Director: Tom Chapman
Synopsis: Jarred by the loss of his closest friend, a farmer on Tasmania's remote West Coast, begins to mentor at-risk local youth. In an area renowned for its poverty, low literacy and high suicide rates, Stafford Heres is determined to provide opportunities for kids who have few. Eden Alone Surpasses Thee explores his relationship with the land, loss and the young men he takes under his wing.
Director’s Statement: I first met Stafford whilst filming a commercial video about his kelp, my morning spent gripping white knuckled onto the back of his 4-wheeler. What struck me most (aside from the wet sand flicked up by the bike tyres) was his empathy. Whatever I said, Stafford listened. Actively. We got to know each other — me, a freshly arrived, naive mainland townie — him, the gnarled generational west coast farmer — and despite (or perhaps because) of our differences, we spoke with an openness only strangers can.
Over time we found our focus shift to mental health and suicide, to the horrors of depression and friends who didn’t make it through. ‘Stay chatty’, his bumper sticker read — and so we did — with Stafford speaking of his passion to help the youth of the area, be it as a friend, a football coach or a mentor.
Northern Tasmania isn’t dissimilar to where I grew up in New Zealand. I understand the socio-economic challenges of the region and know how important the role that Stafford plays in the community is. I felt it fit perfectly with what Wide Angle were looking for in the Grit series of films, pitching it primarily as a project about connection.
Making ‘Eden Alone Surpasses Thee’ was one of the most special experiences of my career. Crew became family, as over five days we shot from dawn to dusk in some of the most remote and beautiful areas of Tasmania, the weather remarkably matching the mood of each scene almost exactly as intended. A week on the west coast in Autumn without rain. Can you believe it?!
Ultimately ‘Eden Alone Surpasses Thee’ is about connection. Connection to place, to people and to passions. It’s about one man’s attempt to give back to the community in the most special way possible — by providing others with hope.