Central Coast director Kaye Harrison has created a feature-length documentary called The Sunnyboy about the life of musician Jeremy Oxley (left) who with brother Peter Oxley (right) formed 1980s pop rock band The Sunnyboys.
The film is about Jeremy's life with schizophrenia told through his own words and music, and also document's the band's reunion and return in 2012, after 21 years apart. It premieres on ABC 1 on Sunday, November 3, at 9.30pm.
If like me you were a kid in the 1980s - growing up in Australian beachside towns like Newcastle - the music of The Sunnyboys would most likely have been the soundtrack to your life.
So when the opportunity came up to interview the director of "The Sunnyboy" I jumped at the chance.
Being at the world premiere of the film at the Sydney Opera House in June this year - followed by my first ever experience of seeing The Sunnyboys perform live - will go down in my books as the most extraordinary concert experience of my life.
Becausre if you were a teenager growing up in the 1980s in Newcastle the debut self-titled Sunnyboys album, and follow-ups Individuals and Get Some Fun, were like a soundtrack to growing up, The Sunnyboys' music was on at parties, blasting pout of the car stereos at the beach and in the headphones of my portable cassette player.
Every other band in town, would have a handful of Sunnyboys tracks in the repertoire to fill a dance floor.
The documentary about the life of Jeremy Oxley whose recovery from schizophrenia - a much misunderstood and stigmatised condition - is a story of hope, a celebration of survival and the healing power of unconditional love.
Grab a box of tissues because you'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll punch the air with joy.
If you're interested in how documentaries are made, you might also like to check out Kaye Harrison's top 5 tips for observational documentary film making, over at the ABC Open Hunter blog.
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