“The Art Becomes The Artifact”: Meg Washington And Nick Waterman On Telling Australian Stories

Australian movies are often shaped by a unique tension. The best films are both completely ridiculous and absolutely heartbreaking. Meg Washington was first drawn to this distinctive style of storytelling when watching Muriel’s Wedding. For Nick Waterman, it was The Castle. “Even as a kid, I got that it was about more than just jokes—it was about how we see ourselves,” shares Nick. “Films often defined my childhood or helped me process things.”

The creative couple and long-time collaborators have always been drawn to movies and music that hold a mirror up to who we are as Australians—the good, the bad, the fraught, the collective. “We’ve observed that Australian films usually fall into two camps: killy or silly. But the ones that strike a chord are somewhere in the middle…They hold both truth and humour, vulnerability and absurdity,” says Meg. 

How To Make A Movie About The Australian Experience

Meg and Nick’s impressive body of work reflects the duo’s deep understanding of the Australian cultural psyche. Nowhere is this more evident than in the 2024 drama How To Make Gravy, based on Paul Kelly’s Christmas anthem of the same name. “There's a theme across our whole slate of projects, and that's a real focus on Australian culture. And where possible, the cross-pollination of Australian culture. So in How to Make Gravy, there was a really strong link between music and film,” shares Nick. “We just want to tell stories that connect audiences back to who we are as people from this country.” 

Photo Credit: Meg Washington, Nick Waterman, Paul Kelly on How To Make Gravy Red Carpet

In How To Make Gravy, the harsh reality of life in prison is contrasted with the warmth of a family Christmas—it’s not ‘killy or silly’, but it’s a film that oscillates between light and dark. A film about the complexities of Australian family life and masculinity—and why the most benign Christmas traditions are often the glue (or gravy) that hold families together, at least for one day of the year. 

“The best version of art is when you see something that reveals a truth and shows you how a character deals with it”, shares Nick. “Sometimes you’re the hand and sometimes you’re the torch, but you’re always trying to make the shadow puppet on the wall, adds Meg.” 

Blending Meg’s musical background with Nick’s filmmaking in How To Make Gravy was the perfect coming together to create that shadow puppet—a labour of love for Meg and Nick, who not only found solace in telling stories about family in the film, but also found a new family of their own of sorts on the Gold Coast—a growing hub for Australian cinema. 

Photo Credit: Meg and Nick working on How To Make Gravy

Holding Up A Mirror To Australian Experiences

Naturally, telling stories that get to the heart of who we are as Australians sees the duo hold a mirror up to their own experiences. “When you learn new things about yourself, it can be such a good feeling, and it’s quite addictive… the art becomes the artifact of the experience. It becomes the shell of the cicada”, shares Meg. 

“Each time I make something, it’s usually some kind of awakening I’ve been through, and I want to tell a story that follows that same kind of arc.”

Meg’s fifth studio album GEM (Meg backwards), which dropped this month, explores that awakening, both universally and personally—but this one’s about dreaming of a better future. Sure, songs cover everything from the struggles of motherhood and living under capitalism, to paying superannuation and crying in the supermarket aisle. But it’s self-discovery through a beautiful blend of introspective lyricism and frank, funny one-liners. And there’s a deliberate, intentional thread of optimism.

Photo Credit: Meg Washington Playing Gem At Urban List Listening Party

‘Fine’, the album’s final track featuring Paul Kelly, which appeared in How To Make Gravy, sees the singer look ahead with hope. "I've been looking at the future and everything's gonna be fine.”

"I wrote about what I wanted to happen—I wanted to imagine that things could get better," shares Meg.

As for the next Australian story the duo are telling? Nick and Meg are currently underway with a musical feature film inspired by a brilliant and notorious Australian woman. They can’t share too much at this stage, but we’re already amped.

And just like 'Fine', their next story promises to leave us feeling a little more hopeful about who we are becoming.

Meg Washington's fifth studio album, GEM, was released on 8 August 2025. You can purchase the vinyl now on her website.