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Netflix streams True Spirit on Friday, February 3, 2023. Based on the real-life story of a 16-year-old girl from Australia and her solo global circumnavigation. Sarah Spillane is the director of the movie.
She is known for her work in Around the Block (2013), This Life (2008), and The Manual (2007).
The official synopsis reads:
“Australian teenager Jessica Watson braves turbulent seas, violent storms and months of isolation on her mission to be the youngest person to sail around the world. Based on Watson’s incredible real-life story, True Spirit depicts her extraordinary voyage at age 16.”
Based on the synopsis, it is recognizable that True Spirit captured the turbulence and unpredictability of the sea. The team had to set up camp in the coastal belt during production.
Hence, they chose the coastal state of Queensland in Australia as the primary shooting location. Australia's Sydney and New South Wales also served as the backdrop for several critical indoor scenes.
Several places in Queensland were utilized to shoot True Spirit
Queensland boasts a coastline stretching nearly 7,000km, making it an apt spot for True Spirit. According to reports, the movie is expected to boost Queensland's economy by over $24 million and add more than 300 new jobs for the cast, crew, and extras of the state.
According to Spillane, the film was shot in 44 days of which only two days were used to lens sequences in open water.
That’s because “the entire crew got seasick. Including our lead actress Teagan Croft,” she shared on the Movie Web. The fact that “the elements out on the open ocean” are beyond anyone’s control added to their woes.
Most of the film's scenes were filmed in Queensland at locales such as the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, and Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford.
1) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Known for its surfing spots, long sandy beaches, and detailed systems of inland waterways and canals, Gold Coast served as a primary shooting spot for big productions like Ticket to Paradise (2022), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), and Thirteen Lives (2022), among others.
Netflix’s fellow film, Spiderhead (2022), featuring Australian star Chris Hemsworth, was also shot on the Gold Coast. Hemsworth, a certified surfing enthusiast, is reportedly a frequent visitor to the area.
Given its location, the Gold Coast naturally attracts tourists every year and is home to several theme parks like Dreamworld, Sea World, and Wet’n’Wild.
2) Surfers Paradise Beach
Located 4.5 km from the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise Beach boasts a three-kilometer-long strip of golden sand and is considered one of the most pristine beaches in the Oceania country.
Surfers, swimmers, and joggers flock to the area all year round. One can reach Hemsworth’s $20 million mansion in Byron Bay by driving a little over an hour from Surfers Paradise Beach.
3) Oxenford, Queensland, Australia
Spillane revealed in the aforementioned interview that they filmed “a number of sequences on a gigantic water tank that they have at the Village Roadshow Studios.” She added:
“It was interesting because the water tank is great for calm sequences. When it came to the epic storms, if we're going to replace water around the boat, then we might as well replace all the water. We ended up building a couple of enormous rigs in the parking lot of the studio.”
The Oxenford-based set of film studios is located on Entertainment Road and is 19.7 km away from the Gold Coast. Apart from the Main Tank, stages 5 and 8 of the Village Roadshow Studios were also used to lens several sequences.
True Spirit is currently streaming on Netflix.
