Tim Winton’s best-selling novel comes to life on the big screen in 'Blueback'

30.12.2022 - 07:51 / who.com.au

Blueback, based on Tim Winton’s 1997 novel of the same name, she didn’t realise how much the part would influence her in real life. Mitchell, who stars alongside Eric Bana and Mia Wasikowska in the movie about a girl who befriends a wild blue groper while diving, sat down with WHO from her home in the US to discuss all things under the sea and overcoming her fears. Watch Below: Blueback Official Trailer 2023How much time were you in the water when shooting? Rob [Connolly] rang me and said, “Do you want to be in the film?” But I’m afraid of deep water. Some of the training was in a diving pool, then in the ocean.

We had a diving trainer who introduced us to the breathing to stay under. We were either on a boat or driving a boat in a mix of different weather experiences. What was really amazing about it was that at the end of it, I was actually able to do the dive.

I wasn’t afraid of the ocean!  “We’re more amphibian than we realise,” Mitchell tells WHO. “The movie invites us to see the species on the planet as friends. There can be relationships.

When you recognise that it affects the way that you look at everything.”When were you scared of the water? I was in Fiji and we had this diving lesson. The diving instructor didn’t speak English, we put on tanks and that was the training. A 10-minute conversation. I had a panic attack.

We were 40 feet [12 metres] down, it was beautiful and I was like, “Get me out of here!” Never did it again. This movie was literally an invitation to face that fear.  So this role helped to cure your fear?  Yes, certainly. With free diving you’ve got to be able to hold your breath for a period of time in order to get down.