team is currently in Bosnia filming the race and making their way towards the third checkpoint at Kosovo. Below are stills taken recently of Abdullah riding through Bosnia.

I'm very excited to be producing Ultra. Ultra is not just a film about cycling, it is a film about the lengths that one will go to in the pursuit of validation. A film that so many of us will relate to. Already we have interest from an international film festival and a streamer in this film. Exciting times ahead.

If you're keen to explore dot watching Abdullah as he races, he's number 21 and here's the dot watching link: https://lnkd.in/gaX5uXCm

Stay tuned for an immersive look into one man's extraordinary journey. 🚴‍♂️🎥

21/05/2024

Sometimes, new doors can open after a setback, starting a whole new journey. This is what happened to Al Archer, who returned to Australia inspired by a setback in LA to create the Emmaus Community, supporting adults with complex mental ill health.

We turned Al's story into a documentary for ABC called "A Place to Call Home." This 26-minute film follows the emotional journey of the Emmaus Community in Perth, highlighting their challenges and Al's inspiring transformation.

First featured on ABC Compass, it had 518,000 views in its first month, bringing national attention to the Emmaus Community. If you have 26 minutes, watch "A Place to Call Home" by following the link below to learn more about this incredible journey.

Nice work team !
Director/Producer Lara Damiani
🎥 Cinematography Peter Gleeson
🎥 Cinematography and Stills 📷 Claudio Raschella
Location Sound Recordist Steve Trowbridge
Editor David Banbury
Sound Carlos Manrique Clavijo

and most amazing human Al Archer

A beautifully emotional story of mental health, seen through the experiences of a group of people who found their sanctuary at the Emmaus Community in Perth....

07/05/2024

We don’t just make films; we open minds, provoke thought and give people a voice. Whether it’s turning the lens to capture a narrative or helping to find the words, we create environments where stories can be told.

We're committed to compelling stories that have the potential to drive social change. Born out of a desire to demonstrate solutions to some of our most pressing global problems through film and interactive multimedia, our work is governed by a belief that documentaries have the power to change perceptions, mobilise support and inspire action.

Through our work we are able to carve out a moment of silence so that real stories can be heard.

07/05/2024

In 2014, Lara Damiani's journey to Emmaus Community in Perth marked the beginning of a lasting connection. Initially tasked with creating a short film spotlighting the community's impact in providing long-term homes for adults facing mental health challenges, she soon found myself immersed in a world of deep human connection.

Six years later, amidst national lockdowns at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, we unveiled a powerful documentary on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) titled "A Place to Call Home."

This documentary explored Emmaus Community's transformative influence, not only on its residents but also on the broader mental health landscape of Western Australia.

At its heart, "A Place to Call Home" narrated the remarkable genesis of Emmaus Community, rooted in Br Al Archer's journey from pursuing fame and fortune in Los Angeles to his unwavering commitment to providing stability and support for those in need.

Through this documentary, viewers were invited to connect with Emmaus residents as they witnessed the unveiling of their photographic portraits for the first time.

We love that the essence of our work lies in sharing short form impact stories for online audiences but also creating and sharing longer form impact pieces for viewers across broadcast and streaming platforms.

Photo by Claudio Raschella Photographer

24/03/2024

Feeling generous today ?

Consider supporting our GoFundMe campaign that will help us film this July for our new feature documentary called Ultra.

Hi, my name is Lara Damiani and I'm the producer of a new premium feature document… Lara Damiani needs your support for New feature documentary called "Ultra"

22/03/2024

Hello friends. It's that time again. When we seek to tickle your interest and arouse your support.

On behalf of our team and our new feature documentary currently in development, our producer Lara Damiani has launched a GoFundMe campaign to kickstart this thing.

It's a story about ultra endurance cycling but not a story about cycling. It's a story about racing but not about getting to the finish line first. It's a story about extreme sports but not a story about athleticism.

This is a story that will resonate with all of us. A story that explores the human quest for validation. It's a story that follows born Abdullah Zeinab - an enigma in the ultra endurance cycling world as he takes on his biggest challenge to date: The Transcontinental Race across Europe.

For each of us - when is enough, enough ? How much do we need to have before we start feeling good about ourselves ? How do we get to know our real value ?

Will you be the first supporter of our fundraiser ?


https://gofund.me/e12b6a9b

05/03/2024

You know those moments when you’re introduced to someone and you think “wow 😮 this person is truly special” ?

Last year Adelaide born Abdullah Zeinab came into our office. From that moment of first meeting and then getting to know his story we were totally intrigued. We knew his story had to be made into film. That film is “Ultra” - a feature documentary aiming for Sundance 2025.

