Veronika Wild

I have a confession to make. I have become a small screen tragic since being given a Netflix subscription. My current excuse is that over the festive season free – to -air television turns to mush here as regular shows go into recess and presenters take their holidays. The other reason is that I have always been addicted to the silver screen, even though it has become a lot smaller over the years. Who would have thought that one day you would be able to watch full length movies on your phone!  Much as I still like going out to the cinema, there’s a good deal to be said for being able to lounge around in pyjamas while partaking of hot chocolate and Tim Tams or even a G & T. I also like being able to put whatever is playing on pause and being able to catch up later, especially if rudely interrupted. So what have I been watching? It's a bit of a mixed bag I'm afraid, but bear with me. Power Plays With the fascination of a cat watching a reptile, I have been watching a nu...

   More on the Migrant Experience While I was searching for something else recently, I came across the full 1998 film* version of   "T he Sound of  One Hand Clapping” based on Richard Flanagan’s book of the same name. Having just written about Tullah and the Hydro Villages, it seemed an odd coincidence, so I’m adding it here. A couple of scenes at the beginning were shot in Tullah, though the early part of the story most likely took place in the Highlands - possibly Bronte Park judging by the gum trees, especially as work in Tullah didn't start until the 1970s. Though a poignant story on its own, it will have special meaning for anyone who remembers that era or who wants to know what it was really like for the post war migrants working on the big Hydro schemes , not just in Tasmania, but also on the Snowy River in NSW. People of different nationalities and backgrounds were all thrown together and that glass of beer at the pub may well have been the closest t...