A time machine made of salt water and sun-bleached celluloid — Australia's coolest secret, finally unearthed.
You Should Have Been Here Yesterday combines hundreds of hours of lovingly restored 16mm footage with a salt-infused soundscape by Headland. This cinematic poem tells the story of a wild community who took off up the coast and discovered a whole new way to live. Going back to the never-before-seen camera reels to ask the question – what do we keep and what do we leave behind? Featuring Tim Winton, Wayne Lynch, Bob McTavish, Albe Falzon, Evelyn Rich, Maurice Cole and many more. Inspired by Moonage Daydream and Jen Peedom’s Mountain.
Cinematography
Restored 16mm footage glows like honey left in the sun.
Score
Headland's soundscape is basically salt water for your ears.
Direction
Hoff channels Moonage Daydream's dreamy archival alchemy.
Director
Jolyon Hoff
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Paul Witzig's unreleased reels sat in coastal sheds for decades — Hoff found some literally growing mold, still playable.
This documents the 'second wave' of Australian surf culture, when hippies fled cities to build communes — a direct line from Morning of the Earth to Byron Bay's current identity crisis.
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