A lost father A thirty-year-old conspiracy A daughter’s journey to uncover the truth A film by Juliet Lamont A STUDY GUIDE BY KATE R AYNOR http://www.metromagazine.com.au http://www.theeducationshop.com.au ‘The war is ceaseless. The most we can hope for are occasional moments of tranquillity in the midst of the conflict.’ Introduction n 1978, 34-year-old Scottish climber Jimmy Graham went to Antarctica Iwith Operation Deep Freeze to train scientists in survival skills on the ice. It was his dream job, full of adventure and challenge. He left his young family in Australia in December of that year, intending to stay at the Pole for six YOUNG famiLY months. Three months later he was shipped home, agitated and paranoid, claiming that he had stumbled onto FAST THE SNOWMAN CHARACTERS an illegal nuclear site and that the CIA FACTS had given him a chemical lobotomy. JULIET LAMONT – Jimmy’s daughter His descent into madness was stark ANTARCTICA: and the film’s director and terrifying for those who loved him. McMurdo Station SEAN LAMONT – Jimmy’s son, Juliet’s Unable to cope with his erratic and • Average mean sea-level younger brother dangerous behaviour, Frances, his temperature: -20 °C wife, fled with their two children, Juliet FRANCES LAMONT – Juliet and and Sean. Thirty years later, Juliet tries • Monthly mean range: Sean’s mother and Jimmy’s ex-wife -3 °C in January to -28 °C in to uncover the real story and reconnect August YANNI HOLIASTOS – cafe owner with what is left of the man she called • Stormiest months: ZAC VERSEGI – barista her father. The Snowman is her com- February and October pelling account of this journey. She BILL ROWLINGS – publican tracks Jimmy down to a country town Source: U.S. National Science Foundation HAMISH SMALL – old friend some five hours drive away from where ANDY COLVIN – climbing friend she lives in Sydney with her husband SHEILA MCLEAN – family friend and two daughters. He is leading a and senior secondary English, Cultural marginal, alcoholic life and has not Studies and Psychology, and has par- RICK REYNOLDS – hippie worked since his return from Antarc- ticular relevance for the VCE English BRUCE WILSON – hippie tica. Just what happened to Jimmy Year 11 Identity strand. TIM Oates – hermit to push him so irrevocably over the ELAINE ALLY – Elands resident edge? Pieces of this puzzle lie scat- The family will always be an inherently tered across the globe. Juliet demon- fascinating topic: at some level, even the LOU SANSON – CEO Antarctica New strates the tenacity and fortitude of an most isolated among us are members Zealand Arctic explorer herself, taking us on her of this basic unit of human connection CARL THOMSON – Operation Deep sometimes harrowing personal adven- and relationship. Reflecting on the family Freeze, Survival Trainer 1978 ture to New Zealand, America, Antarc- as a primal grouping allows students tica, Scotland and Ireland, in search of to explore their own memories and DREW BROWN – Operation Deep some kind of truth that might heal the experiences in a wider social context. Freeze, Survival Trainer 1978 icy rift in Jimmy and their family. Madness is also a topic of profound COLIN Monteath – Operation Deep importance. However it might have Freeze Curriculum Links come about, Jimmy’s mental health is in disarray. With some government RICHARD L. Horton – Operation The Snowman is an intriguing personal health bodies claiming that at least one Deep Freeze, Public Affairs Officer 1978 documentary touching on a variety in ten Australians will experience mental JIM LANDY – Operation Deep Freeze, of themes, including: identity; fam- health issues during the course of their Mechanic 1978 ily; relationships; memory; personal lives, this film provides a really important history; and madness. It is a valuable forum for exploring and addressing the PETER CLeary – Operation Deep text for use in the classroom because stigma attached to mental illness. Freeze, Dog Handler 1978 of the complex and challenging ways ED HAMBLIN – Operation Deep Freeze, in which it explores these issues. It Teachers please note: the film Storekeeper 1978 would be well suited to use in middle contains coarse language. SCREEN EDUCATION 2 ANT ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS bugger with a sharp mind and a mischievous sense of humour’ – International agreements very different to the impression he has created on publican Bill Rowl- 1932–33 International Polar Year ings who has only known him as a heavy-drinking recluse.) 1957–58 International Geophysical Year • How does Jimmy spend his days? Is Jimmy an alcoholic? 