Gemma's shock movie role
December 21, 2007 12:00am
AUSSIE supermodel Gemma Ward is starring in a new film about autism. And it is a fashion shocker.
Ward is wearing a baby pink stack hat teamed with a yellow and blue school uniform.
The outfit would horrify the denizens of the fashion world she usually inhabits, but the girl-next-door look is from a scene in her new film The Black Balloon.
Ward stars alongside Toni Collette and Rhys Wakefield as teenager Jackie Masters, whose new boyfriend Thomas is struggling to cope with his autistic brother, Charlie.
It is the first feature film for director Elissa Down, who says she wrote the part of Jackie with fellow Perth girl Ward in mind.
"I've worked with her before and I knew her as a young actress, and then she fell into modelling and got herself famous, bless her cotton socks,'' Down said.
"I think she's such a natural and intuitive and giving actor. She's brilliant.
"I think everyone's got this opinion that she's going to suck, but would you put someone who couldn't act next to Toni Collette? It would be stupid.
"So I think everyone's going to be surprised when they see her if they've got that opinion of her.''
The experience of growing up with a sibling who suffers from autism comes from Down's own life.
She has two brothers who are autistic.
"Basically the film is taken from my life, but it's not obviously exactly on my life,'' she said.
"It's more the incidences and the heart and the truth of it. I have two brothers with autism so this film is inspired from that experience of growing up with such a unique type of family.''
Down said she wanted to bring the story to the screen for a number of reasons.
"It just seemed to be the most natural story to tell,'' she said.
"I think it was something unique I could offer, like this is my perspective, because not many people have a family that has two brothers with autism.
"I love films that make you laugh, make you cry, make you think. If you can just show what it's like to be someone else or to feel like someone else it does allow you to be more tolerant.
"Like the saying to walk in someone else's shoes, that's what film does.''
Down described the movie as a "dramedy'' - part drama, part comedy - and said it took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
''(It's great) to hear how people react, and I personally love those squeals of, 'oh my God!''' she said.
"That's what I like about doing a film that's both a drama and a comedy because you can really emotionally play people.
"I hate to use the word play because it makes you sound manipulative ... but just to put people on that emotional journey, to laugh, cry.''
While it's not released in Australia until March next year, the film was this week selected to screen at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.
Two other Australian films have also been chosen for the Generation 14plus section - Hey Hey it's Esther Blueburger, also starring Toni Collette, and September by director Peter Cartstairs.
The Black Balloon's producer, Tristam Miall, said the cast and crew were thrilled the film would have its world premiere in Berlin.
"Berlin is very important to us,'' he said.
"This is fantastic news. I'm especially pleased for Elissa and our outstanding cast, who are amazing.''
For her part, Down said it would be nerve-wracking to see her film on the big screen.
"It really surprises you when you get nervous,'' she said.
"I think it just depends on the stakes. But I know I'm going to be nervous when it first comes out and I'll probably be hiding in Fiji, going 'please love my film!'.''
The Black Balloon is released in Australia on March 6.
Good luck to her.
