Carmen Smith
Documentary Filmmaker
Q) What’s your link to Townsville?
My family moved to Townsville when I was seven. My mother is from Papua New Guinea and my father is Australian. I went to Kirwan State High School then studied a Bachelor of Multimedia Journalism at James Cook University. I was also very involved in the community theatre scene in Townsville.
Q) Where are you now?
I live in Strathfield, Sydney, which is west of the city. My house has a home studio, which helps with completing projects.
Q) What’s your next project?
A short-form documentary about the rehabilitation of spinal patients. It’ll be about my family as my father was recently disabled. At the start of 2017, Dad and I were on a joy flight in his plane and our landing gear failed. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. I walked away unscathed but my father is now a quadriplegic. All of 2017 and now 2018 has been dedicated to his rehabilitation and treatment, inspiring me to create a documentary about the process he’s been through. It was such a huge scary moment for our family and I think making it into something creative helps the healing process.
Q) How did your time in Townsville set you up for success?
My time in Townsville taught me to create my own opportunities. Living in a regional area gives you the freedom and lifestyle to experiment. I find most of my films are influenced by Townsville either by the natural beauty or the society and people. At JCU, I really liked the mixture of creative and journalistic subjects. I’m a creative by nature but I also like being technically across anything I do, which is why cinematography is a good fit. Going to JCU also made me grow up. It was through internships and class exercises that I realised what I wanted to do.
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www.carmenlsmith.com