Bruce And Me: A Daughter and Her Fraudulent Father

Description

As a child of divorced parents, separated by continents, Oren Siedler's childhood was split into six-month segments. Half the year spent on a Buddhist retreat centre in Australia with her hippie mother and stepfather, the other half on the road in the States with her outlaw father, unless he was in jail. She loved her unconventional time with him: to a young girl he was admirable, commanding, mythical, beyond all rules. But then the spell was broken. Needing to remember countless aliases, birth dates and addresses, and living in constant fear of spot-checks and losing her father to jail, she became disillusioned and began to reject his views and lifestyle. Why couldn't he be like other fathers? Bruce and Me explores the inner workings of a complex and unique father/daughter relationship, and all the adventures and mishaps along the way.

Raised in rural Australia and all over the US, Oren Siedler's work is heavily influenced by her 'two dads', the twin poles of male influence in her life: her hippie stepfather and her Zen-like outlaw birth father. After a year playing violin in an Australian all-girl rock band, Siedler entered the film business in California, working in various crew positions in several feature films, including John Waters' HAIR SPRAY. With practical experience under her belt, she moved back to Australia to absorb film theory and artistic tutelage. She graduated with an Arts Degree in Communications from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a Certificate in Fine Arts from the National Art School. She went on to direct TV commercials, and then directed an AFC-funded documentary, RED SANDS BLUE SEAS, which was sold to the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channels. Her most recent documentary, BRUCE and ME, has screened on televisions throughout the world, incuding ABC Australia, the Sundance Channel USA and Life Network Channel in Canada. She currently lives near Byron Bay with her partner and new baby, and plays in a classical string quartet.