Sure, they had their quirks. Margaret’s thunderous, whiskey-and-Marlboro-sodden laugh was always erupting at inappropriate moments. David would freeze up at the merest mention of sex (unless it involved Cate Blanchett, in which case his palpable excitement was as awkward as if it were my real Dad’s). And don’t get me started about their ceaseless bickering. With the luxurious distance of weeklong interludes, however, I could forgive them their foibles. More than that, these foibles were why I loved them.
Margaret and David: 25 Years Talking Movies, a new exhibition dedicated to the duo at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, proves that I’m not alone. While such showcases of mementoes and memorabilia may be stock standard when it comes to filmmmakers, rarely do we commemorate those on the other side of the silver screen in this way. Yet this is the kind of affection that these two inspire, from a nation who has been inviting them to pull up a pew and chat movies every week for now 25 years.
As testament to the longevity of their career, snapshots of the duo with directors and celebrities from the annals of cinema line the walls. Magpies amongst us will fawn over the array of Margaret’s shiny silver earrings. More hardened cinephiles may prefer the collection of David’s press passes from film festivals the world over. One particular highlight is David’s ASIO file, which describes in intimate detail a benign visit to Canberra’s Soviet Embassy in 1969. A green screen room even allows diehards to review a film of their choice with one of the pair.
Importantly, this exhibition also reminds us of what can get lost in the mists of nostalgia – that Margaret and David have played central roles in Australia’s film culture; that they began championing and critiquing cinema made outside the Hollywood dream factory long before it was accessible at your local multiplex. David’s campaigns against censorship during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s (as director of the Sydney Film Festival) were key in changing legislation that still influences how we watch films today. Margaret took up the baton in 2003 after Larry Clark’s Ken Park was refused classification for the selfsame festival. Footage of Margaret being accosted by police at that screening, out of breath and full of fury, better describes the duo’s devotion to the moving image than I ever could.
A hand-penned note by our ever-eloquent Nicole says it all: “Keep up the passion, Margie [and Davo]. The industry needs you”.
Margaret and David: 25 Years Talking Movies will be exhibited at ACMI until Sunday December 4. Entry is free. For further information, visit acmi.net.au.
