THE secret life of the quokka is revealed in Rottnest Island Kingdom of the Quokka, a documentary that finds out what the “happiest animal on Earth” is up to when humans are not around.
Made world famous by quokka selfies from the likes of Roger Federer and Chris Hemsworth, this marsupial is unique to WA and particularly flourishes on Rottnest despite the harsh conditions.
Director, producer and writer Leighton De Barros said the documentary focused on observing the animals from a distance.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW“There are no humans in the documentary; we used long lenses to capture the quokkas and the other animals often doing things never before seen on film,” De Barros said.
The documentary reveals how tough life really is for the quokkas as they fight over water, climb trees for food and suffer from malnutrition during the long summer.
However, there are plenty of adorable moments, especially with the arrival of the baby joeys.
The stunning footage filmed in cinema quality 4K video also showcases the venomous tiger snakes of Carnac Island, the little penguins on Penguin Island and the marine and bird life in between, including humpback whales, bottlenose dolphins, ospreys and terns.
De Barros said an unexpected challenge of filming was plastic litter.
“We were constantly picking up plastic, especially in the ocean,” he said.
Rottnest Island Kingdom of the Quokka will screen at The Backlot Perth on Saturday, August 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 6.30pm.
Tickets are available from rottnestislandquokka.eventbrite.com.au.
