SYNOPSIS

A high-ranking detective within the South Australian Police Force of the late 70s faces challenges in his personal and professional life, which have both reached boiling points with life-altering repercussions. Based on the feature film screenplay 'The Man with the Blue Beret'.

SCREENING INFORMATION

Runtime - 14:40, Shooting Format - Digital, Aspect Ratio - 2.35:1, Genre - Drama/Proof of Concept, Date of Completion - February 28th, 2025, Country of Origin - Australia.

KEY PRODUCTION CREDITS

Production Company - Fletcher Turale Creative, Writer / Director - Fletcher Turale, Producers - Fletcher Turale & Ali Wildberger, Executive Producer - Fletcher Turale, Cinematographer - Tom Xiao, Production Designer - Alison Cowan, Editor - Fletcher Turale, Sound Designer - Liam Uhlmann, Casting Director - Mack Callan

CAST

Dr Sanders - Aimee McQueen, Leo - David Callan, John - Daniel Cordeaux, Jane Birde - Dilroop Khangura, Kylie (voice) - Nicola Uhlmann

'The Line We Walk' is a family drama following Leo, a high-ranking detective within the South Australian Police Force of the late 70s, as he faces challenges in his personal and professional life, which have both reached boiling points with life-altering repercussions. Based on the feature film screenplay 'The Man with the Blue Beret', 'The Line We Walk' focuses on the complexity and nuance of human nature, highlighting the often contradictory and subjective rationale of 'right and wrong' from both a moral and societal lens, along with how an environment can alter perceptions. Furthermore, it critiques and challenges the masculine norms of the time, especially present within the police force environment (specifically, a group ethos of false stoicism, internalisation, and an inability to show vulnerability).

Along with this, 'The Line We Walk' highlights the underrepresented issues surrounding mental health associated when working as a public servant, first responder or, in this case, a police officer. Specifically exploring how this can create a domino effect of trauma, often disrupting the family dynamic of many families worldwide, both throughout history and in the present day, often with the innocent surrounding few suffering the most. In this case, seen thematically through the character of Kylie, Leo's young daughter, acting as a light of purity that glows in a dark world. Each interaction that Leo has throughout the film showcases the complex and troubled identity that has led him to the position he is in, reacting in vastly different ways and rarely revealing the vulnerable and fractured soul that lies beneath, something he must accept if he has any chance in recouping the life he once held with his daughter, the only person he truly cares for. He needs to remove himself from the culture he has found himself indoctrinated into and instead realign his motive to his actual need, a life with her. Leo remains a troubled and complex soul, but now with something else that changes everything: a hope for a better tomorrow.

For me, doing this story justice is crucial. Though the specific case mentioned is fiction, Leo was heavily inspired by the life of my grandfather and Kylie, my mother. As a young child, my grandfather was influential in my upbringing and the man who inspired me to be a filmmaker today. Along with his inspiration, I have yet to give up and never will. In his later years, I vowed to tell his story. One which needs to be told. One of a complex man who sacrificed an indefinite amount for his community and country. Not only is this story deeply inspired by my immediate family's history, but I believe its themes to be universal to many.

DIRECTORS STATEMENT