SUNDAY – advance screening in Christchurch, Wellington and world premiere in Auckland

Help Sunday support White Ribbon.
$1 from every ticket sold to the following screenings will be donated to White Ribbon & the Canterbury Family Violence Collaboration.
Plus – if you use the promo code WHITERIBBONNZ  you’ll get a 15% discount (excluding Wellington).

• Tickets to the Advanced Screening Christchurch – Saturday December 6
• Tickets to the World Premiere  Auckland Sunday December 7
• Tickets to the Wellington Screening with Q&A at Penthouse Cinema December 7th

Dustin Clare is familiar to many from his roles in television shows like Satisfaction, McLeod’s Daughters, Underbelly and Spartacus. Based in Australia, he and his real life partner, actress Camille Keenan ended up starring in SUNDAY when they were 7 months pregnant with their first child. Dustin took time out of filming his latest project in Turkey to answer some questions about his involvement with White Ribbon for us ahead of his New Zealand visit

Dustin Clare & Camille Keenan are proud to support White Ribbon in their mission to end violence against women.

Hi Dustin, You first got involved with White Ribbon in Australia where you’re based. How did that come about?

It was a cause that I saw benefited the community and bettered society in general. So I approached White Ribbon about how I could become involved as an ambassador for the campaign.

What have you learned through your experience working with White Ribbon?

That what they do takes courage. But most of all the grass roots communities that get involved are really the most important part of this campaign. The families, the sporting groups, cultural organisations, community groups, public servants all the wonderful support that gets thrown behind White Ribbon comes from a real passion within communities. And this is where it all starts, at home and in our communities. That’s where we start.

In your opinion, what’s one of the biggest problems young men face in today’s society?

I think the internet has done many great things for communication, but it has also given us access to some things that are not great for developing brains. I think the sexualisation in the media and the overwhelming portrayal of degrading women in pornography has serious implications for society, and far greater hurdles for our acceptance of women being viewed as more than sexual objects in society. It’s important for young men to have access to good information surrounding these issues but more importantly good role models. We want to move forward with equality, not backwards. We need to promote sex in a positive way, not a degrading or violent way. We must talk openly about these issues if we are to combat any future problems that may arise from the advent of technology and the ability for developing minds to be influenced by the negative or harmful use of it. Education is the key. And supporting young men through this is imperative, these men will shape one half of our future.

What’s one of the best things you’ve seen through your work with White Ribbon?

A brave ambassador in Australia, who now does a lot of speaking at various events. He was someone who was a perpetrator of violence of women in the home and community, and he changed, he made actual positive steps to change his behaviour, to understand it, and to grow passed it. And now he is brave enough to stand on stage in front of hundreds of people at a time and speak about it. To talk about his process and how he took steps to change his patterns forever. That takes great courage, to speak about your journey through domestic violence like that. I admire him.

Your new film SUNDAY is helping raise money for White Ribbon ChCh. It’s about a guy who’s going to be a Dad for the first time but isn’t sure if he’s going to be a good Dad or a good partner. You star in it, you wrote it and you produced it. How did it happen?

Sunday

SUNDAY has been a heavy collaboration from start to finish between two couples – myself and Camille, and Director Michelle Joy Lloyd and her husband Cinematographer Ryan Alexander Lloyd. I came up with the idea on a sleepless night, wrote it down and sent it out to the team, and we decided to continue with writing and producing the film together. I’m very proud of the film we made, and the themes we are addressing in it. It’s a “late coming of age” story, but it is one familiar for all couples and all relationships, especially those who are about to have or have had children. The film really mirrors the reality of society today, the choice and opportunities that we are offered and how they impact on our relationships and the in-ability to commit to important life choices.

So you’re a Dad now – was it scary? How did you deal with the stress and nerves before? And the sleepless nights after?

Being a dad is the single greatest thing you can do in this world. It gives you perspective, gives you grounding, and gives you a purpose other than yourself. It makes you less selfish, increases your capacity to love. It is a huge gift that comes with great responsibility.

Who do you talk to when things are tough?

My partner Camille first and foremost. Family members, friends. But I think your real support has to be within your home, and you being able to communicate frustrations or anxieties with your partner and find a way to work through them. Sometime things get tough or beyond you or communication breaks down, that’s really when you have to take a break, step away from the situation, gain some perspective on it, then come back to it again with fresh eyes. At the end of it, you still have each other, no matter how tough or momentous the stakes are, if you can try and find strength in that, you will overcome.

Behind the camera – Cinematographer Ryan Alexander Lloyd

Why did you choose to film in ChCh?

We thought that CHCH had been through so much hardship and we really honestly wanted to find a way to give something back to the people and the city. Michelle and Camille had family in CHCH who had gone through the quakes, and are still going through the aftermath. We also see a real theme of hope in CHCH, of creativity and inspiration that has sprung up out of the destruction, and we wanted to make sure that was a big part of the film, to show the hope, the rebuilding, we saw that as much more important that making a comment on the destruction.

The filmmakers behind SUNDAY have decided to raise money for a couple of ChCh charities; how did you decide that White Ribbon ChCh & the Canty Family Violence Collaboration who they work would be one of the two organisations to benefit from SUNDAY?

Christchurch has been through so much, and now the real sense of displacement and fatigue of that city for many…it made sense for us to work with these organisations to help give something back to a city and its people who had been through so much together. Not just thematically, but we also wanted to contribute financially.

Many of the triggers of family violence have been magnified due to stress placed on the city and its inhabitants following the earthquakes 4 years ago. Instead of pressure easing, it’s getting worse as people are feeling worn down, worn out and frustrated. Now more than ever Christchurch needs organisations like the White Ribbon Trust.

As I was already an ambassador for White Ribbon in Australia, and had seen first-hand all the positive work White Ribbon do in the community it was a natural fit to become involved with the organisation in New Zealand and all of the filmmaking team have rallied behind the cause to give back.

Read more of this post