PETE (OOS) . Released January 7th, 2018, 'Hotel Coolgardie' stars The movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 24 min, and received a user score of 75 (out of 100) on TMDb, which collated reviews from 11 experienced . There's no escape. I was also laughing a lot., Shire President Malcolm Cullen claims the area (including the hotel, which is under new management) has moved on. Life at Coolgardie's Denver City Hotel is not for the faint-hearted or easily-offended. It's publican Jack McGregor made the hotel rather popular as it was a welcoming place for the early goldrush miners with a relaxed dresscode and free meals for those down on their luck. "I guess if you're from Goldfields tourism, you're not going to want to have viewers think what's in the film is emblematic or typical of the Goldfields experience," he said. "Nah, she'll be all good mate," one local man said. Our guests praise the restaurant and the helpful staff in our reviews. Hotels with Free Wifi in Coolgardie. It's Pete's way or the highway. a BRILLIANT film The Curb: The Best Australian Films of the Decade, a sly and lighthearted HUMOUR throughout an otherwise ASTONISHING narrative Hospitality Kalgoorlie, SureStay Collection by Best Western. The locals say it's a place where the flies are friendly and somewhere they are more than happy to regularly frequent, even if they pretty much have to provide their own entertainment. "What the trailer was doing was playing off that image we have of that kind of wild west, larrikin, outback feel.". We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. While the movie is devoid of the blood and gore ofWolf Creek, its portrayal of the experiences of two Finnish girls working at a pub in a tiny West Australianmining town is terrifyingin its own right. It was emotional to see the film. The big question is whether Hotel Coolgardie is a microcosm of broader Australian society. I thought that might speak to something about Australian culture, or culture in general, he tells Guardian Australia. The Scottish director and screenwriter, Charlotte Wells, describes her feature film debut, Aftersun, as "emotionally autobiographical", as it delves into the reflections and emotions of an adult woman looking back at digital footage shot on a MiniDV camera while on holiday in . Coolgardie is located 550 kilometres east of Perth, approximately 40 kilometres west of Kalgoorlie, and 187 kilometres north of Norseman. Yes I do. 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Melbourne Herald Sun, sad FUNNY cringe-worthy STAGGERING shocking EXTRAORDINARY Hotel Coolgardie is one of the most captivating Australian documentaries in recent memory. Director Pete Gleeson's Hotel Coolgardie, screening in cinemas now, shows what happened when Lina and Steph arrived in the small Australian town of Coolgardie and starting working and living at the Denver City Hotel. The local pub, the Hotel Denver, is the hellhole young Finnish backpackers, Stephanie and Lina, find themselves in. Except those quarters are not your own home they're upstairs at the very same pub, where over the next few weeks you'll have to fend off drunk and often menacing strangers who are hell bent on following you into your bed, and can't be made to leave. Theyscore the dubious honour of being barmaids at the local watering hole in Coolgardie, a speck of a town 38 kilometres from Kalgoorlie populated predominantly by miners most of them men. "I don't think it had to be quite as red-neck as it was made out," another man said after the screening. With no security to back them up, and with a boss whose singular concern is how quickly they're refilling the customers' drinks, the two girls are left to navigate on their own these often increasingly threatening interactions, almost all of which are predicated on the men's sense of sexual entitlement and expectation. There are moments of levity - and a lot of heart in form of a toothless gentle giant named Can Man - but through the chuckles remains a looming threat that all women will be familiar with. We were in need of money and had to suck it up and try to keep face so that we could keep our job, she continues. their working holiday rapidly deteriorates into a bizarre test of endurance, as they discover If Hotel Coolgardie has a hero, he is it hes the lone resident who comes to Lina and Stephs defence. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and breakfast. Coolgardie Hotels with Outdoor Pool. "You can't sum up anywhere at all, any town, by the views of two people, Mr Gleeson said. Never, ever, ever, ever again. