The Rooster (film)
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Geraldine Hakewill
| The Rooster | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Leonard Winter |
| Written by | Mark Leonard Winter |
| Produced by | MahVeen Shahraki Geraldine Hakewill |
| Starring | Hugo Weaving Phoenix Raei John Waters |
| Cinematography | Craig Barden |
| Edited by | Cameron Ford |
| Music by | Stefan Gregory |
| Distributed by | Bonsai Films (Australia & New Zealand) The Yellow Affair (international) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 1h 41m |
| Country | Australia |
The Rooster is a 2023 Australian comedy drama film directed by Mark Leonard Winter and starring Hugo Weaving, Phoenix Raei, and John Waters.
Dan is a lonely country policeman in regional Victoria, Australia, who spends his mornings feeding his angry rooster. His mental state appears to be fragile, especially after a childhood friend, Steve, is found dead in the forest, and his rooster is killed by a fox. He takes time off work and explores the bush, where he encounters The Hermit living in a hut in the forest. The rest of the film revolves around the relationship between the two men.
Cast
- Phoenix Raei as Dan
- John Waters as Norris
- Hugo Weaving as The Hermit
- Rhys Mitchell as Steve
- Robert Menzies as Mr Poulson
- Deidre Rubenstein as Mrs Poulson
- Tom Stokes as Detective Grant
- Jane Montgomery Griffiths as Detective Logan
- Natasha Herbert as Netball mum
- Quinn Le Fevre as Young Steve
- Helen Thomson as Lorraine
Production
The Rooster is the debut feature film written and directed by actor Mark Leonard Winter.[1][2] Weaving said that he wanted to act in a film that looked at men's mental health, partly sparked by the suicide of actor Damian Hill in 2018, who was a friend of Winter.[3]
It was filmed in the forests around Daylesford, Victoria, near Winter's home in Glenlyon.[4]
The film was produced by Geraldine Hakewill and MahVeen Shahraki and production companies Don't Crow! and Thousand Mile Productions. It was partly financed by the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Premiere Fund,[5] but was made on a very small budget, partly out of the home of director Winter.[3]
The film score was composed by Stefan Gregory; Craig Barden was director of photography, and Cameron Ford was editor.[6]
Release
The Rooster had its world premiere[7] at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 5 August 2023.[8] It was also selected for screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California, U.S.[5]
It was released in Australian cinemas on 22 February 2024.[3] The film is distributed by Bonsai Films in Australia and New Zealand, and by The Yellow Affair internationally.[6][5]