Floodland Review: A Moving Portrait of Lismore and Its Inhabitants
Filmed in the aftermath of the devastating 2022 Lismore floods, the documentary Floodland moves with the fluid ease of water, dipping into the lives of various townspeople to create an emotionally layered and elegantly crafted film. Healing and renewal stand as core subjects in this reflective work, which evokes rumination rather than shock, entrusting viewers with something deeply cherished.
Marrying People and Place
Director Jordan Giusti masterfully marries people and place, wrapping them together like a double helix in a way that understands locations mean little without the stories of those who inhabit them. The film introduces several of Lismore's residents, including Eli and Jess, who met after the floods and, in their own words, "immediately hit it off and fell in love." Eli reflects, "If the floods didn't happen, this would never have happened," presenting a beautiful instance of doom and bloom—a phrase often invoked in climate crisis discussions that speaks to joy as an adaptive strategy and the potential for social connections to accelerate during disastrous times.
Community Resilience and Healing
Community resilience is central to the documentary, embodied in the actions of its subjects. Alongside Eli and Jess, we meet Harper, a close friend of Eli who became a social justice activist after the floods, and Dr. Caroline Atkinson, a Bundjalung and Yiman woman specializing in trauma treatment. Dr. Atkinson founded the Northern Rivers Community Healing Hub, which supports First Nations people affected by the floods. Floodland weaves these stories together in ways that feel fluid and expansive, almost like a body of water splitting and streaming in different directions yet moving cohesively.
Structure and Themes
At times, the film's structure feels a little drifty and loose, but this organic, earthbound quality is a large part of its appeal, ebbing and gathering with an instinctive rhythm. The documentary unpacks a wealth of topics, including the town's history, the treatment of Indigenous people in the region, and, briefly, disaster capitalism. It begins in the lush wilderness around Lismore, showcasing vibrant greenery, bright skies, and gently rippling waterways, before delving into the harsh realities of flood-prone life.
The Devastation of the 2022 Floods
Eli discusses his love for the town and how he "always wanted to be close by," achieving his dream of home ownership with a house positioned nine metres above river level. Floods, as he explains, are a way of life here: "You just move the washing machine upstairs, stock up on food and beer, and it's all good." However, the film then shows intense thunderstorms from February 2022, with wind blowing massive palm trees around like paper props. An evacuation order was issued, leading to unprecedented disaster as flood levels reached a record 14.4 metres.
Striking Footage and Rebuilding
Giusti deploys striking footage from both aerial and ground-level perspectives, capturing the apocalyptic devastation that engulfed most buildings and forced residents to seek refuge on their roofs. Returning to Eli's totally devastated house and the debris-filled streets, the documentary highlights how locals wasted no time cleaning up and rebuilding. This process, while melancholic and steeped in loss, was undertaken with a view to the future—brighter pastures, new hopes, and possibilities.
A Vivid Portrait of Landscape and Lives
Floodland is equal parts human and environmental, offering a vivid portrait of a landscape and the various lives shaped by it. Now in cinemas in Australia, this documentary stands as a testament to resilience and renewal in the face of extreme weather, making it a poignant watch for those interested in Australian film, community stories, and environmental issues.
