(From left): ERH people and culture director Angela Hussey, relocation and wellbeing project manager Lauren Byrne, film stars Derek Green, Div Mallya, Elise Mulcahy, Marie-Claire Skate, Lawrence Lozano and Josephine Lozano, ERH chief executive Robyn Linsday and C4EM chair Cath Lees at the Thursday, October 10, launch. Photos: Aidan Briggs
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
A film project between Echuca Regional Health and Committee for Echuca Moama has officially been released with the aim of community relocation.
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The eight-minute film showcases the Echuca-Moama region, and dives into the relocation journeys of Elise Mulcahy, Derek Green, Div Mallya, Marie-Claire Skate, and Josephine and Lawrence Lozano.
The project was initially led by Echuca Regional Health, bringing relocation and wellbeing project manager Lauren Byrne on board to appeal to new staff from outside the community suited to moving to the region.
After receiving sponsorship from Moama Bowling Club and collaborating with Committee for Echuca Moama, a wider scope for the film was decided, directed at people from a range of industries and with diverse backgrounds.
Around a year of coordination and six months of Radiant Media’s filming and production later, an official launch and screening was held at Moama Bowling Club on Thursday, October 10.
Attendees included ERH staff, C4EM board members, council representatives and the family, friends and workplaces of the film’s participants.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
One of the stars of the show, head of human resources at Cohuna-based AWMA Water Control Solutions Div Mallya, was blown away with the final product.
“I was not expecting it to be that beautiful,” she said.
“I think Radiant Media did an amazing job and, obviously, Lauren (Byrne) is amazing. They had this vision, and they just put it together.
“I burst into tears.”
ERH chief executive Robyn Lindsay spoke to the audience about the background behind and goals for the film.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
Echuca Regional Health chief executive Robyn Lindsay was excited to launch the film, addressing a problem that the hospital and wider community experience.
“Whilst we are the largest employer, and it is a pretty great place to work, we still do have challenges attracting workforce,” she said.
“We’re really mindful that we want to grow our workforce in alignment with what makes Echuca-Moama a really great place to live and work.
“We’ve done a great job of leveraging the liveability and the positivity that exists in this community and packaged that up in a way that’s really accessible for others to perhaps be able to consider it as an option.”
Ms Mallya highlighted this positive outlook, and appreciated that the film focuses on the stories of the six people who call the area home.
“I thought it would be more: ‘come move to Echuca’, ‘come move to Moama’,” she said.
“But it’s more about a story that they’ve told, which is really good because you’re not actually sending a direct message saying, ‘come work for us’.
“It’s more about ‘look what you can do in this area’. It’s so good, marketing it indirectly.”
The film’s stars: (from left) Derek Green, Div Mallya, Elise Mulcahy, Marie-Claire Skate, Lawrence Lozano and Josephine Lozano.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
When reflecting on her move to the area, Ms Mallya shared the fear she had coming into a regional community from a diverse background.
Her experiences since being here, however, have shown her that there is a place for everyone in Echuca-Moama.
“One of the biggest challenges I thought I would have is getting into the community, being a person of colour, a woman and all of that ... it is a fear that you come with” she said.
“Melbourne is very diverse, it’s a melting pot. All my friends are Australians, but you never consider your skin colour.
“I’ve realised, it’s not about that. It’s about a community.
“Everyone wants people. It doesn’t matter where you come from, you come into the community and get engrained.
“It’s not just another regional town.”
The film can be viewed on the Radiant Media Vimeo page, https://vimeo.com/1017316901with a condensed version shared on the ERH and C4EM social media channels.
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