Melbourne's got culture. Strictly Ballroom, Thriller Live, Quippings, Jean Paul Gaultier.

Last week was a fantastic week filled with culture. I love this city. It marked the twelfth year of living in Melbourne - and I certainly did a lot to celebrate!

Leisa and I saw Strictly Ballroom the Musical on Tuesday night. I was a guest of Nuffnang. I loved it! I had not seen the movie before - maybe I was too young when it first aired. But I am so glad I saw the musical. I loved how the theatre was in theme of 1990s dance championships - especially the fluro seat covers. The dancing, signing and costumes were amazing. And the way the cast engaged with the audience was fun too. My favourite parts were the scenes with the Spanish family - the dancing was so emotional. It was directed by Baz Luhrmann and certainly lived up to his film style.

On Thursday I sawThriller Live at the Arts Centre. I caught up with lots of blogging friends before the show too. I was a guest of Thriller Live.

I thought there was a lull in the second act, but overall, it was so enjoyable - strong singing and energetic dancing. I loved Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, Blame it on the Boogie, Black or White and Smooth Criminal. The Way You Make Me Feel, sung partly as a ballad by the incredible Australian Prinnie Stevens, was my favourite. Prinnie was a contestant on The Voice.

It featured impressive vocal and dance impersonations - such a likeness to Michael Jackson. There were moments that I thought I was hearing and seeing Michael. And I could also hear how my favourite, Darren Hayes, has been inspired by his idol.

It was Sequin-tastic. Hotpant-acular. 8/10.

On Saturday I performed with my friends in Quippings at Hares and Hyenas as part of the Midsmumma festival. Quippings is a Melbourne-based disability performance art group. I read out a piece which will be published on the blog shortly, and others talked about sexuality, love and politics. We watched the amazing Sins Invalid documentary last night at Quippings: Disability Unleashed. If you are interested in real, proud portrayal of people with diverse disabilities, do check it out. I found myself nodding along to the content in the documentary - a balance of adversity and pride.

This group of people are amazing - I am so proud to call them my friends. I love them and an thankful that I was asked to perform two years ago this February. 

And on Sunday, The Good Girl Confessional and I went to see Jean Paul Gaultier at the National Gallery of Victoria. 

While we waited in a queue for an hour, it was SO worth it when we entered the huge exhibition. I loved the detail - the talking mannequins with eyes the followed you around the room, the intricate fashion and the lighting was amazing. So wonderful. Here are a few pictures. 

This beaded big cat dress took over 1000 hours to make. It's not a real big cat - it's beads. 

  Love this punk rock.

 Mermaid on crutches.

 Breton.

 A talking JPG.

 Look at the details!

Wedding dress inspo!

 This dress is made entirely out of ballet ribbons.

 This is Beyonce's costume and a pregnancy bustier. Amazing.

The Good Girl and I yapped for hours - was so good to catch up. We had a mini croquembouche too. 

I love this city. Do you love your city?

Disclosure: I was a guest of Strictly Ballroom and Thriller Live. I was not paid money to write about the shows, and opinions are my own.

Mary Meets Mohammed - interview with the filmmaker.

Every so often I watch Compass on ABC - it's a program about religion. I love it because it shows people doing good for the community, and explores many cultures. My Dad and I somehow got talking about religion, and we both recommended that each other watch Compass. Turns out we both do! Dad told me he saw an episode that featured an excerpt of Mary Meets Mohammed, a Tasmanian-made documentary about an elderly Christian woman who befriends a young Muslim man - an asylum seeker from Afghanistan. Mary and Mohammed became unlikely friends.

I went back to watch the episode on iView.

In 2011, the Australian government announced the development of Tasmania's first detention centre for 400 male asylum seekers - mostly from Afghanistan - at Pontville, outside of Hobart. Mary, and the majority of the community, opposed the development, believing the refugees would be a risk to public safety. would live in luxury and receive entitlements far greater than their own. The community, including Mary, had strong negative views about asylum seekers which were informed by the media and hearsay.

