Clay (1965 film)


Clay is a 1965 Australian drama film directed by Giorgio Mangiamele. The film was nominated for the Golden Palm award at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival, but it lost to The Knack...and How to Get It.

Plot

Nick is a murderer on the run from the police. He finds a remote artists' colony and takes shelter there. Whilst there, he falls in love with a sculptor named Margot. When Nick is betrayed to the police by a jealous rival, Chris, Margot kills herself.

Cast

The film was shot in 1964, with the crew consisting of Mangiamele, a camera assistant and a sound technician. The budget was raised by Mangiamele mortgaging his house and the cast contributing ₤200 each. Filming started in May and took six weeks, mostly at an artist's colony in Montsalvat. Lead actor Janina Lebedew had her voice dubbed by Sheila Florence.

Release

The movie was the first Australian film selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
In March 1965, ABC bought the TV rights for £2,600 and the film won to awards for photography at the 1965 AFIs. However it was poorly received at the Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne Film Festival and struggled to get commercial release.