Amissa Anima: Melbourne short film shines spotlight on St Kilda pedophile ring

A Melbourne film inspired by a real-life St Kilda pedophile ring and a sex fiend youth leader is about to explode onto screens.

Amissa Anima director Tatiana Doroshenko during filming. Supplied.

A “provocative” film which shines a spotlight on a real pedophile ring that preyed on St Kilda children in the 1980s will have its Australian premiere next month.

Award-winning Melbourne produced short film Amissa Anima will launch with Australian audiences at the St Kilda Film Festival on June 4.

According to the filmmakers, Amissa Anima – which means ‘lost soul’ in Latin- tells a fictional but harrowing story which brings St Kilda’s “dark past” simmering back to contemporary audiences.

Amissa Anima centres around four street kids aged as young as 10 who “turn tricks” for drugs and food in St Kilda in 1980.

The fictional children are preyed upon by a pedophile ring which the filmmakers say is based on true events.

Disgraced former Balaclava youth club leader Shane Holleman – who raped several boys multiple times for almost 10 years – was on the filmmakers’ radar while Amissa Anima was in production.

Holleman, who was sentenced in the County Court in July 2020 to a maximum 37-month jail term after pleading guilty to five counts of indecent assault on a male, ran the Balaclava Boys Club at the St Margaret’s Presbyterian Church between 1969 and 1977.

Still from Amissa Anima. Supplied.

The victims — all boys aged between 8 and 13 — were members of the youth club.

Holleman, a church member, “orchestrated scenarios” to get his victims alone and rape them.

Holleman raped one victim while they were alone in his car multiple times between 1969 and 1974.

Holleman lured his second victim to his home where he raped the boy multiple times between 1975 and 1977.

Holleman also took this victim on a youth group camp with 15 other boys.

The court heard Holleman put the boy in his bed with “possibly other men”.

Holleman raped his third victim multiple times including at a carpark near the St Kilda Mariner in 1976.

Holleman, who was made a registered sex offender for life, was eventually charged in August 2018 after his lewd conduct was uncovered at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Director and co-writer Tatiana Doroshenko and screenwriter David Markin, who grew up in St Kilda together, said they witnessed “long-term effects of child-abuse” and neglect “across generations”.

“This film aimed to provide a voice for those silenced by shame, ignorance and pain,” Doroshenko said.

“We wanted to share the lived experience of these boys that was and is difficult to access.

Amissa Anima Katrina Mathers and Bernie Clifford on set. Supplied.

“We aimed to give a humanity and authenticity to these stories and crimes that are difficult to access via mainstream media …

“Making this film has been a long emotional journey, an ordeal but greatly rewarding.

“It was difficult to make on many fronts not only due to the production restrictions imposed by working with children on the difficult subject of the exploitation of vulnerable children living on the streets, but also the personal connection to the subject for the creators.”

Amissa Anima has already screened at various international film festivals where it collected awards at Sweden, Japan and Germany competitions.

Amissa Anima was hugely popular in Italy with audiences and critics where it won a best director gong for Doroshenko.

The film, which had its world premiere at Los Angeles’ world famous TCL Chinese Theatre, was produced with backing and funding from Port Phillip Council and other independent bodies.

Veteran cinematographer Ellery Ryan known for shooting Spotswood, Death in Brunswick and Angel Baby during a prolific scree career took the reins as director of photography.

Amissa Anima, produced by Katrina Mathers and Bernie Clifford, also features a cast and crew of emerging Australian talent and music by Died Pretty.

Click here for Amissa Anima St Kilda Film Festival June 4 session tickets.

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