When 12-year-old Blaze (Julia Savage) witnesses a brutal sexual assault on the streets of Sydney, she finds herself torn between debilitating fear and a desire for justice. Her doting father (Simon Baker) struggles to help her through the crisis to no avail, but an unlikely saviour soon enters the picture in the form of a dragon conjured from Blaze’s imagination. And as her mind attempts to heal, she retreats ever more into the imaginary world that she conjures from the posters and trinkets that adorn her bedroom.

A bold hybrid of live action, puppetry and animation, Blaze is the stunning feature debut of acclaimed Archibald Prize-winning artist Del Kathryn Barton. As a coming-of-age film, it may be a tough watch at times but ultimately emerges as a cathartic celebration of the power of the imagination and an ode to survivors and female courage. Don’t miss it.