Wenhamania's mood:  elemental ...  

From the hot deserts of Queensland to the crystal heights of the Himalayas, through the golden beaches of Manly, on the azure waves of the Caribbean .... Variations in pressure, temperature, humidity and feelings nowhere generate as much refreshing positive as in the planetary system of Wenhamania ... …

THE MACROCOSMIC ELEMENT 

The days pass by, the seasons follow each other, the world slowly goes crazy, and only the good, tireless, beautiful, red-haired Sun stays the only star of the planet Wenhamania.

And Wenhamania moves in its orbit, sometimes not quite correctly, but always around, sometimes slowly, but always skipping.

Especially in July, because these days we celebrate one cosmic cataclysm, when the astronomical unit inexplicably grew short from 149 million kilometers to a few centimeters, and poor Wenhamania was almost burned in the gentle prominences.

Two years ago Wenhamania had the historic meeting with David in Melbourne. It would be naive to discuss the trail of this event in the minds of our humble community.

The memory of that day is now with us everywhere.

It's much more interesting that David didn't forget about us.

The Australian issue The Saturday Paper has placed the Russian Wenhamania in David's short list of "the weirdness of fame" between "the fainting Japanese teenage devotee" and "the Lord of the Rings doll in his image".

Needless to say, it's an honor for an ordinary fansite to be in the same row with an artistic masterpiece of Adam Cullen.

Of course, David has enough fan websites besides Wenhamania: two American (our great ally Wenham-Wonderland, of course, will not be forgotten!), one German and a lot of the Japanese online resources, but ...

But Wenhamania has enough of sense of humor to enjoy the status of an exotic phenomenon.

And we have enough of fan's love to melt because of "a wry, self-contained smile." May be, such a smile...

   

And we have enough of devotion to quietly continue our modest mission.

Forward, let's fly in our orbit around the only star …

THE MICROCOSMIC ELEMENT 

During the last one and a half years Wenhamania was in a state of reflexive meditation, and David was in a state of turbulent creativity.

And his activity will be enough for one more website.

David at RingCon in Bonn, Germany, October, 2013

David at the Berlin International Film Festival, February 2014

David at the London Film & Comic Con, July, 2014

David at OZ Comic-Con Melbourne, June, 2015

He had a time to take part in eleven films and TV-series, at least, in three documentaries projects and to celebrate five premieres.

David's projects got six AACTA Awards, two nominations for the Crystal Bear of the Berlinale-2015 and the CinefestOZ Film Prize.

Tireless David has appeared on the screens in the most improbable and distant from each other guises from the ancient hero to the frill-necked lizard, and from the flower to the father of the Australian nation.

David again has shared the screen with the brutal Johnny Depp and Sam Worthington, he's played opposite the delightful Nicole Kidman and Jacki Weaver.

He had been climbing the mountains. He had been swimming through the waves. He had been hovering in the sky. He founded Sydney and weaved political intrigues, he was engaged in piracy and he saved Indian orphans.

But nonetheless he found the time in this stormy life for quest for its deepest meaning.

How well he did it, the audience has appreciated a few weeks ago when the red carpet of the Melbourne International Film Festival, the most resonance festival in Australia, was spread under the feet of the team of "Force of Destiny", of course, David's main project of the last years.

     
David, Paul Cox, Shahana Goswami (Maya) and Hannah Fredericksen (Poppy) on the red carpet of the Melbourne International Film Festival

The long-awaited movie of Paul Cox, the touching story of the spiritual and physical rebirth, has been chosen as the opening night film of this year's festival.

The audience and the reviewers have met the film with the expected warmth and enthusiasm.

On the eve of the premiere David Stratton has described "Force of Destiny" as "a moving and compassionate exploration of the human condition. One of Paul Cox’s most personal and emotional films..." He believes that David "gives an exceptional performance."

The subsequent recalls only confirmed the reputation of Australia's leading critic. The film is called "a perfect opening night film for MIFF," David's performance is just "committed", "superbly" and "convincing". And even critical review recognizes "impressive nuances" of his job.

