Screening Saturday 13 Sept 6:15pm
Dir. Richard Moore & John Doggett‑Williams
2025, Australia, 72 mins - SYDNEY PREMIERE
Legendary performance artist Stelarc’s radical 50-year odyssey; where flesh meets steel and the self dissolves.
This provocative documentary charts the extraordinary 50‑year odyssey of pioneering performance artist Stelarc, whose mantra “the body is obsolete” has driven audacious experiments - from flesh‑hook suspensions and a surgically attached ear to robotic arms and remote‑controlled exoskeletons.
Interweaving visceral archival footage with contemporary self‑reflections filmed during car rides around Melbourne, the film explores how Stelarc’s work interrogates pain, mortality, disability, and the evolving relationship between flesh and machine. Rich, candid interviews, including a compelling exchange with disability activist Liz Carr, reveal both the physical extremity and philosophical depth of his practice.
Thought‑provoking and unsettling, this is a bold examination of humanity’s potential to transcend its biological limits. Join director Richard Moore for a post-screening Q&A as he delves into the making of Stelarc and the provocative questions it raises about the limits of the human body and technology.
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With a special Q&A after the film with Directors
RICHARD MOORE & JOHN DOGGETT-WILLIAMS,
hosted by author and film programmer, Jack Sargeant.
Richard Moore has extensive experience as an artistic director, a curator, an executive producer and as a documentary film maker.
Richard is possibly remembered for his time as Executive Director of the Melbourne International FIlm Festival (MIFF) between 2005 and 2010. Programming was dynamic and included the introduction of many new sections and the championing of the documentary. MIFF witnessed four consecutive years of box office growth and a memorable stoush with the Chinese government.
As a programmer Richard has worked with many partners including as film curator at the Melbourne Arts Festival, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), with Palace Films and the Sydney Film Festival. From 2010 to 2013 he directed the Brisbane Film Festival before taking over the theatrical division at Umbrella Entertainment.
Prior to film festival world, Richard was the Executive Producer of ABC TV Arts responsible for the editorial direction of arts on ABC's television platform. In total Richard has directed or produced over 40 documentaries.
He has received accolades for his cultural endeavours including for the arts discussion program, Critical Mass, and the Voltaire award, for his stance on free speech against Chinese interference during the 2009 Melbourne International Film festival.
He is currently (2023) turning young minds onto documentary via his activities as a lecturer at a private tertiary college.
John Doggett-Williams has made television features, documentary programs and long-running sports and cultural series for broadcasters such as ABC (Australia), Reuters, ESPN, BSkyB and many others.
He wrote, directed and edited his most recent documentary, ‘Pure Sound – The Gyuto Monks of Tibet’, narrated by Emmy award winner Toni Collette which is a unique behind the scenes insight into the lives of esoteric Tibetan monks living in their Northern Indian monastery.
His other television documentaries include: ‘Michael Jackson – Death of an Icon’, and two detailed profiles of Australian artist, John Kelly, ‘Deconstructing John Kelly’, ‘Holy Cow! – The Art of John Kelly’ and ‘Selling Dreams – Australians in Cannes’. John’s series producer and associate producer credits include the internationally distributed, ‘Landmarks’, profiles of the world’s greatest natural and architectural landmarks and the ATP Tennis Show a weekly program distributed to more than a 100 international broadcasters.
He wrote, directed and edited his most recent documentary, ‘Pure Sound – The Gyuto Monks of Tibet’, narrated by Emmy award winner Toni Collette which is a unique behind the scenes insight into the lives of esoteric Tibetan monks living in their Northern Indian monastery.
His other television documentaries include: ‘Michael Jackson – Death of an Icon’, and two detailed profiles of Australian artist, John Kelly, ‘Deconstructing John Kelly’, ‘Holy Cow! – The Art of John Kelly’ and ‘Selling Dreams – Australians in Cannes’. John’s series producer and associate producer credits include the internationally distributed, ‘Landmarks’, profiles of the world’s greatest natural and architectural landmarks and the ATP Tennis Show a weekly program distributed to more than a 100 international broadcasters.
As a news journalist he has a leaning towards the arts having regularly covered both the Venice Biennale and the Cannes Film Festival for ABC television. John remains the official video documenter of one of Australia’s most prestigious arts events, the Melbourne Art Fair biennale. 2012 will be the fifth time he has held the post. He still enjoys print, where he has written news and feature stories for The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and many other publications, but these days is better known as a video journalist and regular contributor to Times Now (India).
In radio he produced news, features and several documentaries for the ABC (Australia), SBS Radio and contributed features to the BBC’s longest running magazine program,’Outlook’. John has had two solo exhibitions as a photographer and his writings have appeared in publications such as,’Going Down Swinging’.