David Zaccheus is a Writer, Artist and Film-maker.
He lives in the Byron Shire of NSW, Australia.
David’s inspiration is garnered from his interest in age-old wisdom traditions, totemic imagery, provocative drama, and bold expression, sprinkled with a little ‘Je ne sais quoi‘.
David Zaccheus was born in New Zealand, a nation of rare birds, and was a teenager in the 1970’s.
“I grew up in that era after ‘The Pill’ but before ‘AIDS’, but I was too inhibited and protected to be promiscuous”, says David.
“In those days New Zealand seemed so far far away from anywhere. But it was nothing to get 30,000 fans to a rock concert, so most of the big bands of the time still put New Zealand on their world tour because it was so lucrative for them to do so.
“I guess we were just starved and thought the action was always happening elsewhere. It was common for people to do a couple of years of international travel after university or in their 20’s.
“We called it ‘the big ‘O.E.’ (Overseas Experience). Nowadays they call it a gap year, but we normally went for two years or more to make it worthwhile. I mean, it took six weeks to get to Europe on an ocean liner, and in those days a bunk bed in a six-berth cabin in the bowels of the ship was a cheap option for some.
“I’d already driven my parents around Europe in a camper van via the USA when I was 18 in 1974, but then my Dad died when I was 23 in 1979 and I knew I still needed some mileage, so I just hit the road, island hopping through Oceania to Papua New Guinea and then Northern Australia to pick up work, then on through South East Asia, India and Sri Lanka and back to Western Australia.
“I guess I was really just running, in a way, from myself.
“Later on I continued to Hawaii and USA again where this time I covered about 20 states in eight months and a month in Mexico.
“Since then I’ve returned to Melanesia, French Polynesia, Bali a few times (but it was never like the first time in 1980), Vietnam few times, and of course Australia where I eventually settled; raising a family on a volcanic plateau called ‘Tamborine Mountain’ in Queensland.
“In 2012 I moved alone to the village of Bangalow near Byron Bay which is the Easternmost point of the Australian mainland, in the sub-tropical Northern Rivers province of New South Wales; and I started tutoring English to speakers of other languages, as well as working as a tour guide.
“Nowadays my adventures are centred more from my base here in Bangalow to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland where I love to camp beside the Noosa River in my camper van; and Melbourne, mostly because it’s so multicultural and the nearest thing to being in Europe in the Southern Hemisphere.
“And I’d like to get back to Paris sometime because, as King Francis I once said: ‘Paris isn’t a city, it’s a world.”
David mirrors combinations of the traits and characteristics of other rare birds he’s met throughout his life and travels, onto the many characters he is constantly developing within his creative pursuits.
David has published two books:
‘Oddfellow‘, the true story of his roller-coaster upbringing by, and the premature demise of, his disabled war veteran father ; portraying the inter-generational pain of a distant war on the psyche of a young boy, otherwise considered to have been raised in one of the most peaceful countries on the planet.
‘Playing for Keeps‘, a character based novel in the mind/body/spirit genre. Journeys of self-discovery at Australia’s Easternmost point ; portraying the actions and reactions of several ‘different’ characters, who are challenged to peel back the layers masking their own emotional pain.
David Zaccheus (a.k.a. ‘Zac’) also writes poetry, songs and screenplays. He is currently writing a feature length screenplay inspired by ‘Oddfellow’, the true life story he wrote about his father.
“Oddfellow the Movie will be different,” says David, “yet it will complement the book.”
‘Truths and Roses‘ is a short film screenplay recently completed, together with original soundtrack of the same name, and ready to enter pre-production mode. Inspired by a quotation by Henri David Thoreau: “Truths and roses have thorns about them”, the script is unique in that every scripted line is a question.
‘Learning 2 Fly‘, a short film about rejection, was screened at the first Byron Bay Film Festival in 2007 and requested by the Australian Film Commission for inclusion in the 2007/2008 International Catalogue of Australian Short Films.
David Zaccheus Art, inspired largely from an interest in the ancient mysteries and age-old wisdom traditions, has been described as ‘totemic’ in style. He exposes this essence with bold graphics, simple lines, and off-beat colours, achieving effect by form and colour rather than by realism
David Zaccheus Cards consist of two ranges of fun Greeting Cards available in different formats, under the theme “My Galactic Family”, and utilises the humorous Irish limerick poetry form on the reverse.
David has also worked as a professional photographer, film crew; managed a talent agency, and doubled for an Academy Award winning actor.
WATCH DAVID ZACCHEUS ON YOUTUBE
Peace, Love, Respect.
Enjoy.
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David Zaccheus 