Lilias Fraser: a pioneer of Australian cinema who overcame huge personal challenges to make over forty films in her lifetime. Her youngest daughter, cinematographer Jane Castle ACS, tells her mother’s story and that of their relationship using the rich textures of an unseen part of Australia’s cinematic history and her own highly personal cinematography. Tenacious, enthusiastic and ambitious, Lilias overcame huge systemic and personal obstacles in her lifetime. Like many pioneers, however, early childhood trauma drove her, and her life began to unravel over time. Becoming trapped in a destructive marriage then struggling with alcohol and single motherhood, Lilias’s trademark determination finally met its limits. When the Camera Stopped Rolling documents both this trailblazing mother-daughter filmmaking team and the intergenerational trauma that was its shadow. Balancing meticulous archival research with searing honesty and set against stunning visuals, Jane interweaves their struggles and triumphs with clarity and compassion.
Nominated for Best Documentary, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound at 2021 AACTA Awards
Finalist for Best Australian Documentary at the 2021 Sydney Film Festival
Winner Gold Award at the 2020 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards
Semi-Finalist Chicago Indie Film Awards
Official Selection 2021 Voices Rising Film Festival
Best Cinematography at the 2021 Women in Film Festival
Official Selection 2021 Femmes En Resistance
Official Selection 2021 Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival
Official Selection 2022 Capricorn Film Festival
Official Selection 2021 Portland film Festival
"A Thoroughly Intriguing Documentary... Compelling, Intimate And Insightful." — David Stratton, The Australian
"A Story Of The Triumph Of Love And Creativity Over The Pain Of Traumatic Disruption."
— DR ANNE-MARIE SWANPRESIDENT, NSWIPP
About the filmmaker
Jane Castle is a multi-award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer. She’s shot feature films, documentaries and a vast range of music videos for performers such as Prince, U2, Mary J Blige, Usher and INXS. Among her awards she has won the Stockholm, Kodak and Australian Cinematographers Society awards for Best Cinematography. From 1990 to 1995 Jane lived and worked in the US and in 1993 became the second ever woman to be accredited by the Australian Cinematographer’s Society. Jane’s directing work includes the award-winning short, Roadside Café, the SBS TV documentary Sixty Thousand Barrels and her first feature documentary, When the Camera Stopped Rolling. Jane combines her filmmaking with environmental activism, producing and directing campaign videos for groups such as Greenpeace and the Total Environment Centre.
Jane Castle is a multi-award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer. She’s shot feature films, documentaries and a vast range of music videos for performers such as Prince, U2, Mary J Blige, Usher and INXS. Among her awards she has won the Stockholm, Kodak and Australian Cinematographers Society awards for Best Cinematography. From 1990 to 1995 Jane lived and worked in the US and in 1993 became the second ever woman to be accredited by the Australian Cinematographer’s Society. Jane’s directing work includes the award-winning short, Roadside Café, the SBS TV documentary Sixty Thousand Barrels and her first feature documentary, When the Camera Stopped Rolling. Jane combines her filmmaking with environmental activism, producing and directing campaign videos for groups such as Greenpeace and the Total Environment Centre.