It’s hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since The Tunnel was released and broke new ground in the process. It’s been well documented how the creative team were seeking new ways to both fund and distribute their feature film. It was a bold enterprise that would be distributed through BitTorrent, exposing the film to millions for free, which some people in the industry found reprehensible. Furthermore, writer/producer partners Julian Harvey and Enzo Tedeschi would venture into enterprising means to seek funding by selling individual frames of the film for $1 before the cameras had even started rolling.

What is clear and fundamental to their success however was the passion, dedication, hard work and talent that was on display. All of which was the driving force for success as Tedeschi states, The Tunnel would provide him with the means to build his career upon. And while that declaration stands true, the fact that  each crew member was able to lean into their talents, whether it is Harvey and Tedeschi’s skills as not only storytellers but a deft hands in the editing room to spin a yarn with descent effect; or utilising a camera guy as one of their performers, Steve Davis, a talent in both areas; one he would leverage off a collective group of equally talented actors, Bel Delia; Andy Rodoreda; and Luke Arnold, each with their own unique take on their characters, and the collaboration of the troupe to support and strengthen one another lifts their performance off the screen. There’s also Julian and Enzo’s knack at keeping an eye on the bigger picture, combined with a focus on the finer details to work alongside Tedeschi plus keeping the film on track, especially when it started to escalate and gain traction fast.

It helps that The Tunnel also had a proficient director in Carlo Ledesma to provide the glue and unite all these elements together in order to make the film a reality.

What they established together was a defining moment, not just for Australian cinema but on a global scene too. They fought against the odds in what was deemed a controversial move at the time. The resistance was great, but they stood strong in their quest and produced a film that still stands strong today.

Yes, there have been advancements in technology in a relatively short space of time since its release, and in many ways the landscape remains the same, but the breakthrough The Tunnel created was a significant shift in filmmaking mentality and provided opportunity for other creatives to think outside of the box and seek alternative ways for their creativity to shine through.

– Saul Muerte

The Tunnel is currently streaming on Shudder and thankfully you can also get an insight into how the creative team pulled together and embarked on their intrepid journey with a fantastic behind the scenes documentary, The Tunnel: The Other Side of Darkness; also currently streaming on Shudder.