However, David, as always, isn't going to take to heart the words of reviewers.

It's obviously deeply personal film for him also, since he's shared with us his children's footage from the family archive.

Laconic, but terrific trailer is filled with the special style of the famous director of "Molokai", his sense of life and death. Postimpressionist collages, philosophical reflections, lyrical narrative. And David's smoldering emotional energy suddenly breaks out as outbreak of acute heartache.

The struggle the dying body with the renewed soul opens the horizons of sad, but beautiful truths.

     

Behind the scenes, David's phlegmatic and ironic. He lavishes compliments to the director and flatly refuses (only in the presence of Paul) to admit that he played Cox in the film.

     

David on Paul Cox

David and Paul Cox in News Breakfast, ABC, July 29, 2015

David in the studio of radio station Gold, on 30 July.

David in Breakfasters,Triple R, on 30 July.

Articles by Philippa Hawker on smh.com: : June 23, July 24.

The Australian about Paul Cox and his film.

Of course, we agree to believe that the story of the dying sculptor, who met his true love on the brink of eternity, just by chance, is similar to Cox's own life.

But no matter what they both say, Paul Cox and his works will remain for us an example of tremendous vitality and author's delicate manner.

Paul Cox raises the important and bitter questions. Some people prefer to hide from them behind the tinsel and the others just go crazy in silence. But Paul has an amazing for a man of his fate and character bright view of the world. He sees the light at the end of the tunnel and believes that “the proof of our lives is the love we leave behind".

Maybe it's quiet, but necessary feat - in our fussy and mad days to sing an ode to the Renaissance and to prove that each link in the chain of harsh and beautiful life has a sense.

We wish them a great and well-deserved success at the numerous festivals in Australia and the world during the tour which is already scheduled in the months ahead.

THE SARDONICAL ELEMENT  

Every time when David Wenham is going to post something in his Twitter, somewhere in Canberra an Australian politician silently shivers with cold.

But it's nothing compared to what happens every time when David Wenham plays a politician.

The gleam of predaceous teeth flashes through the curve bend of the lips.

The haughty chin pokes to an interlocutor, while the ice narrowed eyes through the stylish glasses works over him with the gusto of an apparatus for recycling papers. Frozen facial muscles, it seems, a little bit more and turn the face into a mask. But a nervous dance of nodules on the cheeks shows the work of a cold mind.

     

It's Ian Bradley, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the lacquered case of pedantry and order, a true professional who does not have time for emotions.

Mr. Bradley, of course, is a nominal fictional character, a typical representative of the caste of gods, who adapt this world for their own interests with a businesslike enthusiasm. But what a temptation - to find a parallel!

"David Wenham does a better Abbott than Abbott himself," - an Australian said knowledgeably.

The irony is that a viewer of any country can easily give his own model for comparison. Tens of thousands of kilometers from each other, against the background of hundreds of other flags - the politicians are the same everywhere. During five thousand years of civilization the question of why we tolerate it remains an open question.

Stylish and fresh six-part political thriller "The Code" ruthlessly dissects the contemporary establishment, exposing its cynical secrets, all the subtleties of the manipulative technologies and greedy motives.

Today, when our planet is suffering from a fever, it could be useful to recall that the policy is a dirty business where capital is unscrupulousness. And every international crisis has a specific name, an office, an address and a bank account.

One of the most high-profile Australian mini-series of 2014 put together a fantastic team of actors, including our good old friends - Lucy Lawless ("Top of the Lake"), Aden Young ("Molokai: The Story of Father Damien", "After the Deluge"), Chelsie Preston Crayford ("Dripping in Chocolate"), Dan Wyllie ("Cosi", "The Turning") and many others.

Social sharpness and elegant visual decision. Nine wins, five nominations and the talk about the second season.

Hard to believe that the disgraced Mr. Bradley will dare to return to his villainous career in "The Code-2". But nevertheless the effect of his grim presence will never be weathered from the show.

