AMAV VICDOC Winter 2024 - Magazine - Page 6
IN R E V I E W: R E A D | L I ST E N | WATC H | R ES EA RC H
6
HELLO BEAUTIFUL
BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE
AWAYE!
Nonf iction by
Ann Napolotano
Netflix drama
series (2024)
ABC Radio
National podcast
In her latest novel,
bestselling author Ann
Napolitano presents a
poignant family drama
centred on the lives of
Julia Padavano and her
three inseparable younger
sisters. When William
Waters, a man who carries
the scars of a troubled
past, finds solace in Julia
and her family, he finds a
sense of long yearned for
belonging. However, as the
story unfolds, the hidden
wounds from William’s past
begin to surface, leading
to a devastating rift that
tests the strength of the
family’s bonds. Napolitano
masterfully explores themes
of family, sisterhood, love,
and loss. Her characters
are richly drawn, and
their relationships are
depicted with nuance and
depth. The novel delves
into the complexities of
understanding ourselves
and each other and
highlights the importance
of gaining perspective
to confront the difficult
truths in our lives.
The series is based on
Trent Dalton’s 2018 semiautobiographical debut
novel of the same name.
Set in 1980s suburban
Brisbane, it’s an entrancing
blend of gritty realism and
magical surrealism, charting
the tumultuous youth of
Eli Bell, whose life is shaped
by his affectionate yet
troubled family (poverty,
alcoholism, drug addiction,
family breakdown) and
its interactions with the
criminal underbelly of the
Australian crime world.
Boy Swallows Universe
transcends the conventional
coming-of-age narrative
with an evocative and wildly
inventive exploration of love,
fate, and survival. Like the
book, the seven-part series
is equal parts gruesome,
gritty, poignant and beautiful,
and stars an eclectic cast
of well-known and new
faces including 13-year-old
Felix Cameron in the lead
role, Travis Fimmel, Bryan
Brown and Phoebe Tonkin.
Australian cinematography
at its best.
Part radio and part
podcast, AWAYE! is a
diverse and vibrant
exploration of Aboriginal
arts and culture from
across Australia, hosted
by Rudi Bremer. Some
of AWAYE!’s productions
are quite short, like
November 2023’s sharing
of the Yindjibarndi word
for country, by Wimiya
Woodley. Others are longer
segments that make up
part of an almost hour-long
full episode, like Returning,
a deep dive into writer Kirli
Saunders’ exploration of
the weight of colonisation —
“a burden that can affect
the way we interpret the
things around us; like
climate disasters, to our
own sense of self, like who
we love and how.” AWAYE!
is released weekly on
Saturdays at 6pm and is
repeated at 9pm Tuesday
and 1am Thursday (that’s
the radio part). Podcasters
can listen anytime via the
ABC Listen app.
AMA VI C TO RIA
REVIEWS VANESSA MURRAY + TARYN SHEEHY
