screen time as the burgeoning romance of Jack and Pearl’. The frustration of the relationship between Brownie and his father is also aforementioned, as Byrnes stated ‘Reeves establishes a strong sense of the precarious nature of the trade, but overlays a sense of deep tribal superstition, most of which comes from (Brownie’s) old Irish father, known as Mumbles’. Feminism Catherine Simpson of Macquarie University observed that the film ‘provides its audience with a novel reconfiguring of gender relations in a small, tight-knit river community – a space rarely glimpsed on screen’. Simpson elucidates that the film’s ‘black comic tone’ and female directorial lead reconfigures the hierarchical structure of small, regional, working towns. Simpson categorises Trish and her solitary farming endeavours as the balance to the camera’s ‘endless objectification of the central male protagonist’. Brian McFarlane makes a similar observation, stating that Trish’s local knowledge of the environment are expressed in her ‘legendary powers over the spawning habits of oysters’ and subsequently become vital for the local industry, despite her colleague’s prejudices. Production Development Reeves stated that she chose the area due to her 'love of the river's epic landscape' and its ability to attribute 'a sense of its vastness and isolation’ to the film. Reeves further justified her choice of filming location by stating that she was 'so struck by the beauty and drama of the Hawkesbury River, a place of remote and eccentric charm so close to the city, that she spent four years immersing herself in its culture, especially the lives of the oyster farmers' prior to filming. Paul Byrnes commented on Reeves’ choice, saying the chosen location ‘provides a serene and peaceful setting against which to contrast the inner turmoil and dramas of the characters who make their living from it’. The economic significance of the Hawkesbury River region to the film's narrative was also a factor in Reeves' selection, being one of the primary sites of oyster production and harvesting in New South Wales, with up to 23 permit holders farming within 400 hectares of oyster leases. Filming Filming took place in various locations within the Sydney and Hawkesbury River region, including Brooklyn and Wondabyne in the Hornsby Shire, as well as on the Hawkesbury River itself. Post-production Oyster Farmer enjoyed some free publicity, due to rumours that its star Alex O'Loughlin was a finalist for the recast role of James Bond in preparation for the