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MORE BACKGROUND

Dee McLachlan has lived in Southern Africa, the United Kingdom and California, worked in Sri Lanka, and now resides in Australia. She made her first film documenting a climbing expedition to Mount Fitz Roy in Argentina and, over a career spanning more than four decades, has produced television series—including the 1980s Soweto action series Steelman—directed nine feature films, and written more than fifteen screenplays.

Dee first collaborated with producer Andrea Buck in 1992 on the road thriller Deadly Chase. The pair have since worked together on numerous productions, most notably the award-winning feature film The Jammed. Andrea now returns as Executive Producer of Hostage of the State, continuing a creative partnership that has endured for more than three decades.

Beyond filmmaking, Dee is also an author, investigative journalist and publisher. In 2013, she founded Gumshoe News, an independent news and commentary platform that has since published more than 4,000 articles from a diverse range of contributors. Her work has examined issues including government accountability, media integrity, child protection, family law and human rights.

She is also the author of the children's book series Awaken Your Kids, together with several non-fiction works, including The Truth in Journalism and The Child Protection Racket, an examination of state guardianship, child protection and the impact of family separation.

What happens when the child protectors become the enemy of the State?

Screenplay by Dee McLachlan

Drawing on documented accounts, court transcripts, and recordings, Hostage of the State explores how families become entangled in child protection and court systems — and the profound and devastating consequences that follow. Unlike Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which imagines the psychological and moral horror of separating children from their mothers within a fictional dystopian society, this film is grounded in real accounts. It brings that same sense of unease and disbelief into a contemporary, recognisable world, raising confronting questions about transparency, institutional power, and governance in what is often called the “lucky country.” These disturbing accounts are not isolated incidents — they suggest a deeper and more complex reality operating largely beyond public scrutiny.

Contemporary audiences have a strong appetite for stories that place children in jeopardy — particularly those grounded in real-world events. Sound of Freedom — a film following a high-risk mission to rescue a young girl — brought international attention to the issue of child exploitation and trafficking. Produced on a budget of approximately US$14 million, it went on to generate more than US$250 million at the global box office — a phenomenon rarely repeated.
SUPPORT AND FINANCING

Interested Parties

To read the script and a proposal for HOSTAGE OF THE STATE link below.
HOSTAGE FILM INFO
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY

A note from Dee

I was fortunate to be raised in a caring and politically aware family that instilled in me both compassion and a belief that ordinary people can make a difference. Growing up in South Africa under the apartheid regime also provided a moral compass — a reference point against which to measure power, injustice, and the treatment of the vulnerable.

I was also fortunate to explore, live, and work in many parts of the world. I've immigrated three times, so when I settled in Melbourne, in 1999, I believed I was living in one of the most idyllic countries on the planet - the land that embodied "Advance Australia Fair." But not for all.

Around mid-September 2018, that changed.

What began as an effort to help a handful of parents evolved into a journey of advocating for families and children — pro bono — over the past seven years. Countless court documents, a video series, a hundred plus articles, and book ultimately led to this point - HOSTAGE OF THE STATE.

I see this as the only solution to help Australian children in the future as, unfortunately, the apparatus that exploits children and families is ever expanding - and it is corroding society. Children are still being "stolen" from families for profit (a jobs and growth industry). I don't believe the 'system' can be fixed - you first have to change the mindset of the nation.

So today, I am hopeful that many empathic, ethical, and courageous people will join me in the next stage — the fruitful stage — of this journey; the financing and production of a movie, HOSTAGE OF THE STATE.