We will never get used to the ease and authenticity with which David plays the villains. But the reader of his Twitter will be able to understand where he gets inspiration. A heightened sense of social justice turns the acting in the weapon.

Surely, we'll see a lot of these multifaceted screen villains.

Right now it's the turn of the unscrupulous manager of the mine from a small town called "Goldstone."

The movie was shot this spring somewhere in the middle of the desert red sands of Queensland by the director and screenwriter Ivan Sen, who became famous last year for his Australian western "Mystery Road" with Aaron Pedersen and Hugo Weaving in the lead roles.

The success of his character, brutal indigenous cowboy Jay Swan, an expert in the field of the social sanitation, warmed up the director's interest. So he decided to use the strong image a little bit longer. After all, in this world there are many villains with whom Jay Swan could get things straight. May be he was born to put things in order in the mining town where corruption and organized crime reigns shamelessly.

Ivan Sen gave us a double joy, when he invited in "Goldstone" one of our most beloved actresses in order to strengthen the villainous party.

Jacki Weaver won our hearts since the days of the charming comedy "Cosi", where she literally blew up the screen in the role of loveful crazy Cherry.

Bright talent was not gone unnoticed by finicky Hollywood. So today there is already one Oscar nomination and dozens of projects in Jacki's luggage. But for the sake of David she agrees to swallow a hot dust of Queensland's desert.

Their last joint on-screen experience of twenty years ago was truly devastating: David all time strove to burn something, and Jacki generously gave out the slaps.

Now their relationship has finally come out into the open: he plays the corrupt manager, and she is a mayor in love with him. The evil has romantic weakness too.

However, when you look at David and Jacki, the word "weakness" freezes on tongue. There are times when to say "romantic strongness" is much more appropriate))

THE ROMANTIC ELEMENT 

If you've missed a fleeting return of David to the image of the Spartan hero Dilios in the furious action "300: Rise of an Empire",

the seven-parts drama "Banished", the story about the first English colonists on the coast of Australia, will compensate your loss with a vengeance.

David admitted that not long ago during filming the episode for the genealogy show "Who do you think, you are?", he has found out that both sides of his family are descended from convicts.

Well, his ancestors in heaven (clearly on the seventh heaven) today admire their brilliant descendant, even though he considers himself an atheist.

     

Long hair, a formidable sword: a Royal Navy captain's uniform looks much more brutal than the Greek leather underpants and straps. David is disarmingly gorgeous and irresistibly cool in the role of the legendary founder of the Australian nation, the first Governor of Sydney, Arthur Phillip.

BBC's "Banished" was shot at Manly Beach in Sydney, has made its debut on the small screens last spring and provoked the real battle.

The critics pathetically resented the lack of indigenous hosts of the continent in the frame as well as the overabundance of bubbles in the script. Mainly they wondered: "Why, in spite of all the laws of physiology, the sexual instincts of these children of nature didn't cool down with hunger?"

The fans of the series have enjoyed the acting and love collision, interlacing the fates of the main characters - the hungry British convicts and their security guards, no less unfortunate guys, who landed on the hostile shore of Australia back in 1788.

Wenhamania's residents stood aside modestly. It was quite difficult to think about poor prisoners, when the image of the benevolent but stern Governor was appearing on the screen, though not as much as the audience would like to.

Alas, the creators didn't want to use the potential of the stunning personality of Arthur Phillip, leaving only two serious problems for the flawless Governor: his relationship with the lovely housekeeper Deb and the need to hang people from time to time.

 

But even if the script does not do justice to this outstanding historical figure, David gave him credit in full. So Wenham-fans received their share of romance. Though, according to the rules, it only provokes hunger.

 

TV-series got discreet reception in Britain and hot support in Australia, where its weekly rating has conceded only the first point at the start and at the finish it lacked only a couple of points to get into the top ten of the most-watched TV show of the year.

Despite the enthusiasm of the fans, the open ending and inexhaustible possibilities of historical sources, the BBC refused to shoot the second season of the project.

