I think there are a lot of examples of incredible women leading the environmental movement at the moment and plenty of examples of men whove done some pretty catastrophic choices on the environment, including our political leaders in this country in the past. I wanted to work with the real, natural world. Blueback is about people learning from nature.' (Source: Trove) Exhibitions At eight, shes already mastered the art of free diving. READ MORE: * The movies I'm most looking forward to in the first-half of 2023 * I Wanna Dance with Somebody: Phenomenal performances lift Kiwi screenwriter's disappointing Whitney Houston biopic * Top Gun: Maverick, Whina and Moonage Daydream among the films I truly loved this year * The Lost King: Sally Hawkins shines in a breezy, enjoyable and very watchable tale. The latest film from The Dry director Robert Connolly, starring Mia Wasikowska . 150 pages of deceptive subtlety, sentimental at times, sure, but never Blueback is an achingly beautiful story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment, from Tim Winton, one of Australia's best-loved authors. YouTube. More than 25 years after it was published, Tim Wintons bestselling novella about a mum and childs fight to save a wild blue groper and the reef where it lives has been adapted into a family film starring Eric Bana and Mia Wasikowska. Blueback by Tim Winton - Free download as PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Connolly and Winton have just found a brilliantly pacy and involving way to make the years pass quickly. Theres Abbys connection to her mother, and, in scenes from the past, the blue groper. I wanted to make the film in an analogue way. Audiences open to an ecological ocean drama thats gentler, more grounded and certainly more Strayan than James Camerons squillion-dollar screensaver can find an appealing if slight companion piece in the latest Tim Winton adaptation, brought to the screen by writer-director Robert Connolly. If you could recommend just one film from your careers that you want people to see above any others, what would it be and why would it be that? And they are the most Expands the canon of coastal Aussie pictures: Blueback is in cinemas from 1 January. But no really, really excited. There was almost no rewriting, it just came out formed.". The underwater scenes perfectly capture the gliding rhythms of the sea world at its most serene. The joins feel fluid, sometimes seamless. "My wife left for work at eight o'clock in the morning, and I was wrapping it up to send it to my publisher," Winton says. Really, it's the Add to Goodreads. In one scene, adult Abby, during a moment of melancholic reflection, casts her gaze towards sand dunes, before Connolly cuts to teenage Abby walking across them. personally how to resolve. So I guess it was a period when I was in my 20s when I wanted to try and capture that.". But as the story unfolds, a metaphor emerges. Eric Bana: Yeah, similar experience. Blueback was shot on location in Australia's pristine Bremer Bay, a picturesque locale with crystal clear turquoise water and sublime ocean views. "And I'm happy with that. Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia. Thanks for signing up to the InReview newsletter. Blueback (PG, 102 mins) Directed by Robert Connolly ****. Abbys friendship with the underwater extrovert allows her to put a fishy face to the preciousness of the reef and inspires her to take a stand against the destructive forces of commerce much like her activist mother Dora (Radha Mitchell). "Our culture is obsessed about belonging, but people haven't grasped the His books have been adapted to the stage and screen, and he's been named a National Living Treasure. yearning for yesteryear perhaps? Thats incredible. each of my first three books, and that was for years and years of my life, for Bana and Wasikowska hadnt seen a Blue Groper prior to filming, in fact. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. Local arts and culture covered. that writing is (a) "essentially a tedious occupation I spend scads of time "We come from water," the mother whispers to her son. good training. Its her love, her cause and her reason for being. skin." Winton is now a renowned author of adult and children's novels. Mia Wasikowska: So I felt like there was a whole movie that I hadnt been a part of. "And if we lose these places, we've lost everything.". moral arms. "One area is the environment, in giving up certain liberties to deliver Its also a story about family at the end of the day, and its hard to imagine theres anyone wholl watch the film that wont find at least one element they cant relate to on some level, which can sometimes be a difficult balance to strike when it comes to independent productions that also wear their localization as such a proud badge of honor like Blueback does, which is a testament to how the film turned out. The film is at its best in the watery world luminously evoked by cinematographer Andrew Commis a place where the animatronic puppet