Written, directed and co-produced by Celeste Geer.

Produced by Jeni McMahon, Rebel Films

Editor Tony Stevens

On 7 February 2009, Australia suffered its worst natural disaster in recorded history. A firestorm of cyclonic fury swept across Victoria and 173 lives were lost. Nowhere was the destruction more terrible than in the tiny hamlet of Strathewen, only 40 km’s from Melbourne. Survivors were linked by trauma, unimaginable grief and the weighty task of trying to understand what had happened to their worlds. Then after the shock of survival, just as the adrenalin finally runs out, the real work begins.

In THEN THE WIND CHANGED local resident and filmmaker Celeste Geer interweaves her own family’s story with those of her neighbours and friends as they struggle to rebuild their shattered lives in the two and a half years following the fires. The film is a mélange of compelling home footage, delicate observation and thoughtful meditation that documents the extraordinary spectrum of human responses to the firestorm that swept through one valley. It is a story of heartbreak and love, redemption and resilience.

Through this intimate observation of ordinary people responding to an extraordinary event THEN THE WIND CHANGED offers a tender insight into humans’ amazing potential to manage adversity and rise from despair.

Winner Walkley Award Best Documentary 2012

Winner AACTA Award Best Documentary Under One Hour 2013

Selected for competition IDFA 2011 Best Mid Length Documentar

 Nominated Best Director Australian Director’s Guild Awards 2012

 Nominated Most Outstanding Factual Program at The Logies 2013