   

In vain the writer Jimmy McGovern promised to bring a legion of Aboriginal people in the second season.

In vain David fascinated producers with brilliant ideas, like the iPhone in the pocket of his Сaptain's uniform on a promo photo.

The stories about the dark pages of the past don't heat chilly Britain.

There is a hope that, at least, they won't chill hot Australia!

But the fans of the show refused to give up and started a real rescue operation. They've created a lot of accounts on Twitter to support the project and now don't tire to fill up the hashtag #BringBackBanished with the invocatory demotivators.

   

They even organized a petition.

Wenhamania has willingly joined this not hopeless action. Of course, we want to get a chance to see that part of the story of Captain Phillip, which did not fit in the first season: the foundation of Sydney, the research the continent, the friendship with Woollarawarre Bennelong and ... well, that's for sure - how things are going with the charming Deb.

Strictly speaking, Wenham-fans would stay enthusiastic, even if Arthur Phillip will be allowed to stand just a little bit on the captain's bridge of his flagship. There is no sadder sight than a real Captain without a ship ...

Faint hope caresses our intractable minds. David has got a small role in the fifth part of the mad epic "Pirates of the Caribbean."

And if his new character, Scarfield, has something in common, except for the name, with the character of the canonical book of Howard Pyle, the two-faced pirate Captain Jack Scarfield must have his own ship!

Alas, so far, judging by the list of characters, he has only "Scarfield's soldier." But it's not so little, isn't it?

THE CARMIC ELEMENT 

There is one place in this world that will sooner or later take captive every great mind.

Wonderful American writer Mark Twain, for example, believed, that it's - "the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up there only!"

The great Russian philosopher Nicholas Roerich could have said, but he preferred to paint from life.

So, David now is in a very solid company.

Since that time, when Paul Cox, working on the script for "Force of Destiny", suddenly decided that the lady of his character have to be a native of India, David thoroughly was carried away by this country. Now he at least once a year takes part in a movie one way or another connected with India. And his filmography includes already three "Indian" projects!

Communication with amazing and ancient culture obviously has cleared chakras of David and put him forward in a way of interactive progress: there is a hypothesis that just with help of the charming Shahana Goswami, for example, he's finally got his Twitter account.

In "Force of Destiny" mysterious and wise India literally returns life to David's character and gives him true love.

In his new movie "Lion" India has made him the happy father of a family.

The shootings of the drama took place in India and Australia this spring and excited the fans. The script is based on the true and moving story of a young man named Saroo Brierley, told by him in his autobiography "A Long Way Home".

The way was really long. Lost in the streets of Calcutta the little boy Saroo 25 years have been searching for his biological mother. As a result, now Saroo has two families.

The project is directed by talented Garth Davis (co-director in "Top of the Lake") and got resonances because of the stellar cast: Saroo is played by Dev "Slumdog Millionaire" Patel, his girl is Rooney "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Mara and as for his adoptive Australian parents - a respectable couple, who raised two boys from India - in this place Wenhamania's eloquence dries out under the influence of jubilant emotions.

The Brierley happy family and their screen impersonations. From left to right: John Brierley, David Wenham, who plays John Brierley, Sue Brierley, Nicole Kidman, who plays Sue Brierley, Saroo Brierley himself, Mantosh Brierley, Divian Ladwa, who plays Mantosh Brierley, the boys, who play the brothers in childhood. Gosh! ....))

Wenhamania for a long time keeps count of the joint projects of David and Nicole, and the positive dynamics of their on-screen relationship enthuses the Wenham-fans.

In "Moulin Rouge!" David entertained Nicole with his stupid pastoral scenarios, until she found a more romantic replacement for him.

In "Australia" he ruined her life, until he was killed in the cruelest way.

There is some karmic legitimacy that they finally played the happy couple.

But David's diving into India would be incomplete if he did not rise as high as possible. Last fall he went to the Himalayas, following his old friend and director Pan Nalin, and the Indian saga of David was refilled with an another hotly anticipated project.