Mary belongs to a knitting club, and when a suggestion was made for the knitters to make beanies for the asylum seekers, not everyone was in support. Mary and many other knitters were strongly opposed to the asylum seekers, but were curious all the same. She and four other knitters delivered the beanies, and soon became regular visitors when the saw the conditions the asylum seekers lived in, and how much they had in common. The knitters learnt so much about the culture of these men, what brought them here and their hopes for making a good life in Australia. Their perceptions soon changed and friendships flourished.

At one point, Mary told her friends outside the knitting club about visiting the detention centre, and how she and the knitters have befriended its detainees. Her friends' reactions are uncomfortable, embarrassing and heartless - naively informed by the media. The film does signify many Australians' attitudes toward asylum seekers, but it also represents the great levels of compassion that many other Australians have. I believe Mary Meets Mohammed is instrumental in changing people's perceptions of asylum seekers.

After six months Mohammed was released from detention and Mary continued to see him. He regards her as his "Australian Nanna". They said they have so much in common, finishing off each other's sentences. It is a beautiful friendship. And Mary has a new found respect and appreciation for religions other than Christianity.

I talked with my Dad after watching the excerpt on Compass. He wrote:

"Any person that is suspicious of Muslims & how they are portrayed by the media etc. should watch this. Please, let's live together regardless of where we were born & what religion we were born into. I like the way the attitude of those sceptics changed once they met Mohammed & realised he was a wonderful human being."

I was so warmed by the excerpt of the film that I wrote about it on Facebook, tagging the film's Facebook page. Filmmaker Heather Kirkpatrick contacted me asking if I could do some promo of the dates the full length feature is screening, and I asked her for an interview. She told me that Mary Meets Mohammed was one of four finalists for the ‘Outstanding Documentary Talent Award’ for 2013 and she and the film were selected in the six finalists for the 2013 Walkley Documentary Prize. Congratulations Heather, Mary, Mohammed and all involved!

Carly: Why did you make Mary Meets Mohammed?

Heather: "I was looking for an idea for a documentary and had only been home a week after working overseas for a while. That week the news of the detention centre was announced and I saw a strong hostile response to this at a public meeting on my own television. Then I saw a visitor group emerge two weeks ater who wanted to make friendship visits to the asylum seekers. With these polarised views in the community I thought it would be a good starting point for a documentary. So the idea really fell in my lap as it was all happening close to home."

How did attitudes towards asylum seekers change - both those of the participants and the viewers'?

"The knitting women who visited the asylum seekers to deliver some beanies had a huge transformation in their attitudes as a result of meeting the asylum seekers face to face. They became weekly visitors and have remained friends with the men since. Viewers have commented how the film is real eye opener and shifted their views."

What are some of the messages in the film?

"Listen to Sally Sara's interview with Mary, as the film is an observational documentary of her journey. It does help bridge cross cultural and cross religious barriers. Mary and the knitters discovered a common humanity with the asylum seekers and that their prior beliefs on asylum seekers and Muslims had been based on mythology and political spin.

When I came in contact with the women at the local knitting club at Brighton, I felt their diverse views on asylum seekers, was somewhat representative of the Australian community at large."

How are Mary and Mohammed now?

"They are still great friends but Mohammad gained a full time job interstate so they are only able to maintain phone contact."

What did you learn from making the film?

"That it was worth persisting making it over two years with no funding aside from a spent inheritance from my father. I learned to become a Director, Producer, Editor and Distributor along the way. The film was just selected as a Walkley finalist which is very exciting. I hope this can be inspiring to other independent low budget filmmakers."

Mary Meets Mohammed is screening around Australia now. Click here for screening times. There are a few Q&A sessions with the filmmaker Heather Kirkpatrick and leading composer David Bridie, but book quick as these sessions are selling fast.

You can donate to help the film be screened more widely.

You can also visit an asylum seeker in your area.

I'm giving away a double pass for the Sydney screening which is happening on Monday 4 November. Email me if you'd like to go! I need to know by 4.00 pm today 1 November.