Since 2008, actor Mark Webber has been steadily writing and directing his own feature films. His projects are always incredibly personal and often offer some insight into an aspect of his world. Webber makes these pieces even more intimate by populating them with his own family and friends. His 2012 film, The End of Love, saw his oldest son, Isaac Love, then aged two, star alongside him. This trend continues for his fifth film, The Place of No Words. Webber cast another of his children, Bodhi Palmer, as well as his wife and fellow actor, Teresa Palmer.
The Place of No Words fits snuggly next to films such as Where the Wild Things Are and A Monster Calls, it also being a ‘family’ fantasy film that tackles some very real and difficult issues. Told within two separate worlds, The Place with No Words explores the topic of death as experienced from a child’s perspective. Bodhi’s (Bodhi Palmer) father (Webber) is terminally ill, and whilst in the real-world life is hard, Bodhi and his father also exist in another realm. Here, the two are brave warriors on a special quest in a world full of magic and oddities. As the stories between the different worlds entwine, Bodhi begins to process some of the complexities of growing up.
Filled with beautiful performances, stunning visuals, and the right balance of pathos and marvel, The Place of No Words proves that the Webber-Palmer clan are one formidable filmmaking family. The film arrives in the UK on Digital and DVD from 5th July; ahead of the release we were able to connect with Mark Webber and Teresa Palmer to find out the history behind this very special movie.
The family has recently relocated back to Australia ready for the arrival of the newest addition to their family, and when we spoke to them they were halfway through the Covid-regulated arrival hotel quarantine. With two adults and four children all sharing the same space, our chat was inevitably joyfully interrupted on occasion, and as such portions of our video chat (below) have been edited.
Dazzler Media presents The Place of No Words on DVD & Digital from 5th July.
