One of the first TV series I ever worked on was The Straits – a unique Australian drama filmed in Cairns, the Torres Strait Islands and other locations in North Queensland. Shot over three months in late 2011, it first screened back in early 2012, but has recently been given a second airing on the ABC. To coincide, I thought I’d share some of the photography stills I captured for the series, which for me, involved thirty or so days on set… learning a lot about TV production and working with some great Aussie talent, behind and in front of the camera.
It’s a gritty, crime drama with and plenty of dark humour, guns, violence, and new & inventive ways to kill your enemies. It was definitely something a little bit different and an experience to shoot, especially any scene where gunfire or explosions were involved. It was also quite a challenge to capture the action and drama, and between breaks in filming, have enough time to create interesting character portraits.
The story follows the Montebello family, whose business involves smuggling drugs into Australia, and guns and exotic wildlife out, via a network of family ties in the Torres Strait. When the head of the family, Harry Montebello, looks to hand over the business to one of his three adopted sons, it sparks a vicious power struggle and all out war with outlaw bikies and Papua New Guinea raskol gangs. It’s based on an idea by Cairns local, Aaron Fao’so who plays Noel Montebello, and was pitched as something like “The Sopranos in thongs”.
You can learn more about the TV series at the ABC site:
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/thestraits/#
Firass Dirani, who plays Gary Montebello, the youngest and least focused of the Montebello criminal clan, in “The Straits” TV series
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Eddie Tagobe and brothers Marou & Noel Montebello (played by Kramer Cain, Jimi Bani & Aaron Fa’oso) heading to visit the PNG raskols
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Kramer Cain, who plays the dope smoking, larrikin Eddei Tagobe, who is the Montebello’s go to man in the Torres Strait
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A menacing PNG raskol leader
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A band of PNG raskols shooting at the Montebello brothers as they flee an arms deal gone wrong
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Eddie (played by Kramer Cain) unleashing on a group of PNG raskols after being speared through the cheek
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Members of the DC motorcycle club meeting Harry Montebello in a restaurant to discuss drug business
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Sergeant at Arms for the DC Motorcycle Club, Peter ‘PZ’ Zammit (Stewart Jones) firing on the home of Noel Montebello’s family
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Antoinette (played by Kate Jenkinson), wife of Noel Montebello, ducks for cover as bikies target her in a drive-by shooting
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Antoinette and Noel Montebello (played by Kate Jenkinson & Aaron Fa’oso) argue after an attack on the family home
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The Montebellos turn their wrath on members of the DC motorcycle club after a failed hit on their family
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Outlaw bikie PZ (played by Stewart Jones) is killed off, thrown into a pool filled with box jellyfish
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Harry Montebello and his lawyer Natasha Denning (played by Brian Cox and Rachel Blake) are interviewed by police over a dead bikie
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Jasper Bagg who plays Two-Stroke, an impetuous and conniving bikie
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Raskol brothers Dizzy & Freedy (played by Bill & Ray Doa Neill) work in a makeshift meth lab in remote PNG
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Dizzy (played by Bill Doa Neill) leaps from an exploding meth lab in the cane fields of PNG
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Filming a scene with a PNG raskol coming ashore on Zey Island (Hammond Island) in the Torres Strait
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Gary, Joseph and Eddie (Played by Firass Dirani, Chum Ehelepola & Kramer Cain) shelter when the house is sprayed by gunfire
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Bill Doa Neill as PNG raskol, Dizzy, hell-bent on revenge on the Montebello clan for the death of his brother
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Eddie and Joseph (Kramer Cain and Chum Ehelepola) hide behind a couch from a rampaging raskol, bent on revenge
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Gary Montebello (played by Firass Dirani) fires back at a PNG raskol who comes looking for him, seeking revenge
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Chum Ehelepola, who plays Joseph, a Tamil refugee caught up in the criminal activities of the Montebello clan
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Gary, Joseph and Eddie (played by Firass Dirani, Chum Ehelepola & Kramer Cain) look on at a dead raskol, seeking revenge
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Paddy Brogan and Harry Montebello (played by Kim Gyngell & Brian Cox) on a fishing trip
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Harry Montebello (Brian Cox) murders his business manager and old friend, Paddy (Kim Gyngell) on his boat when he learns he’s stealing from the family.
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Jimi Bani, who plays Marou Montebello the failed footy star who takes refuge in the family business
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Harry Montebello (Brian Cox) leads his daughter Sisi (Suzannah Bayes-Morton) away to the protests of son Marou (Jimi Bani)
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Director Rachel Ward, runs the cast through a hospital scene, filmed in Cairns
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Emma Lung, who plays the manipulative and ambitious wife of Marou Montabello.
