Peter Weir: Short Films

Peter Weir’s early short and medium-length films, rarely screened, form a fascinating chapter in the Australian master’s career. For many admirers of his later, canonical works, they may come as quite a surprise – and at the same time a genuine revelation. This is cinema of youthful freedom, countercultural ferment, and formal experimentation, in which Weir tests the limits of the medium, humor, and his own imagination with unconcealed delight. Not only does the director appear on screen himself, but we can also glimpse his New Wave inspirations and his brand of pure nonsense humor, at times close to the spirit of Monty Python. For the attentive viewer, these films are not merely curiosities from the early career of Peter Weir, but a key to understanding his imagination – his formal explorations and deep interest in the creative process, themes that would return repeatedly in his mature works.

Jakub Duszyński

In November 2025, Jakub Duszyński, Artistic Director of Gutek Film, travelled to Australia, where he met with Peter Weir. During the visit, he recorded an extensive interview with the director (to be published as part of the book “Peter Weir: Mystic and Traveller”) and invited him to collaborate on a short-form film project. The resulting visual installation, composed of previously unused footage from Picnic at Hanging Rock, was created in close consultation with Weir, who actively participated in its development.

The installation A Dream Within a Dream: Peter Weir is built almost entirely from materials that have never before been publicly presented, including the film’s legendary long-lost ending. In keeping with the director’s wishes, the installation will be presented exclusively on the big screen during Timeless Film Festival Warsaw — making this the only opportunity to see it.

Fragments of this short-form work will be accompanied by the director’s voice, reflecting on his creative process, the making of the film, and the artistic decisions that shaped its final form. The piece will be complemented by an original score composed by Jan Duszyński.

Peter Weir (b. 1944) – director, screenwriter, and producer, and one of the central figures of the Australian New Wave. In the 1970s, he played a crucial role in establishing Australian cinema on the international stage, creating films marked by an atmosphere of mystery, spirituality, and quiet unease. He later transitioned smoothly from auteur filmmaking to Hollywood while retaining his distinctive voice, consistently exploring outsiders, individuals in conflict with systems of power, and the metaphysical dimensions of reality. A six-time Academy Award nominee, Weir has received numerous major honours, including an Honorary Oscar (2022) and the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement (2024). He is a master of intelligent yet accessible cinema – one who has reached global audiences without ever sacrificing artistic depth or sensitivity.

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Screening presented courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA).