There's a Fax from Bruce

Two of Australia's most successful practitioners react with wry resignation, indomitable fortitude and high-speed improvisation to get cameras rolling as deals collapse at the eleventh hour and stars go feral. Required reading if you have any illusions about the glamour of filmmaking. – David Williamson

I devoured the correspondence between Sue and Bruce. It has all the humour and metaphors you could wish for in an intimate exchange about the angst of ever getting a film made, anywhere, anytime. – Margaret Pomeranz

Who would have thought that faxes could be so expressive?

Receiving a fax from Bruce Beresford first thing in the morning generally guarantees a good start to the day. No matter how serious the subject, or the enquiry, one can be sure it will be liberally laced with laconic or sardonic wit and humour for the addressee's eyes only. Sue Milliken's responses are equally pithy and wryly observant, says Anthony Buckley in his foreword.

There's a Fax From Bruce is edited correspondence between director Bruce Beresford and producer Sue Milliken from October 1989 until March 1996. They worked together on a number of projects – some of which never made it to the first day of filming – and stayed in touch by fax machine. As well as taking care of professional business, the faxes are chock-full of industry gossip and news, as well as ruminations on books they had read or films they had seen.

Most people think they have an idea about what movie-making is all about, but it's harder than it looks. These faxes reveal the background to how the industry works and the many uncertainties in getting a film up. This book also shows the relationship between the director and the producer – in this case, the effective working relationship and enduring friendship between Bruce Beresford and Sue Milliken. The faxes have warmth and immediacy that only comes from a genuine relationship.

There's a Fax from Bruce is a fun, fascinating, informative and ultimately charming read. And yes, you may wonder why they do it!

Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than thirty feature films over a fifty-year career. Notable films he has directed include Breaker Morant (1980), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Paradise Road (1997) and Mao's Last Dancer (2009).

Sue Milliken is an Australian film producer whose credits include Sirens (John Duigan, 1994), Dating the Enemy (Megan Simpson Huberman, 1996), Paradise Road (Bruce Beresford, 1997), My Brother Jack (Ken Cameron, 2001) and The Redfern Story (Darlene Johnson, 2014). She is a former Chair of the Australian Film Commission and the recipient of the Australian Film Instutite's Raymond Longford Award.