Jimpa

So remember, just do the task.

Simply see the person's hands and describe them.

So you've got a little roundy scar

on the knuckle there.

And, um...

...you've got lovely long fingers, really... nice nails.

Don't judge.

It's not about whether the hand is good or bad.

Just about observing, paying attention.

OK?

-May I? -Yeah.

OK, long fingers.

There's a scratch there

on the knuckle of the index finger.

Cat scratch.

And there's another one there just higher up.

It veers off to the left a bit.

The thumb has a little bitten bit to the left

of the nail.

And when you've done the task, just the task, long enough,

uh, you move up to their face,

their eyes.

And the top dark lash line

just cuts off the very tip of the... the dark brown iris.

And there's a... there's a darker line

around the outside of the iris.

And it's... it's hard not to feel a... an intimacy.

An almost instant intimacy and a...

An excitement?

Yeah, for sure, an excitement in the intimacy.

And it's a good way to create an intense intimacy

between your actors and sometimes with you.

You know, and it's an intimacy you'll feel

very comfortable with.

It's our job.

But they need to understand this pact -

what it's for,

that the intimacy is for the work.

OK? Do you want to carry on?

- Yep. - Thank you.

OK.

OK, well done.

Ah, that's always a bad sign.

He was meant to stay with our friend Renate,

but he's peeing all over the place and there's...

Blood in the piss?

Yeah, blood in the urine.

Dearest, why do you say 'urine'?

Well, what do you want me to say?

I want you to tell me what's wrong with him.

I am telling you what's wrong with him.

Is it cancer?

Yeah, tumour in his bladder.

What timing.

Yeah, you could say that.

I could say that, yes. I did just say that, didn't I?

yeah, you did just say that.

Every time you go on holiday,

something bad happens.

Well, it's not just a holiday.

I've got work too and that's harder to cancel.

A visit to your beloved dad

is easier to cancel than work?

-Oh! I get it. -You actually do get it.

Yeah, it's true.

I just don't know if I can burden a friend

with a dying dog.

Might only have two weeks and we wouldn't be around.

If he's in a lot of pain, you should put him down now.

Mmm.

Dogs don't show their suffering.

That's why we love them.

Is that why we love them?

Dear daughter, you know you can't

keep him around just for your sake.

I'm just not sure we can

say goodbye that fast and get on a plane.

Don't hang onto him.

It's the kindest thing you could do.

Maybe.

I'll look after him.

No, you've already got plans, don't you?

I've already changed things around.

I don't want him to suffer.

You can't postpone your trip.

Dad said I should put him down now, not prolong it.

Oh, right. Well, your fucking father would say that.

Sorry, Kirby was his gift.

I feel like he's got a say in it.

Of course.

What does he think about your film?

I haven't talked to him about it yet.

Oh.

Well, you could arrive

to a house full of stray gays

and he won't have time for you or Frances.

Maybe.

I picked up mince from the butcher, and I read that

if you put the tablets in that, he should eat it.

If that doesn't work,

get the vet to make it into a flavoured liquid.

Yeah, if he changes energy levels or appetite,

you let me know.

Sorry.

Yeah, well, the teaching helps pay for the trip over,

but we will see him.

We're staying with him.

Yeah, we're staying with him, Mum.

I'm going so I can see Dad, so, yeah, of course.

Listen, I've got to go,

but, uh, if he changes even his gait

or... or sleeping patterns, you let me know, OK?

Bye.

Are you OK, Mum?

I should have said, "I love you."

To Kirby?

No, to Mum. I just said, "Bye."

I should have said, "I love you."

Have a good flight.

All good?

Yeah, all good.

What did you want to talk about?

It's OK. Now's not a good time.

It's fine. Tell me.

OK.

I wanna live with Jimpa for a bit.

What do you mean?

Mm, I was thinking

I could do Year 11 in Amsterdam with Jimpa.

- No way. - Why not?

He's still recovering from a stroke.

That was three years ago.

No way! It's an important year next year and you're only 16.

And we're your parents, not Jim.

Why don't you wait?

Do it after graduation. You can have a gap year.

Because I need to experience a bigger queer community

than my shitty LGBT club at school

in my shitty little city.

But you love school.

I used to.

Is that why you packed so much?

You just thought you'd stay there?

Oh! What a waste of a return flight.

We could have saved a fortune!

OK, let's talk about this later.

But you asked me to talk about it.

I feel like I need to give you my full attention.

I don't think I can do that at the moment.

OK, well, let's just all relax.

Mum?

Mmm?

It's OK.

Kirby was a gift from my father.

One day he turned up with an uncontrollable puppy.

I didn't want him, but I didn't get a choice.

Says a lot about my dad.

The day my mum gave birth to me,

my grandfather got on the first flight to Adelaide.

I wanted us to be alone

with our newborn baby.

But he rang from the front door

with a painting.

And my mum was so happy to see him.

And she said to me, "Frances,

"this person will tell you about art

"and politics and theatre.

"He will challenge you to be the best version of yourself."

I simply said,

"Frances, this is your grandpa, Jim."

But he thought 'grandpa' sounded too old.

So he gave himself a new name.

He said...

"Hello, Frances. I'm Jimpa."

The thing is, I don't think I would be here

openly trans, non-binary, queer if it wasn't for him.

That's him sometime in the '50s.

He loves art

and he loves to get naked.

And he still has a painting

that he sat for years ago which hangs

in his apartment in Amsterdam for all to see.

He married my grandmother, Katherine, in 1973.

They had Emily, my aunt,

and Hannah, my mum.

Right after my mum was born, Jimpa came out as gay.

My grandma got really skinny after this,

as well as a big perm,

and everyone complimented her on how amazing she looked.

Uh, so, obviously it was devastating for her.

Uh, we expect the... the narrative

of a husband coming out to his wife

to follow the notes of a big betrayal in a marriage.

But she chose to respond differently

than what was expected.

Um, they both decided on a new bond -

to stay together, uh, to co-parent.

Uh, also to have other relationships.

But they chose kindness rather than conflict.

Jimpa always argues.