A Tale of Two Stories

My task was simple enough: find a true story and tell it. The hard part was choosing just one. I rifled through a mental rolodex of the adventurous and bizarre. There was my housemate who had a psychotic break and became convinced he was my cat; my friend who spent an evening tied to a panther in the South American jungle; the infamous Amsterdam trip; the skull I found in Aokigohara forest… an endless procession of possibilities.
  

Then I had an idea: what if instead of writing the story I filmed it? I’d gain experience with something new and be limited to a story I could capture on camera. Happily oblivious to the nightmare I was about to inflict on myself, I settled on the following tale.

Budh’s Story

In 1996, Budh and his dad were constructing a paintball field in bushland north of Gympie. Broke at the time, they were living in tents and surviving on baked beans and bananas. One foggy winter morning they awoke to gunshots and screaming from the only neighbouring house. Acting on instinct, Budh went to help, unwittingly embroiling himself in the strange saga of Bill Fox. 

Fox had been on the run since 1992 after shooting his ex-wife’s friend in the face while she was holding her baby. He evaded the cops using decoys, booby traps, an underground bunker and a series of bush hideouts. The chase continued until early 1996 when he was caught but released on bail. When his ex-wife rescinded the bail money, he went after her, armed with a shotgun and intent on revenge. Budh witnessed the shooting spree that ensued and got the survivors safely to hospital.

What Went Wrong

This story is intense and Budh is usually an incredible storyteller... but he’s terrified of the camera. I tried getting him used to it and even tried hiding it but nothing worked. He wouldn't look up, stumbled over words and played down the whole situation. It was nothing like the story he captivates people with over drinks.

While our setting fit the story, we were besieged by mosquitoes and had bushwalkers strolling thoughtlessly through our shot. There’s a limit to how many times you can ask someone to repeat a story, especially when they’re already uncomfortable; so, feeling I had failed as an interviewer, I packed it in.

After some self-pitying indulgence, I regrouped and targeted my second victim.

Dylan’s Story

Dylan kidnapped a man for the promise of $20,000. The catch was, the man paying the money was the one who wanted to be kidnapped. It was clear the guy was a bit nuts and Dylan suspected he might be planning to pull a shot gun on them (self-defence against kidnappers - the perfect excuse for murder). Deciding $20,000 and a crazy experience were well worth the risk, Dylan accepted the challenge and organised the crime with his girlfriend and three mates.

What went wrong

First my video camera ran out of battery. We ransacked the house but couldn’t find the charger. Dylan was already sketchy about having to go from the start again so I went with the only other option I had – my web cam. I knew the footage would be average but hoped the story would shine through and overcome it.

While Dylan was more comfortable on camera than Budh, he still wasn’t quite himself. In hindsight, I wish I’d had the camera to the side filming us in a conversational situation. This would’ve made Dyl more comfortable, allowing the story to flow more naturally.

Little did I know my biggest conundrum was yet to come. When I stopped filming, Dylan said: 

“Want to hear what really happened? No camera though, and you can’t tell anyone.” 

After what he told me off the record, the story I taped seemed altogether pointless. Tarantino would’ve been drooling. Dyl had never told anyone before and was so disturbed he swore he’d never speak of it again. He swore me to the same secrecy. So I got the story, I just can’t ethically share it. 

What To Do?

So there I was, a storyteller with two undertold stories, like a waiter with two chewy steaks. Do I present either? Neither? Then I had an epiphany – why not present both? Each story gets told, each failed attempt becomes a story in itself and you, friend, get to learn from my mistakes.