that is Blueback mingles happily with the rest of the sea life. I have a need for a fairly big margin of privacy to feel that I Abel Jackson's forebears were whalers, his father a pearl- diver whose life was ended by a shark. Art is everywhere, as the ABC celebrates the first ever Arts Week, from Saturday August 6. Connolly and Winton stay close to the original book, which was released both as a childrens book and a novel several decades ago. and in eighteen different languages.Some of his works have also been successfully adapted for stage, screen and radio. As VFX (visual effects) developed, Connolly - who describes himself as more an "analogue" filmmaker - was ready. It was really wonderful. back. "I'm in the business of useless beauty," he says. We get so much joy and connection, and from the ocean and from our environment. Its a film about young people having great agency for change, [and] the inspiration they get from their parents, so even though I changed the gender I feel its a film for all young people., Melbourne-based actor Eric Bana on a mission. I wanted it to be somewhere that had a scale; what an amazing place for a mother to bring up a daughter and teach her about the environment and to introduce her to Blueback, this amazing fish.. Winton's novel was created for the young adult market, and is therefore a lot more positive and simply written than his novels for adults. Winton says he gets more fan mail about that book than anything else he's written. . other way round. So we had no restrictions in our physical filming, one of the few places in the world where that that was occurring. It can live up to 70 years. the kind of money most people toss aside for their drinks bill. When out fishing for some abalone with his mother Abel encounters a massive blue groper called Blueback and promises from then on to the protect this beautiful fish. I never saw one before, but its incredible how old they can live, shared Bana. Please try again later. promote-and-negotiate overseas tour - but he remains at best a diffident so that people in need will be clothed and fed? While marine biologist Abby Jackson is out on a boat researching the heart-breaking destruction of coral reefs, she's called back home with the news that . Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. She dubs her googly-eyed, big-lipped new friend "Blueback," promising her mom to. I just wish the action above the water line was as mesmerising. he helps his mother each day and loves to dive. Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. But I fear my grandchildren and Blueback is an achingly beautiful story about family, belonging, and living a life in tune with the environment, from Tim Winton, one of Australia's best-loved authors.Abel Jackson's boyhood belongs to a vanishing world. When she realizes that the fish is under threat, she takes inspiration from her activist mum, Dora (played by Mitchell), and vigilantly takes on poachers to save her friend. All of it sparks her life-long journey to save the world's coral reefs. TIM WINTON Abel Jackson loves to dive. While diving, Abby forms a bond with a. Mia Wasikowska: I did manage to crossover with the girls in Western Australia by maybe only two days when I was at the end of my filming period. Radha Mitchell plays Dora, an environmental activist. A wise exploration of the difference between the acquisition of information and the quest for knowledge, Tim Winton's gem-like ecological fable will warm the hearts of his fans. And the more that we take care of it, the more its a two-way street. Winton draws his main inspiration from the landscape he knows well. Is that something you guys can relate to having witnessed first-hand the environmental impact on Australia and the world thats been ongoing throughout your lives? And, you know, Robs very upfront about the fact that theres no point being ambiguous. On an idyllic stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish, he lives a simple, tough existence. Connolly describes him as a wonderful man to work with. Read it now. Throughout the inevitable rise in interest in him, he has guarded his strongly-held views, he has restricted his public utterances to reluctant, Theirs is a simple life. I hope Blueback inspires people to contribute positively to our world. South-East Asian section of the Commonwealth Writers Prize. finally get pen to paper, you exist only in that present tense - you don't While diving, Abby forms a bond with a. And The Riders, a finalist for the 1995 Booker Prize, won the However, the filmmakers didnt want little kids coming face-to-face with big creatures. Tim Winton born on 4 August 1960 in Western Australia is a famous Australian author. So were really excited. This is comic; a heartfelt role. "I've had a great experience working with Tim in the past, and his work, and I feel like this is a novella he wrote over 20 years ago that remains on the school syllabus around Australia and lends itself wonderfully to a screen adaptation," the director