Controversial Australian Film Bliss will be the next film screened in Mount Gambier by Reels @ Wehl Film Society on Thursday 29 July 2010.

Bliss was first screened at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival, where 400 of the 2,000 in the audience walked out during the screening. Originally classified as "R" because of its depiction of incest, the film could not find a distributor until it was reclassified on appeal.

The film eventually was shown in small cinemas, and eventually gained acceptance. In doing so it won AFI awards for Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Adapted Screen Play.

Bliss, the novel by Peter Carey on which this film was based, has now been made into an opera, currently showing in the West End of London and playing at international festivals, such as Edinburgh.

Bliss follows Harry Joy (Barry Otto) when he returns to life after a four-minute death from a heart attack. He finds the certainties of his former existence have entirely vanished. The world he previously knew, which saw him drifting amiably through life as a successful advertising executive, has become a literal living Hell. His wife Bettina (Lynette Curran) is in a sordid affair with Harry's business partner (Jeff Truman) and all around him people are dying of cancer and Harry's advertising agency has taken to promoting carcinogenic products. Harry is convinced he actually is living in Hell and befriends an angel in the form of ex-prostitute Honey Barbara (Helen Jones) to return him to happiness.

The film is rated MA18+. Mount Gambier now has the opportunity to see what all the fuss was and local people can judge for themselves on this iconic Australian Film, the first by Ray Lawrence who went on to award winning films such as Lantana.

Prior to the film will be the film society's Annual General Meeting, commencing 5:30 pm. Pre-screening wine and nibbles are available from 6:30 pm, with the film commencing 7:00 pm. Visitors to the region are welcome with a special Tourist membership.

Reels at Wehl, an officially accredited film society with the Federation of Victorian Film Societies, is part of a worldwide movement of film societies catering for patrons who appreciate a variety of film genres from all over the world. It now has over 150 members.

Film societies are thriving across Australia, the United Kingdom and America as a vehicle to bring films from a vast range of countries to the big screens, especially in communities where commercial cinemas do not have the populous to screen these films profitably. They are membership based and not-profit run by volunteers. It's easy to become a member, come along to the screening and speak to one of the friendly volunteers who will give you a membership form.

For more information contact Anne on 0401 715 306.