Burning Man by Jonathan Teplitzky

JUDGES' COMMENTS

Tom Keaton is spiralling towards self-destruction. Fast-lane chef and restaurateur, womaniser, self-absorbed and unreliable father of eight-year-old Oscar, Tom rages through his days like a burning man, thrashing and rolling to put out the flames in a world that no longer holds meaning. Seemingly a flawed and unlikeable hero, empathy emerges as we realise Tom is in a state of grief after the death from cancer of his beloved wife Sarah. Incapable of resuming normalcy, Tom abandons the family home, relinquishes care of Oscar and immerses himself in his work and futile sexual encounters in an attempt to forget, or perhaps remember, his wife and the life they have lost.

Jonathan Teplitzky has written a brutal and unsentimental, yet incredibly moving depiction of a grieving family. His writing is fearless and ambitious; unfolding the narrative in an aggressive non-linear structure, trusting the reader to make the connections at their own pace and to arrive at an emotionally satisfying and cathartic destination. While structurally courageous, Teplitzky’s loyalty is to his characters and their relationships, which he treats with insight and sensitivity, crafting scenes that are intimate, witty and searingly sad. Burning Man is an invigorating screenplay, travelling the winding road to the final stage of grief — acceptance.