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. By not really wanting to play the game, or interact the way they were expected, they kind of became this blank canvas for people to project their own simmering inner conflicts on to. He even lewdly comments that his male patrons 'grow a new leg' when new girls come to town and even compete to see who can bed them first. According to the website, "Barmaids are an integral part of Outback Aussie culture and the original Workstay Country Pub Barmaids program was essentially for females," although some men occasionally get jobs. Described as "a nightmare version of Cheers" (POV Magazine) and "one of the most captivating Australian documentaries in recent memory" (Cinema Australia), HOTEL COOLGARDIE is a gripping portrait of outback Australia, as experienced by two ill-fated backpackers who find themselves the latest batch of "fresh meat" to work as barmaids in a remote mining town. Describing what goes on in the hotel over the course of the documentary as wrong might even be an understatement. They delved deep into the Australian outback on the hunt for a job and they landed in a mining town called Coolgardie, a small dot on the map about 550km east of Perth, with a population of about . But others display a concerning attitude towardswomen, with one patron complaining b***hes dont like me and suggesting killing them as a solution to his lady problems. Consult the website for up to date screening information. Sometimes amusing, often . Leigh Paatsch / 1116FM Radio SEN, a NIGHTMARE VERSION OF CHEERS Little did they know that I have a masters degree in economics. 11. Among Gleesons inspirations are the documentaries of American film-maker Frederick Wiseman, who is known for a fly-on-the-wall style. But, of course, playing nice comes with its own set of consequences, as the girls find out during an alcohol-fuelled camping trip that turns sour. "It felt like we were being objectified, rather than being valued for who we were outside of just being women. (527 reviews) "My room was clean, comfortable and everything worked. It's a humorous, absorbing, uneasy and often disturbing account of life inside a Coolgardie pub, as experienced by two Finnish travellers, Lina and Steph. In the film, these drunken patrons are seen abusing and making unwanted sexual advances towards the young women. But it also shouldn't be viewed as some sort of natural consequence of life in remote areas where there's a gender imbalance. Then what happened is, these Finns arrived and they appeared not to be trying to fit in as much as the patrons would have liked them to. Like the reception to Wake in Fright, it has struck close to the bone for some. The new manager has said the practice no longer happens at the Denver City Hotel and that the documentary was filmed several years ago. However, beneath any overt feelings of contempt, you also find yourself recognising a similarity to people and places you might haveencountered in the past. The situation between the employer and the employee in Coolgardie would never happen in our home country which made it even harder to try to accept it and to be quiet, when you have grown up your whole life learning what is right and what is wrong.. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Upon their arrival the Finns are described as out of the packet by the hotel manager, who declares his customers grow a new leg when fresh meat comes to town. "Our concern was in an observational film about a particular situation; it's up to the audience to decide.". It was very much more intense than we anticipated, reflects Gleeson. Nicolina (Self)Stephanie (Self)Peter Coffey (Self)John Joseph Lowe (Self - Canman) Pete Gleeson On a dusty highway between Australia's most isolated city and its largest gold pit lies Coolgardie . "What do you eat in Finland? Hotel Coolgardie is now available to stream on DocPlay and Amazon Prime Video. Hotel Coolgardie 2016, Documentary, 1h 23m 93% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 92% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings Where to watch Subscription Rent/buy Want to see Keep writing Your AMC Ticket. We're guessing Lina won't be making a return visit. Or maybe they are scared of being hurt? A picnic area, laundry facilities, and barbecue grills are also on offer. (129) 6.8 1 h 23 min 2017 R. In remotest red-dust Australia is the sleepy mining town of Coolgardie. For something soaked in XXXX beer, Hotel Coolgardie is absolutely sobering, absolutely skin-crawling and absolutely necessary viewing. Amusing, disturbing, and thoroughly bizarre, this candid . It's a dangerous approach that implies sexual harassment is part of the deal. [It is] absurd almost to the point of comedy how downhill things go in the film, she says. Every day we got to hear that we were stupid. 59. Many talk like Mick Taylor, drink like Barry McKenzie and appear to have an understanding of foreign cultures comparable to Crocodile Dundee. Australian release date: 23 February 2023. Its not a movie. When I saw it, all those feelings came back I really wanted to go back to Coolgardie, to meet all the people once again and talk to them now, when I dont have to be scared of losing my job anymore.. Australia was always on the top list of places to visit, Lina explains. The 120-year-old building contains the town's watering hole and 26 hotel rooms in the centre of Coolgardie's . Review of Denver City Hotel. Pete Gleeson) shows at Event Cinemas George Street, Friday June 10, as part of Sydney Film Festival 2016. per night. Director defends controversial documentary