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Alone Across Australia
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Wikipedia article
'Alone Across Australia' is a fifty-two-minute documentary released in 2003 based on adventurer Jon Muir's journey crossing Australia alone and unsupported in 2001. The motion picture introduces Jon Muir and his exploits all over the world, mainly focusing on his journey throughout the Australian continent, from Porte Augusta in South Australia to Burketown in Queensland.
The documentary includes three executive producers, Philippa Bateman, Mitchell Block, and James Hersov of Shark Island Production Ltd, Australia. Jon Muir and Ian Darling are the writers. The editor of the documentary is Sally Fryer and Kim Green supervised the music. It was broadcast in April 2004 at the Full Frame Festival.
Background
Jon Muir was born in 1961 and grew up in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He is recognized as one of the most famous Australian adventurers.
Muir went to Fig Tree High School, where he started becoming interested in rock climbing and mountaineering. He dropped out of high school at 16 years, two years before graduation, to be a professional rock climber.
Jon Muir married his first wife Brigitte Muir (French 2016) but got divorced in 2002. He then began dating his current wife Suzy Muir. The couple currently reside on a 60-hectare property near The Grampians National Park in Western Victoria. (French 2016)
Muir is known for his International and Australian exploits.
International achievements
Internationally; he climbed and explored New Zealand and European Alps.Jon Muir explored both poles during expeditions without animal or technological support. (Huntsdale 2017).
He walked through the South Pole in 1999 and through the North Pole in 2002. (Huntsdale 2017) He also traversed 6000 km in a kayak in the ocean. (Huntsdale 2017).
Jon Muir participated in the Australian Bicentennial Everest Expedition in 1984 but was unsuccessful at reaching Mount Everest. In 1988, Muir tried again to reach the summit without Sherpa's support and became the first man to climb Mount Everest unsupported. After that, he became a tour guide on the mountain. (Huntsdale 2017).
Australian achievements
His achievement on the Australian continent mainly consists of trekking across extreme conditions over a long distance. Firstly, Muir completed the first trek barefoot across dry Lake Eyre (Huntsdale 2017).Secondly, he walked from The Spencer Gulf, South Australia to the center of Australia unsupported, encompassing 17 000 kilometers (Huntsdale 2017). Finally, in 2001, he was the first man to walk 1,650 km across the Australian Continent from Port Augusta to Burketown (Huntsdale 2017).
Content
'Alone Across Australia' shows the journey of Jon Muir from Port Augusta, South Australiato Burketown Queensland. Seraphine, his Jack Russel accompanied him during his journey as he walked 2500 kilometres which is 1600 miles, unsupported (Harvey 2004).
During his trek, he had a cart attached to him to hold and contain the equipment. Namely, he had fifty-five maps and a compass for direction. Regarding resources, he brought rice and muesli and a gun to defend himself.
He walked without any localization tools or mobile phone (Muir & Darling 2003). During the trek, he did not have the opportunity to get more supplies (Muir & Darling 2003). For him, the only option during the crossing was to hunt, gather and find water in the Australian Outback. He established a goal of20 km a day and started walking as soon as the sun was up.
The documentary is divided into main parts showing Muir crossing the different natural conditions of the Australian Outback during his journey (Muir & Darling 2003). The first part included his crossing of the salt lakes. Secondly, the crossing of the deserts. And finally, the crossing of the rivers north.