said. Every day while fishing, Abel and his mother would go out and play and feed Blueback. secular cesspool, environmentalism. Related: Best Mia Wasikowska Movies, Ranked. For Blueback, he agreed to Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning. And I think its worth it. Years later, when Abel is older, he returns to the bay and plays with Blueback again, but when his mother passes away he returns to his studies about the ocean. [As Jacques] Cousteau said: If you can make people fall in love with something, theyll care for it., I hope the film can inspire an activism about the health of our oceans.. Here are a few thoughts for you to think about: Turning lights off in rooms we aren't using, Drying clothes on the line not in the dryer, "Up and down they went hanging on the each breath taking a couple of abalone from each clump leaving the rest to breed and grow". environment everything is about balancing the books, of looking after "I was brought up in the suburbs, but it seems in retrospect as if I spent Cloudstreet the Miles Franklin-winning novel about two families sharing a house in Perth between the 40s and 60s was also a "pleasure" to write. I was so proud of it when I saw it. Like to send a message to Tim? Winton's passion for Ningaloo has only grown in the years since the campaign. When out fishing for some abalone with his mother Abel encounters a massive blue groper called Blueback and promises from then on to the protect this beautifulfish. Winton at this address are forwarded to him by his publisher. Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips. I want audiences to have immersive experience, noted Bana about what he hopes people walk away with. Radha Mitchell plays Dora, an environmental activist. Read more. We also wanted the audience to see the actors jump off boats and swim 20 metres down. Is that a sentiment you agree with, or are have you got a soft spot for the more direct approach if the occasion calls for it? Its very exciting to take the audience there.. Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. Growing up in a working-class family in suburban Perth, Winton understood that he lived on "the wrong side of the wrong country in the wrong hemisphere". A career in the arts was a radical aspiration. Blueback like the great big fish it is named for is a story that needs a few decades to make its purpose known. The teenage Abby (Ilsa Fogg) is the perfect child, intellectually gifted, uncannily calm in a crisis and free of all the stroppiness that punctuates the adolescent years of more credible beings. While Abel is away his motherfearlesslyfights off thesemenand makes the bay a national park tofinallyprotect Blueback and the bay from danger. An achingly beautiful story about family, belonging and living a life in tune with the environment, from one of Australia's best-loved authors, Tim Winton. He's currently working on a three-part documentary about the reef, which will airon ABC TV next year. The journey allows her to recall her younger self (played by Donoghue) and the experiences she had befriending a blue groper. seductions of fame. Between 2000 and 2003, he was famously instrumental in the campaign to save Ningaloo Reef from a resort development. Thank you to Penguin Books Australia. We did as best we could to made sure that didnt happen. Until the day he meets Blueback, the fish that changes his life. From the hard-to-find Metal Skin, through Somersault, The Black Balloon and the quietly incredible 2016 Is This The Real World, the Aussies routinely knock absolute gems out of the park. On the other hand, however, the English teacher may find themselves . His religious - and social - faith sustains him, he admits, "although at Its a scenario taken from Tim Wintons 2009 young adult novel, Blueback with one or two changes. It gives to us, and we give to it. Its clear that the impact on the environment is something you both feel strongly about, and even though its a uniquely Australian tale in terms of setting and story that speaks to the feelings a lot of people in the country have and have had for some time, the themes and messages are universal, so what do you hope audiences take away from the film by the time the credits come up? give only this print interview. This film should certainly help in that ongoing fight. He would have discovered an unpretentious The story of Abby, a young girl living with her environmentalist mother on Australia's pristine west coast. And it means that Blueback puts a very eloquent case for the care of this marine paradise. It was just I loved the film. awkward in that I don't know who it's for. People can watch the film and go on an incredible journey to places we went and filmed in. His love for the natural world is echoed in his conservation work. mobile and not have to get into a working rut. ", Blueback is subtitled "a fable for all ages", a marketing Eric Bana: I sort of knew Robert was developing it, because we have an office together. Blueback is a Young Adult novel by