Paul Cox and Paulie Stewart

‘Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.’ Those are the words of novelist Haruki Murakami, but Murakami is not the first, nor the last, artist to express this strangely reassuring sentiment. Filmmaker Paul Cox and musician and journalist Paulie Stewart are two men whose experiences of coming close to death have altered the course of their lives.

Cox, one of Australia’s most prolific and internationally celebrated filmmakers, has been making films since the 1970s, including Lonely Hearts, Man of Flowers and My First Wife. In 2009, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. After receiving a life-saving liver transplant at the end of 2009, Paul developed a screenplay inspired by some of his experiences in the cancer ward. The resulting film – Force of Destiny, starring David Wenham, Shahana Goswami and Jacqueline McKenzie – is an affecting and surprising story that tells, amongst other things, of finding love on the transplant waiting list at the Austin Hospital.

Paulie Stewart, frontman of the band Painters and Dockers, met Cox while also at hospital awaiting a liver transplant. Stewart appeared in one of several ‘Micro Stories’ made by Force of Destiny producer Maggie Miles in collaboration with the Austin, that connect with Cox’s feature film.  The experience of liver cancer prompted Stewart to strengthen his commitment to a cause that is close to his heart for family reasons – helping the people of East Timor (having earlier founded the band Dili Allstars). 

At this lunchtime Wheeler Centre event, we’ll screen both Stewart’s and Cox’s Micro Stories. We’ll also hear insights from both men on the subjects of  life, death, art and the extraordinary transplant experience.