Lismore flood documentary screens at Sydney Film Festival

A DOCUMENTARY about the Lismore floods and their aftermath will premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on June 14 and 15.

Floodland follows the journey of several residents affected by the devastating 2022 natural disaster. Over the course of three years, filmmakers revisited Lismore every three months to document the evolving impact on the community.

Among those featured are Eli, a Lismore local who had recently bought his first home; his friend Harper, who becomes an activist; and Bundjalung-Yiman social worker Carlie Atkinson, who established a groundbreaking First Nations healing centre in the wake of the disaster.

Melbourne-based director and screenwriter Jordan Giusti had been in a relationship with a woman from Lismore when the floods hit and had visited the city regularly.

“I got an understanding of the whole Northern Rivers region but Lismore in particular through her eyes,” he said.

While Giusti had heard of previous floods, witnessing the aftermath of the 2022 event left a lasting impression.

After engaging with community members, he realised the importance of portraying more than just the immediate impact.

Giusti began screening short films at the Byron Bay International Film Festival in 2017. His shorts have earned two nominations from the Australian Directors’ Guild. Reptile also screened at the Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia, and Grevillea was nominated for a Crystal Bear at the Berlinale – Berlin International Film Festival.

He said premiering Floodland in the state’s capital was a deliberate choice.

“I figured that a project like this would be most effective made in honour of the people in that community but the audience is people who didn’t live through it and don’t understand what’s going on,” he said.

But Giusti also plans to screen the film locally, and is now reaching out to film festivals in the Northern Rivers.