On September 28, Hobart’s State Cinema rolled out the red carpet to host the premiere of Daniel Nettheim’s film The Hunter. Undeterred by the threat of rain and the flocks of small black beetles hurling themselves from the sky, the guests turned out in droves for what promised to be an evening unlike any other previously seen in Hobart. Based on a novel by Julia Leigh and produced by Animal Kingdom’s Vincent Sheehan, the film chronicles the journey of a mercenary, played by internationally acclaimed Willem Dafoe, who has been sent from Europe in search of the last remaining Tasmanian Tiger. Shot almost entirely in the Tasmanian wilderness, it drips with the grandeur of the Tasmanian landscape. From the harsh snowstorms atop iconic Mount Wellington, to the heart of the forest; the film showcases the natural beauty of our state in a way never seen before. Togatus writers Emily Dunn and Chloe Mayne sidelined the red carpet, before descending the staircase to the afterparty, where they mingled with the guests and chatted to them about the evening.

WILLEM DAFOE

Q: How’s the reception been in Hobart tonight?

Willem: You know what, the people here are very sweet; that was my experience when we were here shooting as well. It’s funny – I’m a guest, so you’d expect me to be polite, but it’s beyond that. Hobart’s a special place.

Q: Did you enjoy your time here in Tasmania?

Willem: Very much, very much – for lots of reasons. It was a good place to be and the only place we could have made it; Tasmania’s a very important part of this movie.

Q: How did you find the landscape here in Tasmania compared to that of some of your other films, Platoon for example?

Willem: The truth is that the landscape was a landscape I didn’t know. It was very different. But the films both deal with nature, and it’s about trying to find the truth in the performance.

Q: Do you believe the Tasmanian Tiger’s still out there?

Willem: [Laughs] I think, sensibly, it probably isn’t around – we’re told scientifically it probably isn’t around, but it’s nice to think that it could be.

Q: Could you ever see yourself living in Tasmania?

Willem: You know what, it is a fantasy! That’s an interesting thought [laughs].

Q: What was it like working with Sam Neill and Frances O’Connor?

Willem: Great! They’re both great, and the kids in the film are great too. Sam I knew, because I’d worked with him two times before; he’s really a great man and a great actor. He’s a lot of fun to be around.

Q: What do you think about a sequel if the Tassie Devil becomes extinct?

Willem: [Laughs] I don’t think this is a sequel movie, but let’s enjoy it for what it is, shall we!

Q: Do you think the mainlanders are too hard on us?

Willem: Ah, I definitely do! I definitely do.

DIRECTOR DANIEL NETTHEIM AND PRODUCER VINCENT SHEEHAN

 Q: The film’s absolutely fantastic, what was it like shooting down here in Tasmania?

Daniel: It was fantastic! The landscapes are beautiful. We were welcomed by everyone we met, we had a lot of great support on the ground here; we didn’t want to leave!

Q: What’s the reception been like here tonight?

Daniel: It’s really exciting! I think there’s a great vibe. We’ve been really looking forward to coming back to present the film here. Certainly the publicity has been great, the reviews have been really strong so far, and I’m hoping we get a great audience tonight.

Q: Willem’s said that he was particularly looking forward to this red carpet, do you feel the same way?

Daniel: We spent a lot of time down here, and there’s a real sentimental attachment. The last few weeks of our pre-production and the first week of the shoot were all based around Hobart, and we got to know it pretty well.

Q: What do you think this movie will mean for Tasmania, showcasing it to the world?

Vincent: I think that’s already been demonstrated by our screening in Toronto [at the Toronto International Film Festival], where afterwards there was so much thought and discussion at the question-and-answer about Tasmania; about the landscape, about the world here, that’s all the questions were about.

Q: Did you feel the love here in Hobart?

Vincent: I absolutely felt the love! The reception mirrored that of when we came down here to work. Sharing the film with the people here tonight is really important to us, because they should own it as much as we do.

Daniel: I also hope that more local Australian filmmakers come here, that the film opens their eyes to Tasmania as a location, and as a shooting destination. It’s certainly very easy to get here, very easy to shoot here – we had a lot of support, and there’s just such a variety of great locations.

WILL HODGMAN

Q: Will Hodgman, are you looking forward to seeing the film tonight?

Will: Very much so! It’s going to be fantastic. I told the kids we were going to see the Green Goblin [laughs].

Q: Do you think The Hunter will be good for tourism in the state?

Will: Absolutely, it’ll be tremendous; especially for Meander Valley, where much of this was filmed. I’ll be looking forward to seeing our state on the world stage.

PREMIER LARA GIDDINGS (AFTER THE FILM)

Q: What did you think of the film, Lara?

Lara: I thought it was great! Though I have to say that for us Tasmanians it feels like one needs to watch it twice – the first time I couldn’t help but look out for locations and people that I knew the entire way through!

By Emily Dunn & Chloe Mayne