Film Festival 09 - Lost In Wonderland
Lost in Wonderland
New Zealand 2009, 52m
Director: Zoe McIntosh
I learnt more about Rob Moodie from Zoe McIntosh's compact,
perceptive portrait than from decades of TV coverage. Why does this
straight man - who looks at 69 as if he could still spend a day
driving in fence posts - turn up in court to defend himself on
contempt charges calling himself Miss Alice and wearing the frock
to prove it? Moodie's always been forthcoming about his rationale,
but without really acknowledging that he might have made the same
point by dressing as a male character from Kafka. We see clearly in
this film that his determination to opt out of any self-governing
boy's club responds to trauma in his Dunedin childhood. We also see
that his fearlessness bespeaks a principled confidence about who he
is, which is miraculous considering his disintegrated upbringing
and the many different lines of work - farmer, mechanic, detective,
trade unionist, barrister - to which he has successfully put his
hand since. Professional associates and family members fill out
this fascinating encounter with this one-of-a-kind self-made man -
Bill Gosden
