Son of an Irish Midwife and a Dairy Farmer,
Peter enjoyed a Huckleberry Finn childhood in the Snowy Mountains of South East Australia.
However, when Sister Margaret of the Order of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart
asked Peter to unpack a box of books for the new school library, neither imagined he would discover an anthology of poetry that would shape his life.
Stanzas by Coleridge, Elliot and Yeats formed a Rosetta Stone for Peter’s future approach to film making.
Concision, juxtaposition, rhythm…Heady stuff for a 12-year-old.
It’s a fortunate outcome when you find the right door to knock on.
Accepted into the Swinburne Film School at his first attempt, Peter graduated three years later, top of his class.
It was a happier outcome when his film-making skills played to what the advertising market was looking for.
A sure touch with casting, the ability to summon subtle performances, narratives that wove humour and emotion in equal measure
Numerous awards and prestigious campaigns followed.
But of course, the world turns.
After the GFC caused a year-long hiatus in advertising in Australia, Peter - thanks to his half Irish ancestry - took his EU passport and explored working in other markets.
But was it possible to create stories for other cultures, expressed in other languages, that resonated in the same way as Peter’s domestic work?
The answer, happily, was yes.
Cinema is the only true global discourse; it is poetry set free from language.
In stanzas of 15 seconds, or 30, or 45, Peter creates space for a viewer to believe.
And that, dear reader, is a brief rundown on your correspondent.
Apart from his hobbies of cooking, restoring furniture and collecting accordions.
