E2. Best Documentary (Nominee)
Breaking the Cycle
From Gabriel Cochrane
A man reflects on a childhood shaped by abuse, fear, and instability, and the small acts of kindness that helped change the course of his life. As he navigates the lasting effects of generational trauma and embraces his role as a father, he is confronted with a difficult question: can he create a different future for his family and truly break the cycle of abuse?
My name is Gabriel Cochrane and I am a writer/ director/ editor from Brisbane, currently in my third year at Griffith film school. I have been making films since primary school, and specialise in music videos and comedy short films.
What inspired you and your work?
Our film “Breaking the Cycle” was developed after I learned about the troubled childhood my dad had. I was shocked that someone so loving and cheerful could have been through such awful things. Abuse is often referred to as a cycle - the abused become the abusers, I wanted to take a deeper look at how my dad had broken this cycle, and create something that somebody going through similar things could watch and understand, that your circumstances don’t define who they are, and your past doesn’t have to dictate their future.