How Long Is “Corroboree”?

Existing in that uncertain twilight zone between performance and reality, first time feature filmmaker Ben Hackworth's weighty directorial debut tells the tale of a legendary theater director who stages a most unusual swansong. Named after a rousing form of sacred rights performed by Australian Aborigines to acknowledge significant life events, Corroboree opens to find an acclaimed theater director (Ian Scott) preparing to reenact key moments from his life at the scenic country estate where he has come to spend his last days. In addition to serving as a personal memorial, the performance is also meant to help the many actresses who admire the theater veteran to find some level of comfort in his upcoming rendezvous with the afterlife. The actresses will all portray characters from the director's past, beginning with his childhood and gradually moving into young adulthood and middle age. The pivotal role has been assigned to a young actor named Conor (Conor O'Hanlon) - whom the director has personally recruited via a detailed, pre-recorded message. Conor doesn't quite know what to expect upon arriving at the remote country estate, but soon discovers that the various life scenes will all be played out in various rooms at specific times. While the actresses are all somewhat distant to Conor at first, they soon take him under their wings and provide him with personal writings that will help him to better identify with the director and provide a sense of continuity. As the performance becomes increasingly elaborate, revelations about the subject matter, the director's sexuality, and his carefully crafted plans for young Conor find the unique display taking on an especially profound air.