Film & TV

Interview: Dr Richard Hamilton

The man behind both Leconfield and Richard Hamilton Wines has recently finished off his second documentary feature.

Renowned wine-maker Richard Hamilton is fast becoming a renowned film-maker as well.
The man behind both Leconfield and Richard Hamilton Wines has recently completed his second documentary feature. The first, Wineline, traced the Hamilton family’s history. The second, Wineline2: Odyssey, looks more closely at Richard’s father, Burton Hamilton.

We decided to make a ten minute documentary [about Burton] but as we started writing it down we realised how influential he was. We ended up with hundreds of hours of footage, because it is a fascinating story. It grew like Topsy. There were stories within stories, rather like a Russian doll.

Hamilton’s fascination with his family’s history has lead him into various projects.

We’re writing a book about the Hamilton wine family, which we hope to have in print in about twelve months’ time. But nothing beats film to tell a story and get people’s attention.

Wineline2, directed by Rick Cavaggion of LIght Image Productions,  has already garnered awards including Bronze at the New York Film festival and Best International Film at the 22nd Festival Oenovidéo in France. On the strength of this win, they have been asked to screen at Cannes this year, in the documentary category.

[Wineline2] has a lot of elements: a son searching out his father; it involves the great Australian outback, which is dramatic; it involves a love story; it’s a family story of bringing up six children; it’s about losing everything in the Great Depression and then remaking yourself. My father’s life was certainly no walk in the park!

As a son seeking out his father’s story, Hamilton learnt more about himself.

This journey has made me even more passionate about continuing the Hamilton wine tradition. In all wine-making families you will find this passion. It’s a fascinating industry. You start with the bare land and you plant your vines, then you get your first crop in 3-5 years, then you turn it into this product that we call wine, then you mature it and bottle it and then you put it on the market. And it gives people a great deal of joy. I think all of the great wine-making families of South Australia have this enduring passion, which goes down through the generations.

Wineline2: Odyssey screens at Leconfield Wines by appointment.  So people can watch Winelines 2 whilst enjoying a nice glass of Richard Hamilton shiraz!

Read  more about Leconfield Wines here.

Find out more about Light Image Productions here.

View Wineline2, in full, here.

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