Saturday Screening: Blaze

Del Kathryn Barton’s stunning first film is an ode to courage and a celebration of imagination.

Acclaimed Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton makes her stunning feature debut with a film combining live action, puppetry and animation and starring Simon Baker, Yael Stone and Julia Savage.

Twelve-year-old Blaze (Julia Savage) is raised by her caring father, Luke (Simon Baker). When she witnesses a brutal crime on the street, Blaze feels conflicting emotions – both debilitating fear and a strong desire for justice.

As she spirals uncontrollably, Luke does his best to help her through this crisis. An unlikely saviour enters the picture in the shape of a dragon – a magnificent Barton creation – that provides solace and courage to Blaze as she tries to find a path forward.

Savage is fantastic as the teen confronted with an unimaginable crisis, and Baker is excellent playing the parent desperate to fix a problem not easily solved. A rousing and moving film, Blaze is an ode to female courage and a celebration of the power of the imagination.

‘It is a spectacular achievement hung on a remarkable performance by Savage. Like Barton’s startling artistic vision, Blaze is a masterpiece’ – Time Out

This title is held in the NFSA collection.

Saturday Screenings is a free program of film screenings presented monthly in partnership between the National Gallery of Australia and National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.