Tim Winton, published in 1997. That "frickin' book" won him his third Miles Franklin, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Two jam-packed days of conversations with writers you love and others you're going to love, on August 6 and 7 on your radio, online and ABC listen. where so much revolved around the sea - in a way, it was a gift and I owe it Mia Wasikowska: Yeah, Blueback is quite a classic here in Australia. Local arts needs local journalism. Winton is philosophic about that: "I guess it is I loved its environmental messaging about saving the ocean, and that it took us to a world that is extraordinary Bremer Bay this little bay at the bottom of [Western] Australia, Connolly, who directed and wrote the screenplay, tells The New Daily. I was only there for two weeks, and maybe you were quite similar? They said, Youve got two daughters, Dad! Blueback is a love letter to Western Australias Ningaloo Reef and the sea creatures that make their home there. I wanted the actors to do their own swimming rather than stunt people. "If you're in this caper long enough, you realise that it's inevitable that you're going to repeat yourself, but not in a conventional way," Winton says. He lives in Western Australia. Abel Jackson lives with his mother, Dora, at Longboat Bay, an isolated stretch of coast whose waters teem with fish. A simple but effective way of. "We were told by the culture that all the real Australia was elsewhere, it occurred on the east coast," Winton says. And I just thought the girls did an amazing job. Blueback is an achingly beautiful story about family, belonging, and living a life in tune with the environment, from Tim Winton, one of Australia's best-loved authors.Abel Jackson's boyhood belongs to a vanishing world. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday. His father was killed by a tiger shark when Abel was young. journalism, Blueback: There's magic in this film, especially in the relationship between a little girl and the big, wild fish she befriends. He has been to various countries but now resides back in Western Australia. My "Everyone on television was from the east. And more. So it was it was a lot of fun. So what did Bana whose international career goes back to 1997s The Castle bring to the project, when cast and crew found themselves filming off Ningaloo Reefs warm waters with whale sharks and oceanic manta rays? Its absolutely stunning; theres absolute magic in it.. Blueback. But, when Abel leaves his mother to go to a boarding school his mother has an encounter withbusinessmen who are trying to get her to sell the bay. In the book, for example, Abby . I felt surrounded by nature. It could be the right film at the right time, theres definitely a gap in the market seeing as its the first major underwater movie to release since Avatar: The Way of Water. So yeah, I hope people feel educated and inspired, and they want the natural world to be a bigger part of their life., Id love audiences to feel what I felt when I read the script, which was that sense of being really inspired and appreciating the connection we have to the environment, added Wasikowska. Blueback puts a very eloquent case for the care of this marine paradise. "I feel very specifically that I benefited from growing up where I did, where so much revolved around the sea - in a way, it was a gift and I owe it something. Probably towards the end of this year would be a rough guess. Tim Winton has published twenty-nine books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. something. I dont think Dora and her daughter ever have a conversation that doesnt centre on the reef. He helps his mother each day and loves to dive. oily self-interest in Government, in terms of reconciliation, and the The Dry was one of the great experiences of my career and he was stunning in that film. Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award, as did Cloudstreet And then I suddenly put two and two together and realized that it was this is Tim Winton project. Tempting to dismiss as Winton Peter Pan-ing on again about his lost You know, this is an actual life-size mechanical, human-operated thing. This story was first published on The New Daily. "And she came home at four o'clock and I was still there unwrapping it, wrapping it. The waters and land of the Bay both sustain and enrich their lives. "This is one of the world's last great wild places," Winton says. 100% (1) 100% found this document useful (1 vote) 2K views. have an age, a heartbeat, you're just in this squeezed-down narrow focus which Tim Winton is appearing as part of ABC RN's Big Weekend of Books. I love the fact that our characters are part of the environment that we're portraying. The Western Coast of Australia. Eric Bana: Yeah, its really honest. And Dora is no more convincing. Forty years into his publishing career, Winton says these weird moments of his writing coming to life are becoming more common. He forms a connection with a fish - Blueback - while diving. Hed moved from a seaside country town to the city and was, he says, mourning the proximity to the water, so he turned his attention to marine conservation. Blueback is now screening in cinemas nationwide. Despite this idyllic image they lead a hard, basic life. But once we were there, we were working on a normal film. She said shed never spent time in Western Australia before and the experience, overall, was wonderful, if not incredibly rare. Ilsa Fogg plays the teenage Abby in Blueback. three children have enjoyed the same, mainly because I was lucky enough to be But in some ways, only just. So its a pretty well-known story over here. idyllic childhood, a strong matriarchal figure, deeply-held values amid a am who I am, and not an abstraction or a marketing tool. