The father of murdered Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe has called for Australians to boycott The Stranger, a film based on the undercover police operation that led to the arrest of Morcombe’s killer, which is scheduled to premiere next month.
On Friday, Bruce Morcombe told Perth’s 6PR radio station that filmgoers should “save their 20 bucks” on a film ticket and instead donate it to the foundation set up in his son’s name.
“If you’ve got any conscience at all, please don’t go and watch this movie,’” Morcombe said. “It is a terrible tale that glorifies a horrific incident, the murder of our son.”
He said Daniel’s name was precious and discussion in the media about the film had acted as “a trigger for all those untidy emotions that you try and suppress day by day”.
The Stranger, which is directed by Thomas M Wright and stars Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris, premiered at Cannes in May and is set to have its Australian debut at the Melbourne International film festival in August.
Morcombe is not named in the film, which is based on the lengthy undercover police operation that eventually led to Brett Peter Cowan confessing to killing the 13-year-old boy eight years earlier, in 2003.
The film’s production company, See Saw Films, said that, out of “deepest respect” for the Morcombes, it was decided that Daniel’s name would not be mentioned nor would it depict any details of the murder.
“It tells the story of the unknown police professionals who committed years of their lives and their mental and physical health to resolve this case, and others like it,” See Saw Films said.
“When the film was first in development, the producers approached the family to make them aware of the film. They declined to be involved. It is a decision we continue to respect.”
On Thursday, Bruce and Denise Morcombe shared a public statement through the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, which provides educational resources targeting child safety, where they described the decision to go ahead with the production of The Stranger, after they had declined to participate as a “cruel, callous, selfish cash grab”.
“Its appalling storyline ignores our family’s pain and chooses to profit from 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe’s death. In a twisted way, it also provides oxygen to a sadistic beast by notarising his evil acts. Individuals who make money from a heinous crime are parasites,” they said.
The Melbourne International film festival, which opens on 5 August, said it respected and acknowledged the grief, pain and hurt that the Morcombe family had expressed about the film. However, they also made clear that the crime is not the focus of the film, nor depicted within it.
“[The festival] believes that this film, as recognised by its inclusion in Cannes film festival this year, is a powerful work from a respected Australian director,” the statement said.
“It provides opportunity for contemplation and discussion of challenging subject matter. MIFF is a space, like many film festivals, where all kinds of cinema, including that which we may find dark or difficult, can be responsibly presented to an audience.”
A similar controversy erupted in late 2020, after the streaming service Stan began publicity for the Justin Kurzel film, Nitram, based on the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people were killed.
Nitram did not name the perpetrator and focused on the lead up to the shootings, not the massacre itself. The film went on to win 11 categories at the 2021 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.
