Act of Translation

International students from diverse backgrounds and life circumstances tentatively start to attend free workshops (mostly due to a great supply of alternating pizza and dumplings), put on by City of Melbourne in an attempt to address social isolation. Over the weeks, theatre director Catherine Simmonds creates a dynamic and intimate space for them to trust and share their experiences. Slowly students begin to understand the power of storytelling, gaining the skills and the courage to go public with their experiences in Melbourne, culminating in a profoundly moving series of performances. The personal stories in 'Act of Translation' are powerful, set within our crazy beautiful city of Melbourne. A feast of compelling theatre moments give voice to students' personal stories. It turns out the students realise this journey is about their own self discovery too, five years of therapy in just eight weeks! It is dynamic, funny and poignant, and goes a long way to debunk stereotypes. As Arnold Zable says in the film "This should be seen far and wide!'