Heidi (Abbie Cornish) runs away from home after her mother sees her kissing mom's boyfriend. She goes to a Snowy River resort where a vague job offer doesn't pan out. She manages to find a place to live and a job at a convenience store. She's between childhood -- nursery rimes and a scrapbook of glittery unicorns - and adulthood - working, sorting out emotions and sexuality, and dealing with social slights and false charges of bad behavior. She's attractive and her loneliness makes her vulnerable. She sleeps with Joe (Sam Worthington), the son of local ranchers, and she awakens in him feelings he can't express.

• Filming Locations:
Jindabyne, Australia
Canberra, Australia

• Took seven years to make..

• Was originally going to be filmed predominantly in and around Canberra and nearby Lake George, but the ongoing drought on Australia's eastern seaboard meant that the lake was totally dry. Being that a body of water is a focal point for the film, the setting was changed to Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains, where the drought's effects were not as severe.

• Made a clean sweep of the Australian Film Institute awards in 2004 to win in all 13 film categories - the first time this has ever occurred in the award's history. It beat the previous record of eight AFI awards shared by Lantana (2001) and Newsfront (1978)..

• Awards: 38 wins & 10 nominations (view)

• "Heidi hasn't learned what sex and love are about. For her, sex is a way of connecting with people and being close to them."

• "I've got a new film coming out called Somersault, which is directed by Cate Shortland, who's just out of film school. She did some amazing short films, so everyone's really looking forward to her first feature film. Truthfully, I haven't seen any other Australian film like it. It's got this You Can Count on Me vibe to it - extremely character-driven. It's about a 16-year old girl on a journey of self-discovery who falls in love and learns about the world she didn't really know about."

• "There is a fearlessness to Heidi that I drew upon from my own life--that ability to put one foot in front of the other without any regard to the consequences."

• "I see Heidi and Candy as being completely different. Heidi's bubble is probably this big..." She squishes her thumb and forefinger together to make her point. "And she was completely within that bubble - very shy, very timid, and super-sensitive. Then you get Candy. Candy is just fearless. Her bubble is gigantic. Her vision is far... she's so raw. Candy knows sex. She knows her sexuality. She knows what lovemaking is. Heidi has no idea. Candy is more of a woman, I think. Heidi is more like a girl."

• "The script was so well developed, through AURORA (NSW FTO script development scheme) that it didn't need much change. But I remember as a team what we tried to do was to make a film that was really honest. It's realistic - and I think that's where the ambiguity comes from, the naturalness of the characters and the situations."

• coming soon

• "She's like someone like Claudia Karvan in terms of the preparation of the role. When she comes into rehearsal she is incredibly prepared, which means that she can play. She's not freaking out because she doesn't know the lines."
- Cate Shortland (Somersault director)

• "Chemistry is really elusive. We all know what it is when you see an actor on screen and you're sitting in the darkness and you feel this amazing pull. When you see someone across the room and look into their eyes and your stomach constricts. She has that."
- Cate Shortland (Somersault director)

From Critics

• "Cornish gives a spectacular performance as a child whose very existence seems to make adults uncomfortable and boys cruel. The sense that there is nothing Heidi can do to escape her looks, class and circumstances makes "Somersault" brutal to watch, but Cornish's amazing ability to elevate the character makes watching worthwhile."
- Carina Chocano, Times Staff Writer

• "It's a remarkably tactile film. 'When you leave you still feel her on your skin,' says Joe of his lover and Somersault does the same, lingering with you long after watching. First-time writer/director Cate Shortland uses close-ups and colour-tinted shots to really make you feel you're there. And Cornish's performance is quite brilliant, capturing an innocence and a raw sexuality, an aching and a sense of loss that is astonishing in an actor so young (she was 22 when she made the movie). Playing 'simple' or emotionally stunted characters, actors can easily appear patronising or showy (see Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump). Cornish is just real."
- Nev Pierce, BBC Movies

• "Clammy, erotic and unsettling."
- Nev Pierce, BBC Movies

• "Interesting ideas and strong performances go into the mix in this Australian movie from writer-director Cate Shortland, but in the end it's less than the sum of its parts."
- The Guardian

• Somersault bounds with ripe human vigor, largely due to Abbie Cornish's sensual, stormy portrayal of the fragile Heidi. Her performance touches universal nerves and is likely to lift this film to venues beyond the festival circuit."
- The Hollywood Reporter

• Somersault is a magnificent debut from Cate Shortland. It is poetic and haunting and will spook your mind for days after watching. The cinematography is top-notch and stunning to watch. Abbie Cornish is nothing short of remarkable as Heidi as she captures every single emotion of this young girl coming to womanhood, in a subtle and real way. Certainly one of her best performances to date.
From Riikka

• The film is haunting and captivating at the same time. While I found it to be a touch to long, you still are glued to the screen due to Miss Cornish's performance. Although Heidi is a flawed, misguided girl, she plays her in such a delicate way that you feel her emotions and grow with her. Abbie Cornish's performance will leave you spell bound and make up for the slow pace, Heidi will linger with you long after you see the movie.
From Mycah

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