What to do when your sheep farm ceases to yield a reasonable standard of living? Open a brothel, of course. Chris Rohrlach is not your typical Australian sheep farmer and his wife, Rachel, is not a typical madam. But Chris is willing to do whatever it takes to keep his wife, a quadriplegic with a neurological impairment, out of long-term care. A year into their courtship, and one day after discovering she was pregnant, Rachel experienced a devastating stroke that rendered her paralyzed and unable to speak, leaving her reliant on others to translate her eye movements into meaning. Undeterred, Chris and Rachel went on to wed and to raise not one but two healthy children under extraordinary circumstances. Having already confronted disability and the challenges of parenting head on, Chris is certain that they can successfully confront the long drought that is slowly eating up their cash reserves. When he proposes to open a brothel, the pushback from the community doesn’t faze him one bit. The only thing that matters to him is that Rachel is keen to go along for the ride; and that she is—at least at first. Safina Uberoi’s affectionate camerawork and proficient storytelling captures the construction and grand opening of the “best little whorehouse in the outback.” She reveals the optimism of new beginnings, later replaced with a growing tension that lurks between Chris’s plans to keep his family afloat and Rachel’s own desires, difficult as they may be to decipher. A GOOD MAN is inspiring, touching and unexpectedly funny, and boldly turns preconceptions about disability and masculine stereotypes on their head.

Filmmaker Q&A

Introduce yourself: 
I am an Australian-Indian filmmaker and have trained in both India and Australia. My best-known film is MY MOTHER INDIA (2003), an autobiographical essay on growing up in two cultures, which won 11 major awards. Since then, I have worked on films for PBS in the US, BBC in the UK and SBS in Australia. A GOOD MAN is a return to independent work for me- there’s no money in it- but it brings great joy!  

What inspired this film?   How did you find your subjects?  
 
A GOOD MAN is about a struggling Australian farmer, his incurably quadriplegic wife, their newborn baby, and their plans to open a brothel in their small country town.  My brother Prem knew the main subjects of the film Chris and Rachel when he was studying at the Australian National University. Chris was a young farmer trying to become a lawyer and Rachel was training to be a nurse. Rachel had not yet had the massive stroke that left her quadriplegic at the age of 21. A year after the stroke, Chris married Rachel despite her extreme handicap. My brother went to the wedding and told me all about it and about Chris’s amazing determination to look after Rachel.  

I am ashamed to say I paid no attention to the story mostly because I don’t listen to anything my brother says! Then one day, years later, I lost my job and I was sitting around feeling very sorry for myself. My brother must have taken pity on me- because he turned up in Sydney and said he would drive me down to meet Rachel and Chris. When I met them, I knew immediately that it would be a great privilege to make a film on them  I guess when we talk about people with handicaps and those who care for them we imagine a story about sadness and sacrifice. I certainly thought that Chris and Rachel’s story would be worthy, but kind of depressing. I was so wrong. Chris and Rachel’s home was full of light and laughter. Despite everything they have forged a marriage and built a solid relationship. Their parents help them to bring up their two wonderful sons, and the whole family shows a loving solidarity that is truly inspirational.  

But it wasn’t just the joy in their life that I found so compelling- it was also the apparent contradiction between Chris being such a family man but also wanting to open a brothel. I couldn’t help but ask myself whether a good father and a loving husband could also be a successful pimp.

What were some of the biggest challenges/surprises?  
We were constantly challenged while making this film. It was emotionally, ethically and intellectually challenging. There was the huge responsibility of taking a deeply personal story and making it public. What has happened to Rachel is a tragic event with major repercussions for the entire family. As the family started talking to us, all their feelings came pouring out. They all said things they had not said to each other, and expressed grief and sadness which perhaps they had now even acknowledged to themselves. But the process of talking also allowed them to find a resolution within themselves. Each one of them came to the conclusion that in a strange way the tragedy had made them stronger, better people. It was amazing to be part of that realization. 

In the beginning, it was also difficult for us to learn how to communicate with Rachel. It took me a while to realize that the discomfort was not in her- it was in me. I was afraid of her tragedy. But Rachel is such a brave person that she gave me courage- she showed me that I had no business cowering behind political correctness!   It was hard for the rest of the crew too. It took Himman Dhamija, the cinematographer, some time to work out how to film Rachel. Even he hesitated in taking his camera too close to her. But then suddenly he managed to crack it and he started filming this footage of Rachel which was beautifully intimate- It was often close in on her pain, but always in a respectful way.  

In the end this knowledge that the film was part of a positive process sustained us. Despite the sadness in the film, it is a very joyous piece of work. I think we have succeeded in capturing what makes this family so unique- they have found joy in the midst of tragedy. They have shouldered their burden lightly, with compassion for each other and with a wonderfully raucous sense of humor! 

Who are some of your favorite filmmakers? 
Goodness- where does one start- Andrei Tarkokvsy, Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee, Werner Herzog, Mira Nair, Guru Dutt… filmmakers who change the way one sees oneself as well the way one sees the world. 

What is your all time favorite documentary?  
How can one do this? It’s just not possible. Like choosing between children or lovers- all those left out will be jealous! My favorite film at the moment is not a documentary at all; it is a delicate and devastating feature about two aboriginal Australians teenagers called SAMSON AND DELILAH.
 
 

What other projects are in the pipeline? 
I have a couple of documentary ideas- but actually I have been thinking of taking time off from making films and writing something. When we were making A GOOD MAN, we met a lot of sex workers- women who were traveling across Australia working in brothels or out of motel rooms. For privacy reasons, many of their stories could not be included in the film, but I would like to write about them. Many of the women were extraordinary characters and had such terrific insights into the secret life of society. I am not sure if I should do more research and write narrative non-fiction or let my imagination take over and write a screenplay! 

Why did you become a filmmaker? 
I had always loved art and also performed in the theatre, but I was also interested in society and studied history at University. I was talented in those areas- but not really excellent. Then my boyfriend at the time suggested I try filmmaking, and suddenly all my interests came together. As a director, I could legitimately be a Jack-of-all-trades and a Mistress of none. Perfect! 

What are some of your creative influences?  
My greatest inspiration is my parents. My father was a well-known intellectual, and very eccentric. He always taught me to do what I believed was right and truthful. My mother was also a highly respected academic, but I think the greatest thing she taught me was to have compassion for people around me. I don’t think I have lived up to these principles, but my work as a documentary filmmaker is definitely the closest I get to trying to understand what truth and compassion mean!  

Did you go to film school?  
I went to film school in both India and Australia. I studied at the Mass Communication Research Centre in Delhi and the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney.  

What do you shoot on?  
A GOOD MAN was shot on Digi beta- all 140 hours of material! 

What has been the most unexpected thing to happen since taking the film on the festival circuit?
Taking your film to audiences is always a terrifying but rewarding experience. I am amazed at how emotionally people have reacted to A GOOD MAN- with both tears and laughter. I thought the film was so culturally specific to Australia it might not translate outside of the country- but people all over the world have responded very warmly.  

Why did you want to screen your film at SILVERDOCS? 
My previous films have screened at festivals in America- but somehow I could never be there. This time, having read so much about SILVERDOCS, I was determined to be there and watch this extraordinary Australian story with an American audience.