E5. Best Documentary (Nominee)
Generations in Uniform
From Catie Froelicher
Blending authentic locations, and intimate interviews, 'Generations in Uniform' documents the raw, lived experiences of volunteers across multiple generations in Victoria's emergency services. Designed to inspire young people to value and pursue community service, the film foregrounds the emotional reward, accessibility and human impact of lifesaving, firefighting and emergency response work, attesting is both possible and powerful at any age.
Hi! I am Catie, a passionate Media and Communications student at RMIT University, with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking and visual storytelling. I love creating films that connect with real people and meaningful issues, and I hope to continue pursuing filmmaking while sharing my work to wider audiences.
As a Year 12 student, 'Generations in Uniform' was a deeply personal passion project that combines my love for filmmaking, journalistic storytelling, and community volunteering. Through this documentary, I wanted to highlight the often-unseen dedication of emergency service volunteers across generations- from young lifesavers to experienced firefighters and responders, ultimately inspiring young people to get involved.
What inspired you and your work?
My personal experience around lifesaving, being actively involved since I was 9, was a main inspiration for my documentary idea, as I wanted to spread my strong passion to others, hopefully continuing to grow the Lifesaving Community as it deserves, by promoting the programs within. My connections within the Lorne SLSC community also was a deep inspiration for me, as I was able to listen to so many harrowing stories and experiences of my mentors throughout my journey. Their bravery encouraged me to make this documentary as it motivated me to understand how many heroes we have in our emergency services, and share their stories so the public could understand the sacrifices made to keep our communities safe, ultimately in hopes of sparking future interest within people to participate.