‘It’s time we talk about this’: Territory production The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart debuts on Amazon Prime

New Amazon Prime series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, filmed in Central Australia with an array of world-class actors, is hoped to create dialogue around the realities of domestic violence.

Sigourney Weaver stars in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which was filmed in Central Australia in 2022. Picture: Supplied

Director Glendyn Ivin doesn’t mince his words when discussing the impact he hopes his new Amazon Prime series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will have.

“I think it’s time that we talk about this, if there’s violence in the street, the police come pretty quickly and people come to your aid, it’s seen as a wrong thing,” he said.

“The moment it’s behind a closed door in a home, it’s treated as something different because it’s family, it’s at home, it’s private.

“And I think the conversation around that and the way we think about domestic violence or domestic abuse needs to change.

Director Glendyn Ivin hopes the series, filmed in various locations around Central Australia and New South Wales, helps to normalise conversations around domestic violence and domestic abuse. Picture: Scott Ehler/Supplied

“I think the more these stories, even though they’re tricky, are out in the world, hopefully it kind of normalises these conversations.”

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, based on the best-selling book by Holly Ringland, is centred around nine-year-old Alice who is orphaned after her parents died in a fire.

She is taken in by her mysterious grandmother June, played by Sigourney Weaver, who runs a flower farm.

Spanning across multiple decades of Alice’s life, the series grapples with themes of intergenerational trauma and domestic violence.

The first three episodes premiered over the weekend, with the latter four episodes, centred in the desert regions of Central Australia, to be released weekly from Friday.

Ayla Browne as young Alice Hart and Sigourney Weaver as June Hart in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Ivin, who visited the Territory for the first time to film the series, said he was “blown away” by the landscape when scouting for destinations.

Filming locations in Central Australia included Alice Springs Desert Park, Simpsons Gap, Ooraminna Station, Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge.

“I think I was just expecting red desert forever, but I was instantly touched and kind of moved by the amount of flora and fauna there is and the palette is really different, so different than what I thought it was going to be,” he said.

“Everywhere I went, I was inspired, we had a list of things that I was sort of looking for that what was available and where I was being taken to and what I was responding to was way better than what we had.”

“Everyone loved it, I loved turning up to locations in the morning and watching people arrive just with these huge big grins on their face and their eyes wide open because a lot of people had never been to these places.”

The series was filmed across several locations in Central Australia including Ormiston Gorge. Picture: supplied.

“Episode four drops on Friday and you’re very much in the Northern Territory from that point on.”

He spoke of visiting the Gosses Bluff crater and meeting with traditional owners, describing it as “one of the most beautiful and special places I’ve ever been”.

“We worked with one of the traditional owners there, Maxine Malbunka, one of our initial scouts that we did was to sit on the ground and listen to the story of Tnorala with Maxine and her brother, and I just felt incredibly lucky to be there in that situation,” he said.

“That experience has infused into what we made, it’s one of the most beautiful and special places I’ve ever been.”

Despite the dark and at time confronting themes of the series, Mr Irvin hopes to convey a sense of resilience throughout the episodes.

“I think one of the good things that I took from Holly’s book and from Sarah (Lambert)’s writing of the script is that I really pushed the idea that this could have a fable like quality or a fairy tale like quality, even when it’s dark at times,” he said.

“Even though at times it’s very grounded and real and honest, there’s always a sense of resilience, and a sense of hope there as well that these people, even the better characters are still doing terrible things at times, but ultimately that their hearts in the right place.

“And I think that is what shines a light on what’s to come.”

Territory production The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart debuts on Amazon Prime

A major TV series filmed in Central Australia and supported by Screen Territory has premiered on Amazon Prime this weekend, showcasing the Territory to more than 200 million global subscribers.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, based on Holly Ringland’s international best-selling book, was filmed in Central Australia last year, including scenes at Ormiston Gorge, Standley Chasm and Simpsons Gap.

The series, produced by Amazon Studios, Endeavour Content and Made Up Stories for Amazon’s Prime Video streaming channel, went live on the platform on Friday.

The show features stars Sigourney Weaver, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Asher Keddie and Charlie Vickers alongside local talents acclaimed Territory actor and Anmatyerr woman Trisha Morton-Thomas and fellow Territory local Nicholas Williams.

The NT government supported the production through a $270,000 Screen Territory production attraction incentive grant, marking the first investment from the fund.

During production a total of $1.6m was injected back into the Territory economy over 23 days of filming in Central Australia.

Territory actors Nicholas Williams and Trisha Morton-Thomas. Picture: Supplied

The seven part series will showcase some of the most stunning scenery in the NT to Prime Video subscribers in more than 240 countries worldwide.

The production attraction incentive program is open for applications year round and contributes to production finance of screen projects to attract programs that provide economic, industry and tourism benefits to the NT.

Industry Minister Nicole Manison said the government was “committed to supporting productions that showcase the NT and grow our vibrant screen industry”.

“Showcasing the NT through The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is another fantastic example that our investment into the local screen industry’s success is paying off,” she said.

“By sharing our Territory stories we are able to engage audiences from across the world, generating future investment.

“This is the first production to come to the Territory through our Screen Territory production attraction incentive grant and we look forward to supporting more productions that showcase the Territory to global audiences.”