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Renowned Kiwi actress, Rena Owen, who plays the powerful and god-fearing matriarch of the Montebello clan, wife to Harry
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The Montebello siblings wait in a hospital, after visiting their father Harry.
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Marou and Noel Montebello (played by Jimi Bani & Aaron Fa’oso) in pursuit, in episode 4 “The Hunt for Vlad”
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Vlad (played by Richard Cawthorne), the hired assassin, on the run from the Montebello brothers
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Vlad (played by Richard Cawthorne), meets his end after trying to escape the Montebello brothers
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Gary and sister-in-law, Lola, (played by Firass Dirani & Emma Lung) get up close at the Montello family croc farm
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Gary Montebello (played by Firass Dirani) confronted by PNG raskols when a smuggling operation goes awry
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Eddie Tagobe and Gary Montobello escape the PNG raskols, filmed in Cairns
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Kitty Montebello, son Gary and daughter-in-law Lola (played by Rena Owen, Firass Dirani & Emma Lung) shopping in Rusty’s Markets
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Kitty Montebello (Rena Owen) pays a visit to her son Gary (Firass Dirani) on the Torres Strait Island of Zey
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Cast rehearsing a scene while director, Rachel Ward looks on, filmed on Hammond Island, Torres Strait
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Gary and Eddie (played by Firass Dirani and Kramer Cain), get back their stolen wheels, filmed on Hammond Island, Torres Strait
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Director Rachel Ward and DOP, Mark Wareham, set up a scene at the Montebello family home
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The Montebello clan arguing around the breakfast table
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Noel Montebello (played by Aaron Fa’oso) contemplates what’s been lost during the episode 6, “The Price”
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Cast & crew filming a scene for episode 6, “The Price”, in Cairns
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Gary & Eddie (played by Firass Dirani and Kramer Cain) searching for a hidden stash, filmed on Goode Island, Torres Strait
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Director Rowan Woods, with cast & crew rehearsing a scene filmed on Goode Island, Torres Strait
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Eddie (played by Kramer Cain) in disguise as a bumbling bandit, filmed on Goode Island, Torres Strait
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Gary and Bridget Titui (played by Firass Dirani & Tasia Zalar) talking on the beach at Zey Island (filmed on Hammond Island, Torres Strait)
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Cast & crew working on a scene filmed on Goode Island in the Torres Strait
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Kitty and Bridget (played by Rena Owen and Tasia Zalar) scream out at bandit who steal their boat with drug stash aboard
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PNG burial scene where the raskols smuggle contraband in the caskets of dead members.
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A dead raskol in a casket used to smuggle drugs through the Torres Straits
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Greg Kapernick who plays Kingsten, the PNG businessman and smuggler
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Andrew (Finn George Newman), Harry Montebello’s illegitimate son holding Coco the dog, with Natatsha (Rachel Blake) and Harry (Brian Cox) looking on.
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Harry Montebello and friend Vince (played by Brian Cox and Andy Anderson) seeking payback
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A hired thug is killed off, dragged behind a tow truck
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Marou Montebello contemplates ending it after murdering his wife Lola (played by Jim Bani & Emma Lung)
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The dead body of Lola Montebello (Emma Lung) in a motel
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Sissi & Harry Montebello (Suzannah Bayes-Morton & Brian Cox) watch as Vince and Marou (played by Andy Anderson & Jim Bani) bury his wife Lola
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Marou Montebello (played by Jim Bani) buries his wife Lola who he murdered to protect the family
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Joel discovers Lola’s dead body in the coldroom of the croc farm (played by James Mackay & Emma Lung)
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Vince Palmiro (played by Andy Anderson) helping dispose of Lola’s body, filmed at Wangetti, North Queensland
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Sissi Montebello and Joel Thomson (played by Suzannah Bayes-Morton and James Mackay) share a passionate moment, filmed on Fitzroy Island
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Sisi Montebello (played by Suzannah Bayes-Morton) as she leaves her lover Joel out at sea.
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Noel Montebello confronts his brother Gary (played by Jimi Bani and Firass Dirani) about his infidelity with his wife
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Noel Montebello (played by Jimi Bani) has a flashback to his professional football days, filmed on Thursday Island, Torres Strait
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Filming a scene on Thursday Island, with director of photography, Mark Wareham behind the camera
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Shootout scene on Zey Island in episode 1, “Fatherhood”, filmed at Second Beach, Cairns
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Shooting slate for The Straits TV series
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Cast & crew photo on location at Wangetti, north of Cairns