The Oyster Gardener
Can a functionally extinct reef system be brought back to life? The Oyster Gardener is a short documentary that follows Jolie, a year 12 student and aspiring marine biologist, as she joins forces with her community to bring back the lost oyster reefs of the Noosa river.
About the film
The Oyster Gardener is a short film that follows Jolie on a journey of discovery to see if restoring biodiversity and reversing the impacts of climate change in her local river system is possible. This year, she's part of a specifically-designed curriculum program that has been engaging young people in this ambitious local restoration project through real-world learning and citizen science.
As the journey unfolds, we learn that parallel to the story of the oyster reef, Jolie is going through a life transition of her own. She is finishing high-school and preparing to leave home for the first time. Grappling with so many uncertainties, yet seeking moments of joy, awe and curiosity wherever she can, we watch as Jolie navigates the unknown, while finding her voice and her purpose.
The Oyster Gardener was produced in 2023 by You and Me Pictures in association with Regen Studios, and made possible with funding and support from the ABC, Screen Queensland, Doc Society, and Shark Island Foundation.
Creative team
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Kim Ingles
Director, Editor
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Julia Lörsch
Producer, Illustrator
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Anna Kaplan, Damon Gameau, Stephen Oliver
Executive Producers
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Wes Greene
Director of Photography
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Matt Murchie
Animator
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Wes Greene
Director of Photography
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Dan Brown
Sound Designer
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Billy Wychgel
Colourist
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Elements
Picture Post
See the film
Past events:
World Premiere at the Sydney Film Festival 2023 and was nominated for the Sydney Film Festivals Sustainable Future Award
Broadcast on ABC and available for streaming on ABC iView
Screening on the Sunshine Coast on Monday 5 Feb, hosted by the Sunshine Coast Screen Collective
ATOM x Melbourne Women in Film Festival 2024
Public screening on the big screen at Fed Square in Melbourne on 18 September 2024 as part of Reset Festival
Sat Aug 9, Yarun EcoFlix presented by Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association Inc (BIEPA)
We'll be sure to keep you up to date with further screenings as they are announced.
The Oyster Gardener is available for teachers and students via the education platform, ClickView. If you would like to host a screening, please fill in this form.
The Oyster Gardener and its educational resources are now being used in almost ten percent of Australian schools.
The film offers an exciting opportunity to engage students to learn about nature-based climate solutions, marine ecosystem restoration, community stewardship, and the importance of caring for, and connecting with, where our water comes from.
The lessons are designed for primary and secondary year levels and span across different subjects of learning including Art, Science, Media, Geography and History.
Education
Going to the Moon
The Oyster Gardener has been selected into the Lunar Codex; a collection of contemporary artwork being stored on the Moon for future generations. It is due to launch to the Lunar southern hemisphere in 2026.
The Lunar Codex has been described by the New York Times as "a time capsule of human creativity, stored in the sky." It is an ambitious project dreamed up by Peralta to archive creative contemporary art on the lunar surface for the posterity of humankind. Currently the collection includes the works of over 50,000 contemporary artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers from 264 countries and territories, and 160 Indigenous nations.
The Oyster Gardener will be archived onboard the spacecraft Codex Polaris, due to launch to the Lunar southern hemisphere in July 2026. Prior to that, in May 2026, the archived works will be launched past the Moon, across the solar system, and beyond. A third "Golden Record" if you will. However, this time, the records will be etched into nickel. The primary fly-by target, an asteroid, is about 1 million kilometres away (600,000 miles).
“The Oyster Gardener was selected to be part of the Lunar Codex because, in its essence, it is a story of hope, of the power of young people - in concert with others - to create the world that they imagine. It's a story of renewal, of rebirth, and is the kind of inspiration that is important not just for this generation, but for the future.”
Dr Samuel Peralta, Founder of the Lunar Codex
Manifest for the Moon
THE OYSTER GARDENER features in the beautiful new art coffee table book “Manifest for the Moon” by Charlotte Muller and Dr Samuel Peralta.
Presented in association with the @burningman project and @snapcollectiveworld “Manifest for the Moon” is a full-colour premium-format art book featuring selected works from all the missions of the Lunar Codex. “Manifest for the Moon” is an indispensable documentation, and a testament, of the efforts of thousands of creative artists to reach for their dreams, from to the Moon, and beyond.
