I became aware that all the films being made in Australia were period films, ''Picnic at Hanging Rock'', ''The Getting of Wisdom'', ''Between Wars''. I felt this reflected a society that was unable to come to terms with where it was at. I know you have to look into the past and find your heroes but it seemed to me that it was reflective of a desire not to face up to where we were at. That also coincided with where I was at personally in my relationship to women and to Haydn (collaborator Haydn Keenan ), so I thought I should make a film about leaving the past behind and coming to terms with the present, moving into the future with a positive attitude. That's what I thought I should do personally and that's what I felt Australia should do. It led to ''In Search of Anna''.〔("Interview with Esben Storm", ''Signis'', 22 August 1995 ) accessed 21 November 2012〕