He stormed to government. Jim Chalmers WHEN I ENCOUNTERED Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard during preparations for The Killing Season, they inhabited the nether world that lies beyond political power. These were politicians who had been cut off in their prime: the two great Labor stars of their generation had put out each other’s lights. They both claimed to have moved on but it didn’t feel true in either case. Julia Gillard remained in Australia after retiring from Parliament to write the book that would stake out her version of the era. Kevin Rudd had gone more fully into exile, with no book in prospect. Rudd was teaching at the Kennedy School at Harvard University near Boston. The course was called ‘Politics and Purpose’. His staff had suggested other locations for the interviews—hotels in Dubai or Beijing, way-points in Rudd’s frequent travel—but they accepted our request for Harvard. In October 2014, we had three interview slots over three days and a short period of time to film a scene placing him in his location.
What do You think about The Killing Season Uncut (2016)?