Salt Lakes
The first natural obstacle that Jon Muir displays in the motion picture is his crossing of the Salt Lakes, South Australia.Firstly, this step is portrayed as complex as the availability of drinkable water has decreased, and Muir's process of desalinization takes time (Muir & Darling 2003). It is shown in that section, the water crisis undergone by him. Secondly, the second half of this section is dedicated to the immobilization of Muir by the rain for a couple of days. It was the heaviest rain event underwent by Australia in 14 years (Muir & Darling 2003). At the end of this part, Muir realized that he was two weeks behind the schedule he had planned (Muir & Darling 2003).Deserts
Jon Muir achieved his second natural challenge: The deserts. This latter includes among others, the Tirari and Simpson desert(Muir & Darling 2003). During this crossing, Muir had to pass through the longest dingo fence in Australia (Muir & Darling 2003). It is in this section also that Muir encountered the first people of his way, the documentary includes all of their interviews and their testimony that Muir refused any support (Muir & Darling 2003). Firstly, he met Malcolm and Colleen Michelle at Muloorina station, followed by John Hammond, at Mungerannie and finally a group of bikers at Adria Downs station, but only Bob Crombie was interviewed (Muir & Darling 2003). This part also displays some events that Muir went through. First, the couple days off that Jon Muir Took camping in order to rest and gain strength and be able to finish the walk (Muir & Darling 2003). Secondly, it presents the night where he and Seraphine were attacked by five dingoes. He had to shoot one ultimately (Muir & Darling 2003). And Finally, he visited the remains of the Annandale Station (Muir & Darling 2003).North rivers
This is the last section of the documentary. It displays the last couple of days of the trek that cross the North Rivers. Jon Muir has abandoned his cart and has to reach Burketown only with a backpack. In the beginning, it is shown that Jon Muir had lost his sleeping back and in order to be able to sleep in the cold, he has to go back to where he left his cart and get it which delayed him (Muir & Darling 2003).The Iiterview of Ben Knight at Linda Downs station and Keith Chapman at Riversleigh Station are showing (Muir & Darling 2003). It is during this section that the death of Seraphine, Jack Russell is displayed. It ate a passion bait for dingoes (Muir & Darling 2003). After seeing the scenes of Muir crying and burying his dog, the final days of weeks are shown. He had to finish it alone.
As the motion picture is self-recorded, each sequence is a testimony of how Muir is emotionally and physically handling the trek (Muir & Darling 2003). It includes interviews from people Muir met, showing their reactions and testimonies of how he refused any help (Muir & Darling 2003). It also shows the different survival methods used by Jon Muir, inspired by Aboriginal Knowledge of hunting and gathering. It displays his shelter and defence methods against Australian wildlife (Muir & Darling 2003). One of the struggles Jon Muir underwent was his quest for water (Muir & Darling 2003). The last 100 km of Muir's Trek was not recorded as his camera died (Muir & Darling 2003), but he arrived safely, without Seraphine who died along the way into Burketown. The film's conclusion shows Muir's 25-kilogram weight loss and troubles with mal-nutrition (Muir & Darling 2003).
Production and soundtrack
The documentary includes mostly recorded sequences from Jon Muir himself with his camera during the crossing from South Australia to Queensland. It also included sequences of his previous attempts and previous achievements around the world. Sequences are followed by interviews of experts and Muir's friends filmed during the previous and following years.
The soundtrack for the documentary was supervised by Kim Green. Muir also provided narration over the course of the film, the reasons behind his adventures, and why this crossing of Australia.
Interviews from the people he met along his journey were also recorded by Muir himself.
The documentary was edited by Sally Fryer and completed in 2003.
Broadcast and streaming
The documentary was broadcast at The 2004 Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, one year after its release date in 2003. It was also broadcast to 12 different festivals such as The Down Under Film Festival in 2005 and London Australian Film Festival in 2005.
Australian and international sales are owed by Ian Darling.
The documentary was made available online on the streaming platform: DocPlay, Amazon Prime.
Awards and nominations
Jon Muir has earned personally the Order of Australia for services to mountaineering and the Australian Geographic Society's Adventurer of the Year in 2002 (French 2016).
'Alone Across Australia' has been nominated in fourteen international festivals:
*Down Under Film Festival (2005)
*London Australian Film Festival (2005)
*Heartland Film Festival (2005)
*Columbus International Film & Video Festival (2005)
*San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (2004)
*Taos Mountain Film Festival (2004)
*Mezinrodn Festival Horskch Filmov (2004)
*Kendal Mountain Film Festival (2004)
*Trento International Festival of Mountain and Exploration Films (2004)
*International Festival of Mountain and Adventure Films (2004)
*Heartland Film Festival (2004)
*Graz Mountain Film Festival (2004)
*Dundee Mountain Film Festival (2004)
*Banff Festival of Mountain Films (2004)
References
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