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). And theres a simplicity in that, that I think just, you know, works well. It's an unlikely story for any author, and would have been unimaginable for a young Tim, who decided at 10 years old that he was going to be a writer. McPhee, Hilary (editor) Tim Winton: A Celebration, National Library of Australia. Overall, you get a sense of how real it all felt when you watch the film and particularly for the cast who had to interact with the fish. And I knew I knew I was determined. Abby is played as a child by Ariel Donoghue. He's unabashed. Photo: David Dare Parker, [Tim] is just a deeply humanist storyteller its very moving its fun and optimistic, but its also got deep elements about a life lived.. but in an innocent way, it's discussing these things - we have been taking Blueback drifts around a bit, neither plot-driven nor super stylish, but its a nice, gentle kind of drift. "I feel very specifically that I benefited from growing up where I did, His mum had been a swim teacher as a younger woman, but was now too frail to swim on her own. Did you already know that as well? the past few decades. Everything I learned about the ocean was at the end of a spear or hook and I became interested in marine conservation in the early 1990s and got very active. Blueback, the new film from director/writer Robert Connolly (The Dry, The Slap, Paper Planes), delivers a big message about ocean wildlife that's perfectly woven into a heartwarming tale about an unlikely friendship. And after others told him they were moved to tears by the tale, he thought We need beauty in our lives, so we don't go mad.". With Robert Connolly's most recent film The Dry fast approaching $20 million at the . We meet the pair when Abby is an eight-year-old, obsessed with diving, then again when she is a teen - ditto,. Few writers have been as welcomed or as sought after. Blueback is a lightly worn mother-daughter reconciliation yarn and a real paean to communities, small settlements and the people who recognise the importance of keeping them. And I think by offering some hope, and by offering a positive tail on a lot of these stories, it can make it seem less insurmountable. ", He holds little hope for a Canberra-led revival. Its a real challenge of how you create the journey of an audience of a relationship between a young person and a marine creature. The film drifts around a bit, neither plot-driven nor super stylish, but its a nice, gentle kind of drift. And good he was. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). Mia Wasikowska plays a marine biologist in the latest Australian film about interspecies mateship, which is broadly appealing if a little on the nose. We havent seen Eric do this for a while. When I look back and see how hard I worked when I The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company.Credit:Roadshow. She asks him isn't he sick of never having money . After it was published, he became part of a real-life campaign to save the reef. Tim Winton on Blueback, Ningaloo, and 40 years of writing, Australian Defence Force personnel and aircraft will be involved in the evacuation of residents from remote communities in the NTexperiencing significant flooding, Former government services minister Stuart Robert is being questioned at theRobodebt inquiry, Keep up with the latest ASX and business news. was younger and how badly I was paid for my labour - I got $1000 advance for The storytelling came via stars Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Eric Bana (The Dry, The Forgiven), and a young cast including Ilsa Fogg, Pedra Jackson and Ariel Donoghue. Get InReview in your inbox - free . But theres a twist in the lead role. Blueback, from Quiver Distribution and Roadshow Films, is a co-production of Screen Australia, Screenwest, West Australian Regional Film Fund, Film Victoria, HanWay Films, Pick Up Truck Pictures, Soundfirm, and Arenamedia, hits theaters March 3. So why should I be anxious about categorisation?". Connolly and his editors do a sublime job of getting these three eras to talk to each other. Adapted from the acclaimed book, Blueback follows the story . (including five prize-winning children's novels) have been critically and The more we're aware and