on 'backpacker nightmare' at Coolgardie Pub, There is an emergency bushfire warning in place for Maintongoonin Victoria. Hotel Coolgardie. When theres a dominant culture at play with certain norms and customs you do need to fall in line without joining in. Reindeer? "Everyone knows that the Goldfields is a pretty multi-faceted place, like anywhere.". In remotest red-dust Australia is the sleepy mining town of Coolgardie. We didnt even notice after the first day or two that we had a film crew surrounding us all the time., However, despite how tough their time in Coolgardie might have been, in retrospect Lina can see the lighter side of it. It's a documentary/film about 2 young female backpackers, sent by an agency, to do a 3 month stint as bar staff at a remote pub in a small mining town in Western Australia. Every day we got [told] that we were stupid or dumb as a horse. I dont know if they are even aware they are being sexist. Where the subtle power dynamics and latent expectations of the place were for these new comers. When two Finnish girls take jobs in the town's pub, they find themselves in a trial of endurance, and soon realise that pouring pints is the least of their work. it out there unconcerned with box office or public approval. Otago Daily Times, completely unexpected, COMPLETELY STUNNING. The Young Folks, borders on being FRIGHTENING, HILARIOUS and HEARTBREAKING all at once AB Reviews Best Of 2017, full of ANXIETY, COMEDY, FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, NAIL BITING TENSION and DESPERATE UNEASINESS Perth-based filmmaker Pete Gleeson said the snapshot of life in the town given in the trailer was intended to generate talk. "I was a bit sad, because it was never like that, I don't reckon. The documentary was filmed several years ago and the pub is now under new management. It did feel like we were being objectified. "It's an interpretation, and it's the vision as seen through the eyes of two people who come and work at a particular time, in this particular place under particular circumstances," he said. The behaviour of the men in Coolgardie is undoubtedly unsettling, though the film wasnt made from a feminist perspective. Every day we got to hear that we were stupid. "But as a film, we were going to choose moments that most impacted the women, and those moments were not always positive.". "Not quite sure what to expect," said one Coolgardie local who drove to nearby Kalgoorlie for the local premiere on Wednesday. Imagine you're on an adventure on the other side of the world. "There were some bits of it that were really good and showed the true people. Well, Canman and the documentarys crew, a tight-knit group led by director Pete Gleeson. Hotel Coolgardie - The Film. Most girls would get on great they adapted well and would leave with an authentic outback story to tell.. He said he understood the apprehension that some people who lived in Coolgardie may feel without having seen the film. Coolgardie, Western Australia. 7.8/10 (45 reviews) Coolgardie GoldRush Motels. So we had to bite our tongues and be nice and polite, then cry behind closed doors.. They grow a leg when theres new girls in town, the owner proudly saysof his patrons amidshots of rough-and-ready blokes gazing lasciviously at what they clearly regard asfresh meat. You don't have your own car and are relying on the same locals who've made you fear for your safety in the pub in order to go anywhere else. I was crying, and I was angry: Hotel Coolgardie's shocking portrait of sexism in the outback | Film | The Guardian. A restaurant and a bar/lounge are featured at this motel. Maybe we should have some sort of competition jelly wrestling or wet T-shirt, one patron suggests, referring tothe new arrivals and their predecessors. "The trailer is designed to, you know, spark people's attentions and that's kind of what it did," he said. It was really hard to be there, knowing it wasnt right, what they were doing to us. She added the same situation would never happen in Finland, which made it "even harder to try to accept it and to be quiet". 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Almost a year ago, the film screened at the Sydney Film Festival and the trailer in circulation at the time stirred up local criticism, with the shire president declaring he would not go out of his way to see it. 01 00 53 14. The Miners Rest Motel. In remotest red-dust Australia is the sleepy mining town of Coolgardie. What's on TV & Streaming Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Browse TV Shows by Genre TV News India TV Spotlight. The documentary's filmmaker first discovered the outback hotel about fifteen years prior to the doc debuting. The Place for Local and Family History on the Western Australian Goldfields But the former owner would proudly place a chalkboard sign outside the pub that proclaimed: 'New Girls Tonite!'. There's also no small amount of humour amongst the horror,from what surely must be the worst Mr Whippy in the world to the unique world-view of local celebrity Can Man. 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