David and Pan Nalin at Marrakech International Film Festival, December 2006.

One of the most amazing filmmakers of modern India, the exceptional artist of the cinema, Pan Nalin ("Samsara", "Valley of Flowers") became famous for his affecting artistic style, his unique ability to shoot the Himalayas and to create the poetic films, saturated with philosophical energy and exotic sensuality.

And this time he was shooting his favorite mountains, something "Beyond the Known World" - the joint India - New Zealand project with the Australian in the leading role.

David's new character, New Zealander Carl Hansen leaves the fussy benefits of civilization to find his missing daughter among the snow-covered passes of the world's highest mountains. His company includes with suspiciously many beautiful women - Sia Trokenheim, Emmanuelle Beart and Chelsie Preston Crayford "Dripping in Chocolate", "The Code"), so taking into account the local flavor the results of the search can be rather unexpected.

For example, the company of the Russian tourists near the waterfall in Parvati Valley. That is what we call "destiny."

A little bit of secret video in anticipation of a release date.

In the absence of the stills and information the Wenham-fans enjoy amateur photos from the project team, posted on Instagram.

Everyone's favorite sunny Australian Diver Dan's beard against the backdrop of the harsh white ridges makes a frank splash. The Sun is the Sun, even in the snow.

And Indian glaciers apparently steeled the body of our dear David, while the Indian barbers steeled his courageous spirit.

Little secrets of Bollywood make-up, the shooting of "Force of Destiny", the 21st century AD.

Set of "Lion", April, late autumn in Tasmania. Find David among the team.

For as the great Rabindranath Tagore said: "Not hammer-strokes, but dance of the water, sings the pebbles into perfection.”

THE ACOUSTIC ELEMENT  

It is obvious that David now is at his peak. His filmography is planned two years in advance, he releases 2-3 projects per year, and somewhere in between the set and a cup of coffee he voices the cartoons just for fun.

In the end, an animation is an area of absolute freedom of impersonation, where the lack of tail can't prevent you to play a lizard and where two passions - acting and painting meet each other. Sometimes it’s very exquisite painting.

For example, this year Crystal Berlin Bear for Best Short Film almost went to philosophical tale of Oscar Wilde "The Nightingale and the Rose" in an unexpected visual decision of Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton.

impressed Europe, Barton's film triumphal strides in Australia and now is going to compete for the Oscar.

Wilde's aesthetics of intellectual aristocracy, the beauty of suffering and eternal opposition of true and false values began to play with new colors in the psychedelic manner of the multiple winner of Archibald Prize.

Viscous presageful ambiance, rich imagery - Barton's pictures come to life, talk the language of high eroticism and have the voices of the A-list actors.

The voices give sharpness and volume to the metaphysics of the artist. And if you didn't find gender confrontation in dialogue of the Nightingale and the Rose by reading the word of Wilde, you would hear it in sensual duet of Mia Wasikowska and David Wenham.

Provided, of course, that you have enough imagination, not to be surprised that the Nightingale is not wearing a bra, and the Rose is talking the seductive male voice ...

On top of all, an animation is the only kind of cinema where David now gets the chance to frolic with his comic propensities.

The most anticipated children's premiere of year in Australia is scheduled for September. Refreshed with the technologies of the 21st century the new adventures of the cult hero of Australian kids, Blinky Bill, will return to the big screen.

Blinky Bill is a funny koala, the Australian variant of Winnie the Pooh and Cheburashka: long-eared and plush pets always will stay the absolutely loveliness for small children all over the world.

Almost 80 years Blinky amuses the Australian kids. He has stood the test of all formats - the books, the comics, the animation movie and TV-serials. Now he'll try to conquer the hearts of generation of 3D-technology. So, the character has got the new adventures, a new image and a new friend - the necessary and super sportful comic sidekick, named Jacko.

In previous versions of Blinky's adventures Jacko was a kookaburra who often laughed. But our times require much more alive and original emotions, so Jacko has become the crazy reptilian and got the voice of genius imitator of lizards.

