A life in pictures: Richard Mordaunt retrospective

BYRON Theatre will host a retrospective screening of work by esteemed Mullumbimby-based filmmaker Richard Mordaunt next month.

His groundbreaking works explore community activism, art and civil rights.

Mordaunt studied at the London Film School in the 1960s and was a pioneer, drawing inspiration from the French New Wave and founding Lusia Films.

Using the first silent Éclair camera in the UK, his films resonated internationally.

Humanity’s resilience, creativity and the pursuit of justice were in his crosshairs.

“England was changing for the first time since Victoria planted herself there,” Mordaunt said.

“We had a socialist government. England finally had the chance to change, and we were filming it.

“Politics became really important in my life, and I went to Ireland, where it had exploded. I was there on Bloody Sunday and got fired at by the British Army.

“These subjects weren’t natural; they were just growing inside me. It was just there, and we were just in it.”

In 1980, Mordaunt co-produced his first work in Australia with Chris Noonan in a groundbreaking film. Stepping Out chronicled the creative process of a troupe of theatre performers with disabilities.

“I was fortunate. When we arrived, Australia was on fire and was creating a new culture, quite unlike the UK,” he said.

“It was a Renaissance period. People came from all over, and it grew into a huge art scene. It was a very exciting time.”

Moving to the Northern Rivers in the early ’80s saw Mordaunt and his wife open the Mullumbimby Arts Gallery and become involved in a vast array of projects within the febrile creativity of the era.

The Byron retrospective includes four of his best-known films: Battle for Byron (co-directed with David Bradbury), Salvatore Zofrea: Master of Light, Otis Redding and the Battle for Civil Rights (re-edited in 2023), and Brushes with Fame, which profiles the prestigious Archibald Prize through nine artists.

Now living a quieter life, Mordaunt is retired from the film business but remains as passionate about his community as ever and bemoans the shire’s overdevelopment.

“I do feel very strongly that real estate overdevelopment has made a terrible mess of the area, and so many people who have lived here for many decades are disappearing,” he said.

“The greatest lesson for me has been being a member of a community. We must help each other and help the whole place grow.

“I’m part of a large filmmaking family, but I’m also part of a huge arts family. Byron should have a big regional art gallery. I’m too old now. But someone should do that,” he said.

Filmgoers can gain insights into the creative process and powerful stories behind Mordaunt’s iconic works on April 25 and 26.

For tickets, visit byroncentre.com.au/theatre-events/richard-mordaunt-through-the-lens—a-film-retrospective .