1959 Antarctic Treaty System • Juliet says that after his return from Antarctica Jimmy was never British Empire/Commonwealth the same again: ‘his mind a bliz- zard, his heart frozen’. Is Jimmy 1901–04 Scott’s first expedition still capable of love? 1907–09 Shackleton’s first • Discuss the account of Jimmy’s expedition JULIET at 18 experience at the anti-Vietnam War 1910–13 Scott’s second expedition demonstration in London, his ar- rest for the possession of marbles 1911–14 Mawson’s first expedition and his subsequent beating by po- lice. What does this anecdote tell 1914–17 Shackleton’s second expedition Activities & Discussion us about Jimmy, his background Points and his beliefs? 1921–22 Shackleton’s third • What sort of husband and father expedition The main aim of this guide is to was Jimmy prior to the trip to Ant- 1929–31 Mawson’s second present a wide variety of teaching arctica? What evidence is there to expedition and learning opportunities based on suggest Jimmy was very focused the film, ranging in sophistication and on his family? Describe Jimmy and 1934–37 Graham Land expedition complexity. Teachers are encouraged Frances’ marriage. 1943–45 Operation Tabarin to pick and choose tasks that suit • Why was Jimmy’s job with the the particular interests and abilities of New Zealand Broadcasting Corpo- 1955–58 Trans-Antarctic Expedition their students – not to work through ration particularly important? France the guide systematically. Most of the (It was through this position that activities target literacy outcomes: he discovered about Operation 1903–05 Charcot’s first expedition speaking and listening, reading and Deep Freeze.) writing. There are also activities that • What aspects of mountain climb- 1908–10 Charcot’s second address film analysis, ICT and creative ing did Jimmy specialize in that expedition thinking. The statements presented made him well suited for Operation Germany in quotation marks are intended to Deep Freeze? (ice and snow climb- be controversial and can be used in a ing) 1901–03 Drygalski expedition number of ways: as the focus for dis- • Describe Jimmy’s speech patterns cussion, debate or oral presentations; and style of speech. Consider his 1911–12 Filchner expedition and as a direction for further research, verbal tics, ‘whatever’, ‘sort of’, 1938–39 New Swabia expedition analysis or creative writing tasks. ‘mate’. What can we learn about Norway Jimmy: ‘Something that burnt a hole in his soul …’ 1910–12 Amundsen expedition FAST ‘I’m OK, sort of.’ – Jimmy FACTS United States 1928–30 Byrd’s first expedition • Write two character profiles of ANTARCTICA: Jimmy, one detailing the kind of 1946–47 Operation Highjump person he was prior to 1978, the • Coldest, highest, windiest continent in the world. 1947–48 Operation Windmill other describing the man we meet in the film. Where possible, identify • Highest recorded wind 1947–48 Ronne expedition velocity: 199 mph (327 the sources of information you use km/h), Dumont d’Urville, 1955–56 Operation Deep Freeze in piecing together the portrait. July 1972. (For instance, he’s described by Source: Australian Government old friend Hamish Small, who knew (See <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ Antarctica Division him in Scotland, as ‘a cocky wee Antarctic_expeditions>.) SCREEN EDUCATION 3 him just from listening to him another person’s point of view? If one key factor, what Juliet calls speak? Compile a list of the odd someone sent you a camera with The Thing, to explain someone’s things Jimmy says over the course similar instructions, what would breakdown? of the film (a few of my favourites: you choose to photograph and • Juliet says that Jimmy’s mind is ‘I reckon dogs have got Chinese what might this say about you? ‘unknowable’. Isn’t this ultimately hats’; ‘the marriage of a million • Do you think the experience of true of all of our experiences of the years’; and ‘I reckon the whales making this film and econnectingr other? got me’.) Imagine that these are with his family has any impact on • What were some of the more secretly coded messages. Explain Jimmy, or is he so shut off in his extreme manifestations of Jimmy’s the deeper meaning of one of his own world that nothing can really paranoia? (At one point he thought peculiar utterings. touch him? aliens were after the family and he • Jimmy gives Juliet a book and hid the children in the woods for draws her attention to a particular T ales of Ordinary two days; when Sean was about passage: ‘The war is ceaseless. Madness? five, Jimmy came to believe he The most we can hope for are oc- was not his son and threw beer casional moments of tranquillity in ‘I’m going; he’s fucking mad.’ – Frances cans at him; on another occasion the midst of the conflict’. Juliet is he kidnapped Juliet and took her moved to tears. What do you think • Do you think Jimmy is mad? Why? to Scotland.) she is feeling here and why do What is the difference between • Both Sean and Juliet confess to these words touch her so deeply? mad and sane? Draw up a table • Juliet sends Jimmy a couple of with two columns, ‘A Guide to the disposable cameras, hoping to Mad and the Sane’.