At just 20 years old, Aron Attiwell has wrapped up the filming of his directorial debut.
The film, Fading Numbers, is based on the events of the holocaust, with focal scenes of the project filmed at Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra.
Mr Attiwell initially approached screenwriter Sean Ryan about Mr Ryan's writing project and the pair worked to develop a number of holocaust survivor stories into one overarching narrative.
"This film is an ambitious project," he said. "The subject matter is very sensitive and our first priority was to make sure we did a lot of research - including speaking to the Holocaust Institute of WA and a holocaust survivor."
Mr Attiwell told the Mail he believes Australian high schools often don't cover the holocaust in history classes, "I heard about World War I and II in high school, but not the holocaust. It's important to make people aware of what happened - and to also point out events and patterns that happened 75 years ago that are comparable to today."
Mr Attiwell's passion for the project was sparked by a modern history course he took where he learned about the events of the holocaust. He said the course heavily impacted him and stayed with him for a long time.
"The cast and crew took great care and responsibility for the story they were telling," he said.
The script was sent to the Holocaust Institute of WA, which is in full support of the film, to ensure historical accuracy.
Mr Attiwell also ensured everyone involved in production met and heard a holocaust survivor tell their story.
"It's about amplifying survivors' stories," Mr Attiwell said. "The process certainly took a toll on the cast and crew. Some of the stories - you can't sleep at night because you can't get them out of your head. But it's so important to tell them."
Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra became the prominent filming location after the team visited and found they were able to replicate historically accurate colours, along with wall and floor conditions.
"Fairbridge House was one of our main filming locations - the conditions of flooring and walls and even room sizes were very accurate," according to Attiwell, who graduated from a TAFE course in film.
The Shire of Murray and Fairbridge Village supported and helped the film team throughout the process - with Mr Attiwell saying it was a "community supported project".
Actors and crew members came from all across WA with several from the Peel region.
The post production team, which includes editors, colourists and composers - will be hard at work to reach the October deadline for the release of Fading Numbers.
Mr Attiwell and his team are reaching out to the WA Education Department to discuss the possibility of adding the film to the high school curriculum.
"We'd like to distribute the film to schools across WA and eventually the rest of Australia," he said.
The premiere event will be held in Mandurah along with a social media release and various screenings throughout Perth.
Anyone wishing to follow along with the progress of the project can do so via the team's Facebook community.
Samantha Ferguson
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
