On Song: Navigating the Past in Ben Hackworth's 'Celeste'

Tropical-set romance Celeste – about a songstress attempting to recapture her former glory – arrives more than a decade after writer/director Ben Hackworth's challenging debut feature, Corroboree. Stephen A Russell speaks to this ambitious filmmaker about his admiration for playwright Bille Brown and old Hollywood as well as the process of shaping headliner Radha Mitchell's emotionally complex role.

Additional keywords:
Thomas Cocquerel, glory days, nostalgia, stepson, forbidden romance, opera, Celeste Lazarenko.