Director Kerreen Ely Harper and producer Carmel McAloon are searching for a pre-1960s house with a fig tree for the set of their latest film.
Reporter: Kate Kyriacou
ASPIRING movie stars from Moreland and Northcote could have a chance at the big-time – provided they have the right back yard.

And while they may not necessarily end up with their face on screen, they’re sure to have the most famous garden in the district.

The suburbs are being scoured in search for the perfect set for the filming of Film Victoria funded Parts of a Horse.

The short film’s producer, Carmel McAloon, said researchers had pinpointed Moreland and Northcote as the areas most likely to contain houses fitting the script.

"Basically, it’s a coming of age story about a young girl," she said. "The film is set in 1963, so we need her to be living in a house of that era or earlier.

"There is a really old fig tree in her backyard where she spends a lot of time – it’s the private place where she goes."

Ms McAloon said she preferred a real location as opposed to a built set – prompting the search for an older house with its own fig tree.

"In the 1940s and 1950s there was a wave of immigrants to the area," she said.
"Those particular cultures would have planted fig trees because that’s what they would have had at home.

"We need a huge, rambling, overgrown tree."

The film crew are searching for two houses, side-by-side, one with a large fig tree either in the back or side yard.

Ms McAloon said a location scout would usually be used to select a location, but not in the case of something so specific.

"Generally someone might want a grassy paddock, or a snow capped mountain.

"A location scout would usually have a library of images and good locations, but for something like this, you have to go out and ask people."

The Melbourne producer has worked on a number of television documentaries, including the ABC-televised Dances of Ecstasy – a program about the world’s dance culture.

Residents of Moreland, Northcote or Fairfield who live in a house built in 1963 or earlier – with a fig tree – are asked to call Ms McAloon on 0415 308 811.
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