Q&A with Writer, Producer & Director Tyler Atkins and Actor Rasmus King
In the late summer along the Australian coast, young father, Bosch (Luke Hemsworth) hits the road in a hurry to avoid a run-in with the law. In tow is his teenage son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who believes he is on a magical holiday with his father. BOSCH & ROCKIT is a journey through boyhood and manhood and an unforgettable true story (based on Tyler Atkins’ Life), about love, forgiveness and the powerful bond between a father and son.
Filmed at iconic Byron Bay, against the canvas of Australia’s east coast surf beaches and rain forests, the film is set in the late 1990s.
Tyler, you were one of the few filmmakers that managed to create and produce during the time of Covid. What were the challenges for you during that time?
We were one of the first productions to go into physical production during Covid, worldwide really, and it was the great unknown! We were quite lucky in Australia during that time when Covid didn’t spread too rapidly. There was fear as we couldn’t get insurance or completion bonds and we had no money left, so if someone got Covid we would have been shut down and lost everything. It was quite risky. But there were some lucky moments despite Covid, for example, we saw amazing, talented crews out of work in Australia so we were lucky to get a very high calibre of crew…and actors. Major repercussions were when the borders closed and we lost crew, and secondary cast a couple of weeks before we were shooting.
It's interesting when watching the film that so many of the iconic outdoor scenes look quite deserted. Were you able to close the beaches, for example, to shoot the scenes, or was this not necessary?
The beaches were basically empty, especially as the backpackers had left. So again we were so fortunate to have the most pristine locations, no one around, and complete access to million-dollar shots, and as an independent feature, those locations made our film a large movie in terms of how good it looks. The production value is breathtaking. That was a positive side during Covid.
What was the most negative side of Covid for you?
The negative was definitely that our budget was 20% higher because of Covid costs. Costs such as two Covid nurses were needed, you could only have two people in a room. A very, very challenging time especially as we had the pressure of shooting it in 26…27 days. You don’t have the contingency to go back and re-shoot but in that pressure is where you really find the diamonds because you’ve got to dig deep, persevere, and problem solve. We had a lot of problems but together we navigated them…with a great cast and crew…everyone cared for each other and we became a family. We almost got shut down so many times. We didn’t even have a lead actor two weeks before we started shooting. Then found Luke Hemsworth. Despite the problems and challenges, it was a powerful experience.
The film has an impressive cast with Luke Hemsworth, Isabel Lucas, Leeanna Walsman, and also you, Rasmus, in your debut acting role. How did you come to be part of this film?
I hadn’t done any acting whatsoever. I was a surfer pretty much. It was kind of a fluke. I remember Tyler hitting my older brother up first on Instagram because he knew my brother and dad from some time back. But my brother was too old for the role, and I think Tyler was scrolling through Instagram and saw that he had a younger brother. We met up and shot a few scenes…five years ago.
Tyler:
I’ve been working on the film for that long. It never would have worked if I had shot it back then when Rasmus was that age. He has grown physically since then, but also emotionally ad spiritually.
It’s a true story, your story, Tyler. How much is fact and how much is fiction?
Most of it is fact but the timeline is spread out…I condensed it down. I brought in a couple of characters that were later in my life and made a few feature characters, like the fish and chip shop guy. You can’t let the truth get in the way of telling a story because sometimes if you tell it absolutely truthfully, it won’t work.
The story is told through Rockit’s eyes. How did you find this, Rasmus? Playing the role and telling the story of the writer and director?
It was amazing. As soon as I met Tyler we had an instant connection. After the first day on set, I just had this feeling that I was meant to play the role. I’ve been loving it. I’ve already been working on other films which are coming out this year too. It’s something I want to do for the rest of my life. I’ve got the bug.
How do you hope audiences will receive this film, Tyler?
I really wanted to explore parenting, especially unconscious parenting but also the deeper themes of love and forgiveness. It’s quite profound when you break it down. I hope it will generate conversations about human connection and family relationships. So much trauma comes from childhood and we need to open up the discussion.