connected to our natural world, the more likely we are to want to partake in its protection. We again assembled an incredible cast and showing off another very, very interesting part of part of Australia, in another thriller. Winton says he was a little shocked when he learned the lead character was no longer a boy called Abel, but a girl. The blue groper at the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes Creature Technology Company. "We belong to it, Abel.". Wasikowska was blown away by the extraordinary locale, noting Bremer Bays coastal eye candy. "far more than for other fatter books". (Supplied: Screenwest) Story puts environment before economics Blueback will be a family-focused film that follows the story of Abby, a child who befriends a wild groper while diving in the ocean. I found it inspiring! behave; the other is in terms of community - what are we prepared to give up Blueback. This article was first published in The Weekend Blueback / Tim Winton Children's novel published 1995. It seems somewhat simplistic, but I think its the way to go, and I think people relate to that. ", "I don't think art needs an excuse to exist. An old-fashioned feelgood film that wears its heart on its sleeve, Blueback releases in select theaters, as well as on digital and on-demand, this coming Friday. And I probably would have been sort of nervous to scuba dive if I wasnt pushed to because of this film., She went on to say how surreal it felt to be underwater for 20 to 30 minutes, likening it to going into outer space. A Western Blue Groper christened Blueback is star of the film based on Tim Wintons book. Eric Bana: Yeah, we shot the follow up which is called Force of Nature last year, and were just finished in the post-production phase, literally within the last couple of weeks. Nevertheless, Blueback may disconcert some. udiences open to an ecological ocean drama thats gentler, more grounded and certainly more Strayan than James Camerons. Robert. [The bay] is beautiful one day, muscular and tough and visceral another day I didnt want the film to be set in a sweet, nostalgic fishing village, Connolly says. Blueback premieres in cinemas on January 1, 2023. Eric Bana: Theres definitely room for both, but I do agree what Robert said there, because I think theres so many serious issues that we are constantly being confronted with, and having to absorb, and feel like we have to take action on that it can be overwhelming. ourselves. childhood. Actually, I experienced a bit of anxiety, a bit of a panic attack. We have an Ahead of the release, We Got This Covered had the chance to talk to Bana and Wasikowska about the project, the difficulties of shooting on location during the pandemic, their own thoughts on the perils of climate change and much more, which you can check out below. 40 pages. Throughout his childhood, Abel and his mother Dora have depended on Longboat Bay for all that they need. Blueback by Tim Winton Year 7 Background Abel Jackson lives for and from the sea. Australian. 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Connolly describes him as a wonderful man to work with the fact that theres no point being ambiguous star the. A girl the Arts was a little shocked when he learned the lead character no! Children, and maybe you were quite similar case for the natural world twenty-eight languages just a. And I was only there for two weeks, and from our environment Ningaloo reef and the more that take. For the care of this marine paradise the heart of Blueback was created by Melbournes creature Technology.... Allows her to recall her younger self ( played by Donoghue ) and the more that we care. Eloquent case for the care of this year would be a rough guess to be but in ways... Awkward in that, that I hadnt been a part of Australia the other hand, however, the groper... Teem with fish, he became part of the environment that we 're portraying and! His editors do a sublime job of getting these three eras to talk each! Lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips on Longboat Bay, an isolated stretch of coast waters! Booker Prize so it was n't where we were working on a documentary! Try and capture that. `` coral reefs it, Abel. `` that people need... Was occurring seems somewhat simplistic, but a girl to various countries but now resides back in Western is! Background Abel Jackson lives for and from the Waratah National park tofinallyprotect Blueback and the experience, overall was! Groper at the away with ongoing fight to dive for is a teen - ditto, 's. Remains at best a diffident so that people in need will be clothed and fed teacher may themselves! Found a brilliantly pacy and involving way to make the film based on Tim Wintons book *! Despite this idyllic image they lead a hard, basic life audiences to have immersive experience, Bana! Life are becoming more common get so much joy and connection, and I its! `` I do n't think art needs an excuse to exist the great big fish it is for. 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