Kings Cross – A Neighborhood in Transition

Throughout its long history, Kings Cross has been Sydney’s seedy, sensuous and neon-lit heart; a playground of booze, bohemia, drugs and the pursuit of illicit leisure within its constantly evolving locale.

From the sanctuary of artists and sly grog mecca of the 1920’s, when the nascent red-lit territory of the Cross was literally sliced up by the razors of rival gangs, to the sinister era of Abe “Mr Sin” Saffron in the 1960’s, and on through the drug-soaked 70’s, 80’s and hard-partying 90’s - Kings Cross has long been home to vice, violence and excess.
But to its locals it has also been a place of business and community.

In the immediate wake of the tragic “coward-punch” deaths of Thomas Kelly in July 2012 and Daniel Christie on New Year’s Eve 2013, the New South Wales state government introduced a range of laws and regulations aimed at tackling drug and alcohol-related violence. The measures include 1:30am lockouts and a freeze on new license approvals for two years at venues within the newly defined ‘lockout zone’.

The precise social and economic consequence that these laws have wrought on Kings Cross (and on all of Sydney’s communities lying within the restricted zone) is still being measured.

However, since the laws, the landscape has changed significantly and many businesses have failed and are failing.
It is within this context that we want to ask the following questions: Have the new laws successfully lowered incidences of violent assault? To what extent has the strength of the local economy been affected? Has Kings Cross been unfairly targeted? Why were some areas exempt from the new laws? Have these other entertainment precincts of the city, those unaffected by the new legislation, reaped a commercial advantage? Who ultimately has control over the future of Kings Cross: the council, local business, commercial and residential developers or the people who reside in the neighborhood?

These issues can be fiercely polarizing and complex, a debate in which many sides are able to cite contradictory statistics to support their respective positions. The aim of our film is to make an investigation, to interview the key players, and to attempt to understand the dynamics of the scene as it continues to develop. In short, we aim to document a much-loved, much-maligned, yet iconic neighborhood during a period of transition.

Why do we care?
Both film makers live within Kings Cross and are passionate about live music and the vitality and future of the community in general. Approaching the issue from a perspective outside that of the national media or any political affiliation, we share a profound and personal curiosity about what exactly is unfolding in one of Sydney’s most iconic neighborhoods.

Why now?
We would argue that sufficient time has passed since the laws were enacted to adequately assess some of the changes that have occurred to Kings Cross. Time may also have allowed local residents and business owners to sufficiently reflect on what these changes mean for the future of Kings Cross.

How will the film be made?
We are a team of two. The documentary will be written, directed, filmed, edited and scored by us using the resources we have available.

Who are we?

Tim Di Muzio is a permanent resident of Australia, though grew up in Canada. He holds a PhD in International Relations and Political Economy from York University and is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong. He is author most recently of The 1% and the Rest of Us, Debt as Power and Carbon Capitalism: Energy, Social Reproduction and World Order. He received a competitive film grant from the Ontario Arts Council to write, direct and produce a video short on the importance of money (with Matt Crawley). He resides in Potts Point/Kings Cross.

Tim Onslow was born in Darlinghurst, though grew up in the UK. After studying Media & Film at Winchester University, he returned to Sydney in 2006. Tim was a finalist in the Lloyds Bank Channel 4 Film Challenge, a screenwriting competition for short films. His fiction and poetry have won awards from the BBC and WHSmith, and have been published in several anthologies.

Our primary expense is for equipment rental (camera, light and sound gear), along with some possible outlay for travel and the sourcing of archival footage. We also need to produce all the reward items. But our most significant investment is our time. We are committed to delivering this project in the highest professional standard in by January 31st 2016 and in time for the Sydney Film Festival in 2016.  We anticipate the approximate cost breakdown as follows:
* Equipment rental ($8000)
* Inner city travel ($100)
* Archival footage ($900)
* Graphic Design and Marketing ($1000)

No significant challenges are currently foreseen or anticipated.