impasse [floodwall] (2025), two channel, 63 min
In 1871, Queen Victoria gifted a section of flood plain along the Maribyrnong river to the Victorian Racing Club, forming Flemington racecourse. In 2006, the newly incorporated VRC sought planning permission to erect a bund wall around the racecourse to protect it from potential flood waters. The racecourse had been inundated once before, in 1974. Permission was granted, against the wishes of surrounding councils and many local residents with the state planning minister using her authority to bypass that pesky VCAT. In 2007, I started year 7, and would walk to school along Footscray park and watch the wall across the river slowly assemble out of stone and metal gabion. In 2022, the Maribyrnong river flooded and hundreds of homes were inundated. The racecourse remained dry. People were unhappy. Two years and two separate inquiries later, it was begrudgingly admitted that the flood wall had increased the intensity of flooding in the surrounding area. But not enough that it should be removed. It "served its purpose".
In 2024, I moved back to my childhood home, and would often wander down to Footscray park. I started filming the wall across the river. This led to other barriers, such as the temporary fencing around a shuttered adventure playground, or those encircling the Land Forces defence industry conference at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. I recorded a heap of audio; birds, cars, people. I was thinking about public space, inertia and forces that obstruct. I also just found walls interesting. They are there to be torn down, aren't they?
Director:
Leon Rice-Whetton (http://leonrw.site)