Giving Rachel her Voice Back

October 1st 2007

Guy Pearce, Miranda Otto and Sam Neil are starring in the new Australian crime film How to Change in 9 Weeks.

‘Weeks’ is based on the true crime story of the disappearance and murder of 15 year old Melbourne student Rachel Barber (pictured, left).

The callous and calculated crime is detailed in the book Perfect Victim penned by Rachel’s mother Elizabeth Southall and criminal reporter Megan Norris.

Caroline Reed Robertson’s anger and self loathing was roused by a psychopathic envy of Rachel, a former neighbour whim she once babysat and was 5 years her junior. In Caroline’s mind Rachel had everything she didn’t; resenting Rachel so much she devised a plan to become her.

One evening in March 1999, Caroline lured Rachel, an aspiring ballet dancer into her Prahan flat, where using an electrical cord, she strangled her to death. Caroline then buried Rachel’s body in a shallow grave in Kilmore. By killing Rachel, Caroline believed she would assume her identity and her charmed life.

Rachel’s parents were lead on chase to find their daughter after she failed to return home from dance class. The police, at first believed Rachel was a runaway; however the pieces of the bizarre murder began to fall in places.

Caroline was sentenced on 20th November 2000 in the Victorian Supreme Court of Australia to 20 years for murder with a minimum term of 14 ½ years.

Pearce and Otto will star as Rachel’s parents, whilst Neil and Rebecca Gibney will play Caroline parents. Rachel and Caroline will be played by newcomers, Kate Bell and Ruth Murphy.

In an unusual move for an Australian film, director Simone North and producer Tony Cavanaugh have tapped director-producer Sidney Lumet to serve as a mentor for North in her debut feature as a writer-director.

Lumet, who has been advising North for the past year as the project has developed, was bought on board by the film's co-producer, former Universal Pictures president Thom Mount.

Released in Australia by Icon Pictures, ‘How to Change in 9 Weeks’ is due for release early 2008.

* Sources: The Hollywood Reporter, Perfect Victim