‘Ultra’ offers an inspiring and intimate portrait of undefeated ultra-endurance cyclist, Abdullah Zeinab, as he prepares for his biggest challenge to date, the 4000 kilometre Transcontinental Race across Europe.

Abdullah is an enigma in ultra-endurance cycling. A filmmaker turned plant based athlete who’s won every race he’s entered to date. This race will be the ultimate test of mind, body and spirit, and Abdullah looks not only to win, but to use this extreme feat of endurance as a catalyst to explore the depths of his inner self. ‘Ultra’ is not a film about cycling, it is a film about the lengths that one will go to in the pursuit of purpose, meaning and happiness. It's a film that explores the global theme "when am I enough?" and a poignant philosophical film about what it means to be human.

Should you feel inspired to support this project, we’re on a mission to raise funds for time critical filming of the race in July and the lead up.

Check out our project if you’d like to know more. Support is tax deductible.

We have been developing "Ultra" since September 2023. We feel strongly there is appetite for this film and will be pitching this at the 2024 Australian International Documentary Conference. We're currently raising funds to complete our development stage to deliver a Pitch Deck and Teaser to take to....

27/02/2024

We made a thing.

Not just for teachers but anyone interested in history, truth telling and reconciliation. A digital learning resource called “Banjo Morton: The Untold Story”.

You can explore the site and the curriculum-aligned teaching resources for years 5-10 and years 11-12 at www.banjomorton.com.au.

This is a story of courage, honour and justice. A part of Australian history that we were privileged to be able to share. This is Banjo's story.

Word Ninjas Lara Damiani Jed Lehmann Mone Mundy

26/02/2024

Take a look at what Shannon Simpson, Head of Faculty - Humanities from Rostrevor College, said about our digital learning resource Banjo Morton: The Untold Story.

You can explore the educational resources available to teachers at: www.banjomorton.com.au/educational-resources
This is a story of courage, honour and justice. A part of Australian history that we were privileged to be able to share. This is Banjo's story.

18/02/2024

Alexei Navalny was a Russian opposition leader and former presidential candidate. In tightly controlled Russia, Alexei Navalny stood out as a galvanizing force, facing detentions, threats, poisonings, and a recent stint in a penal colony in the Arctic. His unwavering belief in a democratic Russia free from Putin's tyranny terrified the regime.

Navalny's tragic silencing deprived him of the opportunity to translate his moral authority into political power, yet his legacy lives on through inspiring anti-Putin activism among ordinary Russians. Navalny's call for the movement to persist, even in the face of his potential assassination, underscores his enduring strength and influence.

One of the best documentary’s we saw last year was Navalny. It offers insight into Navalny’s tenacity and courage and details his 2020 assassination attempt, in which he was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent.

If ever there was a case for the power of documentary films, it is definitely right now with this one.

The film’s tagline : “The most dangerous job in the world is going against Putin”.

It’s available to watch on DocPlay. If you can, watch it.

06/02/2024

A little peek at the digital resource we made, in association with the Morton family from Ampilatwatja community, honouring the legacy of Alyawarr elder Banjo Morton and recognising his importance in Australia's history. This is a great resource for HAAS teachers around Australia with ready-made curriculum-aligned teaching resources designed for years 5-10 and years 11-12.

This multimedia resource is a dynamic, easy to use interactive learning and teaching resource for teachers of HAAS, Science, English and Media Arts.

You can preview and order the educational resources from the Home menu.

Teacher friends - please take a look and share to your network if you think you know others who could benefit from this digital educational resource.


www.banjomorton.com.au

06/02/2024

A little peek at the digital resource we made, in association with the Morton family from Ampilatwatja community, honouring the legacy of Alyawarr elder Banjo Morton and recognising his importance in Australia's history. This is a great resource for HAAS teachers around Australia with ready-made curriculum-aligned teaching resources designed for years 5-10 and years 11-12.

This multimedia resource is a dynamic, easy to use interactive learning and teaching resource for teachers of HAAS, Science, English and Media Arts.

You can preview and order the educational resources from the Home menu.

Teacher friends - please take a look and share to your network if you think you know others who could benefit from this digital educational resource.

01/01/2024

We’re gutted to hear news of the passing of John Pilger.

Aptly put by The Conversation Australia + NZ “His numerous books and especially his documentaries opened the world’s eyes to the failings, and worse, of governments in many countries – including his birthplace.”

It was John Pilger who inspired our founder . In 2001, Lara wrote to John hoping to find work with him. He was gracious to respond with a hand written note In it he wrote: “ Dear Lara. Thanks for your excellent letter. It reminded me of when I wrote to people in London from Sydney at your age. Alas, I can’t help. I don’t employ anyone. My TV company supports a small team and we all make the coffee. I’m sorry. I wish you every success. I have a feeling you’ll go far. All good wishes. John Pilger”