Burke and Wills : A film by Matthew Zeremes and Oliver Torr

Burke and Wills : A film by Matthew Zeremes and Oliver Torr
Released: 5 September 2007
Classification: MA15+
Region: 4 (Australia & New Zealand)

Shot in inner city Sydney,

Burke and Wills is about two young men going through a life transition. Burke (Oliver Torr) is a fragile, troubled soul, and Wills (Matthew Zeremes) is a naive, talkative, dreamer. The two are thrown together in a share house after Wills outstays his welcome in the home of his girlfriend. A newspaper classified advertisement leads him to Burke, who has a room to rent.

The beginnings of an awkward relationship develop through beer-assisted conversations about cooking, travel, and the importance of satisfactory toilet visits. Common, everyday events lead the two men to open up about their lives.

When Burke's much loved grandmother dies, his already fragile mental state is put under serious strain. Benefiting financially from his grandmother's death irrevocably changes Burke's trajectory, shattering his sense of stability and self.

Burke's downfall inspires Wills to re-think his life and ultimately leads him to adopt a more conventional path.

From this point, Burke and Wills' relationship splinters. The two housemates withdraw into worlds of their own and the areas the two have tried to keep hidden from the world begin to emerge, creating an inhospitable environment, impossible for both to live in...