The Go-Betweens: Right Here

The death of singer/songwriter Grant McLennan in May 2006 brought an end to one of Australia's greatest musical partnerships. McLennan and Robert Forster, the founding members of seminal Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, had been close friends and collaborators since their late teens some thirty years before. Their body of work across both group and their solo albums has seen them recognised as Australia's own Lennon and McCartney and the legacy they and their fellow band members forged through the late 70's, 80's and into the 00's has become the stuff of legend. The Go-Betweens: Right Here is a feature length documentary about the people behind this seminal band. It is a heartfelt story of discovery, uncovering the intensely passionate, creative and fraught relationships at the heart of this much loved and influential group. It is also the universal story of a great creative adventure that spanned three decades, through countless successes, failures, romances, break-ups, betrayals, triumphs and tragedies. It is a compelling investigation into the exhilarating, unpredictable, and precarious lives of musicians, that reveals the true price paid by them to pursue their art. As it unfolds, we discover how relationships - both creative and romantic - are continually tested, challenged, remoulded and, in some cases, destroyed. In Forster we reveal a man who finally learns how to survive and reconcile himself with the ephemeral nature of fame and success, whilst in McLennan we discover a man with a ferocious talent, who struggles with inner demons and emotions that eventually begin to consume him. And in Lindy Morrison (drums) and Amanda Brown (violin, oboe, guitar) - who were also in romantic relationships with Forster and McLennan respectively - we get a profoundly moving insight into their, as yet never told, side of the story and of their fight to be recognised as musicians in their own right. The Go-Betweens: Right Here doesn't assume knowledge of the group or its music. It offers an evolving revelation of them that truthfully exposes all the highs, lows, joy, pain, sorrow and beauty of being in a cult band and of trying to survive the harsh, brutal realities of an at times exploitative music industry. Unflinching, insightful and at times painfully honest, the film tells the story of The Go-Betweens from the inside out, from the people who lived it and from those whose lives were transformed by it. Extras include 46 minutes of unseen interviews with the band and guests, plus trailer.

'As a documentary, it employs masses of specific and unseen footage, photographs and audio material, plus interviews from eyewitnesses. It's also a work of imaginative direction. frank, fond, angry, amused, tearful and acerbic' - ****, Ian Harrison, Mojo, November 2018.

'Given the poise of the music, it's an oddly fraught story. Some may wish for more detail on their craft. Instead, Stenders has made a fine film about memory, truth and consequences - with a terrific soundtrack' - 8/10, Graeme Thomson, Uncut, November 2018