The Furnace
1897 Western Australia. To escape a harsh existence and return home, a young Afghan cameleer partners with a mysterious bushman on the run with two 400oz Crown-marked gold bars.
Southern Light Films, Meaning Maker, The Koop
Synopsis
The Furnace, set in the 1890s gold rush of Western Australia, is an unlikely hero’s tale, navigating greed and the search for identity in a new land.
This film illuminates the forgotten history of Australia’s ‘Ghan’ cameleers, who were predominantly Muslim and Sikh men from India, Afghanistan, and Persia, who traversed the nation’s vast desert interior, forming unique bonds with local Aboriginal people.
To escape a harsh existence and return home, a young Afghan cameleer partners with a mysterious bushman on the run with two 400oz Crown-marked gold bars. Together the unlikely pair must outwit a zealous police sergeant and his troopers in a race to reach a secret furnace – the one place where they can safely reset the bars to remove the mark of the Crown.
Photo credit Hoover's Gold Productions
Filmed and Post Produced in Western Australia
on the Traditional Country of the Yamatji Badimia, Yamatji Nanda & Noongar Whadjuk peoples
Watch the trailer
Production Information
Writer & Director
Roderick MacKay
Producers
Timothy White
Tenille Kennedy
Co-Producer
Georgia White
Associate Producer
Gary (Curly) Bonney
Executive Producers
Roderick MacKay
Brendon Grylls
Kelvin Munro
Grant Sputore
Bryce Menzies
Bill Beament
Jeff Harrison
Ari Harrison
Ying Ye
Michelle Krum
David Wenham
Julian Burt
Alexandra Burt
Charlie Bass
Matt Bass
Justin McArdle
Ian Hale
Key Cast
Ahmed Malek
Jay Ryan
Erik Thomson
Baykali Ganambarr
Trevor Jamieson
Mahesh Jadu
Osamah Sami
Goran D. Kleut
Samson Coulter
Mansoor Noor
Kaushik Das
Wakara Gondarra
Steve McCall
Amanda Ma
Gary Young
Sean Choolburra
David Wenham
Distributor
Umbrella Entertainment (ANZ)
Sales
Arclight Films International (ROW)
Key WA Crew
Director of Photography
Michael McDermott
Editor
Merlin Eden
Production Designer
Clayton Jauncey
Costume Designer
Lisa Gunning Galea
Production Coordinator
Financial Controller
1st Assistant Director
John Fairhead
2nd Assistant Director
Scooter Welbourn
3rd Assistant Director
Assistant Art Director
Catering
Gaffer
Key Grip
Greg Stirling
Location Scout & Unit Manager
Hair & Make Up Designer
Karen Sims
Post Production Facility
Siamese
Post Producer
Francesca Hope
VFX Supervisor
Will Manning
Filming in Mount Magnet
“Filming in Western Australia was a unique experience for me…
“I’d never seen landscape like that in my life. There were moments when I’d just look around and feel so grateful.”
– Ahmed Malek, Actor (Hanif)
Photo credit Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold Productions
Photo credit Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold ProductionsCommunity Support
“What really made this film possible was the local support we received.
“The Mount Magnet community were so welcoming, helpful and accomodating of our weird, wonderful and sometimes last minute requests.
“Perhaps more importantly, we felt the community were aligned with our desire to show off the region and share a part of our history for Australian and international audiences to enjoy.”
– Tenille Kennedy, Producer
Production Gallery
Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold Productions
Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold Productions
Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold Productions
Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold Productions
Megan Lewis © Hoover's Gold Productions