Australian screen legend Steve Bisley is looking to adapt his critically acclaimed memoir STILLWAYS into a feature-length film PAULINE, told from the perspective of his mother.

Shortlisted for multiple awards including the National Biography Awards, STILLWAYS is a powerful snapshot of Australian childhood in the 60s. The memoir is an unflinching recollection of Bisley’s own upbringing, from fighting bullies and dreaming about girls, to his father who’d take out his frustrations on his children, and his mother who’d do anything to protect them.

“Stillways is as much my mother’s story as it is my own,” said Bisley. “Here was a young woman, a trained teacher, poet and romantic, who left everything she knew to start a new life with a damaged man on a small parcel of land. They called the farm Stillways.”

“I lived the life. I wrote the book. Now, I want to direct the film,” he said. “My hope for this campaign is to secure the necessary funding to bring this incredible story to the big screen – an explosion of raw colour in the leached brevity of the digital age.”

Exploring themes of betrayal, love, ambition and belonging, Pauline is set to be a compelling coming-of-age family drama. Offering a fascinating glimpse into a simpler Australian life, the film shines a light on the incredible story of a woman learning to regain her sense of self.

Bisley is best known for his work on Mad Max, The Great Gatsby and Water Rats. Graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) alongside the likes of Mel Gibson and Judy Davis, Bisley’s hugely successful career spans over four decades in film, television, theatre, and literature.

Bisley is currently encouraging support for the film with an Indiegogo page to fund pre-production.