On Friday, Bruce Morcombe told Perth radio station 6PR that moviegoers should “save their 20 bucks” on a cinema ticket and instead donate it to the foundation set up in his son’s name. “If you have any conscience at all, don’t go see this film,” Morcombe said. “It’s a terrible story that glorifies a horrible incident, the murder of our son.” He said Daniel’s name was precious and media talk about the film had acted as “a trigger for all these messy emotions that you try to suppress day by day”. The Stranger, directed by Thomas M Wright and starring Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris, premiered at Cannes in May and is set to make its Australian debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August. Morcombe is not named in the film, which is based on the long undercover police operation that eventually led to Brett Peter Cowan confessing to killing the 13-year-old boy eight years earlier in 2003. The film’s production company, See Saw Films, said that, out of “deep respect” for the Morcombes, it was decided that Daniel’s name would not be mentioned or details of the murder depicted. “It tells the story of the unsung police professionals who dedicated years of their lives and mental and physical health to solving this case and others like it,” See Saw Films said. “When the film was first in development, the producers approached the family to inform them about the film. They refused to get involved. It’s a decision we continue to respect.” On Thursday, Bruce and Denise Morcombe shared a public statement through the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, which provides educational resources aimed at child safety, in which they described the decision to go ahead with the production of The Stranger after being denied participation as “ cruel, cruel, selfish cash grab.” “His horrific story ignores our family’s pain and chooses to profit from the death of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe. In a twisted way, it also provides oxygen to a sadistic beast by validating its evil deeds. People who make money from a heinous crime are vermin,” they said. The Melbourne International Film Festival, which opens on August 5, said it respected and acknowledged the grief, pain and hurt expressed by the Morecombe family over the film. However, they also made it clear that crime is not the focus of the film, nor is it portrayed within it. “[The festival] believes that this film, as recognized by its inclusion in the Cannes festival this year, is a strong work from a respected Australian director,” the statement said. “It provides an opportunity for reflection and discussion on the difficult subject. MIFF is a place, like many film festivals, where all kinds of cinema, including what we might consider dark or difficult, can be presented responsibly to the public.” A similar controversy erupted in late 2020 after the streaming service Stan began promoting Justin Kurzel’s film Nitram, based on the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in which 35 people were killed. Nitram did not name the shooter and focused on the lead up to the shootings, not the massacre itself. The film won 11 categories at the 2021 Australian Film and Television Academy Awards.
