Australian film ‘Head On’ was released in 1998
Back in 1998 everybody was talking about new Australian film Head On. The debut feature from director Ana Kokkinos told the story of Ari, a young Greek-Australian man, who over a 24 hour period go on a journey through a series of encounters as he struggles with his sexuality.
OUTinPerth editor Graeme Watson recalls seeing the film at Cinema Paradiso when it first came out and audience members left as soon as the first provocative sex scene came on the screen.
“By today’s standards the sex scenes in Head On will seem fairly tame, there’s more risqué scenes on television nowadays, but at the time it was very provocative. I remember about five people walking out of the screening when I saw the film when it was first released.”
The film is based on Loaded, a novel by Australian author Christos Tsiolkas, who has gone on to write many best-selling nworks including The Slap, Barracuda, Merciless Gods, Damascus and his most recent work 7½.
The film was praised for it’s stark realism and uncompromising performance from Alex Dimitriades as Ari, and a memorable appearance from Paul Capsis who played transgender friend Johnny/Tula.
Capsis reflected on the part when he spoke to OUTinPerth a decade ago.
“Head On was my first dramatic cinema role and one that most people remember. It was my first big break. I really enjoyed the process of film and deeply admired just how driven and passionate Ana Kokkinos, the director was of the work.
“It was her first feature film as well as mine. Anna had very clear direction as to how the character, Johnny should be played, but if the role came up again I would play the character differently. Guess I see the world differently now,” Capsis told Terry Larder back in 2012.
In 2004 the Howard government amended the law to prevent same-sex couples from getting married
On this day ion 2004 the Australian government passed a law which amended the legislation around marriages to ensure they could only be between a man and a woman.
The government had introduced the legislation in just a few months earlier in June and they worked to ensure same-sex couples could not wed, concerned about marriage equality being achieved in other countries, and the looming prospect of legal challenges to the Australian laws.
During the debate in the senate, Western Australian senator Brian Greig – who represented The Democrats, highlighted the motivation.
“There are at least two test cases before the Australian courts seeking a declaration of a same-sex marriage conducted overseas and, contrary to the dishonest claims of anti gay groups, that is not a political action by the mythical and militant gay lobby to undermine the very foundations of society but an action by two very unassuming couples who engaged the courts out of their own volition.” Greig said.
“I have not met either couple. One of these couples includes a Canadian national, a person whose marriage is lawful in Canada but about to become unlawful in Australia—a ridiculous situation… There is no need for rush and haste. The Australian citizens who have their cases before the legal system deserve their day in court. Natural justice should have been allowed to take place. Rushing to extinguish legal avenues is despicable.”
The two couples were Jason and Adrian Tuazon McCheyne, and Jac Tomlins and their partner Sarah.
After the legislation was passed every wedding conducted in Australia had to include the line that marriage was “the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”.
The LGBTIQA+ communities campaigned for the laws to be changed which cumulated in the 2017 marriage postal survey which was rolled out by the Turnbull government. After a majority of Australians showed they supported marriage equality the laws were changed. The bill that allowed same-sex couples and transgender people to wed was put forward by Western Australian Liberal senator Dean Smith.
In 2013 Western Australian Liberal Nick Goiran claimed same-sex marriage would lead to incestuous relationships
Back in 2013 Liberal MP Nick Goiran told the Western Australian Parliament that marriage should be strictly kept to being between a man and a woman, because if same sex marriage were allowed it may lead to incestuous relationships.
Premier Colin Barnett labeled the speech made by one of his own team as “inappropriate” and “irrelevant” to the discussion of marriage equality.
After quoting a speech by Baroness Royall which was made in the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, Goiran made a leap from allowing same-sex couples to marry, to allowing siblings to wed.
Goiran shared the story of two hypothetical characters called Ethan and Stephanie, who were half siblings by sharing the same father. In Goiran’s story Ethan and Stephanie wed and have a child, but due to the fact they were related their child has recessive traits and birth defects. He argued that Ethan and Stephanie’s sick child would have a measurable effect on the health system, and having half brothers and sisters marrying would weaken society.
Goiran argued that changing the rules of marriage would be like changing the rules of football.
It is a bit like a basketballer saying, “I want to play football but I do not want to become a footballer.
“Instead, I want to change the rules of football so we use a hoop instead of goalposts, and I do not want to use a football but I want to use a basketball. The equipment has changed but we are still going to call it football.” My view is that football is football, basketball is basketball, and marriage is between one man and one woman who are unrelated,” Goiran said.
Goiran defended his comments saying he was approaching the issue from a logical viewpoint. Speaking to OUTinPerth Baroness Royall hit back and her comments being misconstrued in the Western Australian parliament.
“As I said in Parliament I firmly believe that society is strengthened by marriage and I am delighted that more couples are able to marry and celebrate their life long commitment to each other,” said Baroness Royall.
“Of course, I do not mean that it should be possible for brothers and sisters to wed, however, this is the sort of argument that is often used by those who are against equal marriage, likewise the scaremongering about polygamy, either because of their religious faith or sometimes because of homophobia.
Photographer Herb Ritts was born on this day in 1952
Herb Ritts was one of the most successful photographers of the 1980s and 1990s. He iconic black and white photographs donned album covers, and advertising campaigns. He found success both in artistic spaces and commercial ventures.
He got his start taking photographs of close friend and aspiring actor Richard Gere in the late 1970s. By the early 80s he was creating iconic images including shooting Olivia Newton-John for the cover of her Physical album, a pose he would re-use on the cover of Madonna’s True Blue record a few years later.
Ritts would go on to shoot the iconic Cherish video for Madonna, Wicked Game for Chris Isaak and Love Will Never Do Without You for Janet Jackson. He also shot videos for Shakira, Michael Jackson, Brittney Spears and many others.
He was one of the most in demand fashion photographers shooting covers for all the big fashion magazines, and one of his most celebrated covers was the image Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood, 1989 for Rolling Stone which captured five supermodels. The image inspired George Michael to create his iconic video for Freedom ’90.
Cher, Tina Turner, Elton John, Ronald Regan, Elizabeth Taylor, David Bowie, Prince and Bjork are just a few of the celebrities he captured.
Herb Ritts, who was HIV positive, died in 2002 after contracting pneumonia. He was 50 years old.
OIP Staff