Only the best actors of the continent joined David in the project - Ryan Kwanten, Richard Roxburgh, Toni Collette, Barry Otto.

In the team with Blinky and the nice Nutsy, Jacko-David will search for the missing Mr. Bill and decorate story with the endless chatter and hilarious comic grimaces. It is a pity, of course, that the grimaces will be painted.

Indeed, it is impossible to look at David's performances endlessly. But it is possible to listen him endlessly!

Thousands of people around the world wish David to narrate their life, to record answering machine messages for them, or at least to read them the books aloud. But David's choosy in his plans. However why not make an exception for the sake of friends?

"Paper Planes" is a happy book of Australian writer Steve Worland about a boy from the outback, who sent his childish dream in the flight.

The best thing that could be expected for any literary work happened with this book. First, it was filmed by Robert Connolly, and then it's friendly voiced by David Wenham.

About four hours he single-handedly creates a pure magic of impersonation, in different voices singing a hymn to childhood, which is not spoiled with the iPhones and the video game consoles.

Perhaps David will never get tired to prove to us that all his heroes and villains had not erased from his soul the little bully of Christian Brothers' High School Lewisham.

THE LYRIC ELEMENT  

"Paper Planes" is the third directorial project of Robert Connolly with David's participation ("The Bank", "Three Dollars"). The fact, that this time David got the supporting part, does not make the project less attractive.

After a series of the political thrillers and dramas for adults Mr. Connolly decided to relax the soul in a harbor of family movie.

The cute children's film with a simple plot received surprisingly warm response from the audience in Australia and around the world, at the festivals in Berlin, Seattle and Jerusalem. CinefestOz of last year gave the film its main Prize.

The film has grossed more than $9 million, and firmly gained a foothold among the leaders of this year.

Sometime we all are in need a portion of the good-natured and humane film.

 

The problem is that every new collaboration David and Robert ends up for the Wenham-fans with an attack of quiet horror. David again declares that he is ready to direct and Robert again agrees to help him with producing.

And it seems this time they don't joke, promising to run the production of "Love Machine" until the end of the year. This provocative title implies an adaptation of Clinton Caward's book, describing bizarre manners of Kings Cross, which is David's beloved suburb of Sydney.

David hurries: his dear Kings Cross is changing irredeemably. He needs to have time to capture its eccentric, exuberant and uninhibited nature, till those days when the new Australian laws will finally transform this center of sleepless Sydney life in the sleeping area.

And if any other film won't lure David with the fantastic role, we have to accept the fact that he will hide from the eyes of the fans behind the camera.

But ironically, this is precisely what makes him closer to his fans. Directing reveals the secrets of the individual much better than acting.

We suspect, that David's famous icy secrecy already melts. David began to tell more about himself and share more the dramatic stories from his past.

The young David on family's footage, the shots included in "Force of Destiny."

On August 25, Australia will find out the truthful, adventure, detective and lyric-dramatic story of his family, retrieved by the archivists in the seventh season of the documentary genealogical show "Who Do You Think You Are?"

"Who you are?" - It's a question of life's priorities.

The world famous actor, with his kilometer-long lists of roles and awards prefers to have in his Twitter account the modest status of "Ambassador for Wayside, Sydney Swans + MCA. Patron of CinefestOz."

And it's all about him))))

And yes, by the way, this year he can't avoid a visit to Western Australia. Catch him among the member of the jury of the CinefestOZ Film Festival from 26 to 30 August.

He will be Jury Chair, actually.

He will present the Film Prize to winner.

They say it will be the most lucrative prize among all Australian festivals in 2015.

But we all know that true happiness is not money.)))

It's the opportunity to do what you like and to be close to your beloved ones.

A little bit of positive music in the subject.

Listen to the soundtrack for the documentary film "Aussie Rules the World," which David voiced a year ago.

Smile and don't get bored)))

We promise that our separation will not be long this time)) In spite of the fact that the world really goes crazy.

March, 22, 2015