The death of Anne Deveson in December 2016 was a great loss to Australia. She was a member of the Royal Commission on Human Relationships in the 1970s that ushered in the legalisation of homosexuality, women’s refuges, the decriminalisation of abortion, among other reforms. She Chaired and launched many other great Australian institutions and civil society organisations.
Sari Braithwaite’s documentary Paper Trails is about the period of Anne Deveson’s life after all these accomplishments. She is packing up her personal papers for the National Library of Australia. Film-maker Sari Braithwaite is helping her with this process. Sari is my daughter.
As they pack and enjoy each other’s company, Anne reflects on her life and work as a mental health advocate. She is struggling with the Alzheimers from which she will soon die.
This is a film about resilience: an inspiring woman continues her life’s projects as she packs them up on terms of her choosing. Final messages are sealed in the packing.
Paper Trails debuts at the Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Wednesday, October 11.
As part of Mental Health Week, it will then be broadcast on ABC’s Compass on Saturday October 14.
excellent documentary and subject.thanks.
This documentary was an exquisite evocation of Anne’s life and work. Her courage, humour and sharp and compassionate intelligence shine through in this beautiful film.
The terrible beauty and poignance of aging and the onset of alzheimers is so eloquently expressed by Anne and captured by Sari. Thank you Sari for helping Anne with the herculean task of corralling her lifes work and sharing this rare and precious footage of the end of this extraordinary woman’s life with us.