Innocence in a Sense

Mitchell Bennett is your average kind of guy. Growing up in the late sixties, seventies, and eighties, in affluent Sydney Australia, he was an optimistic child and teen. Following the early death of his father, ABC journalist Frank Bennett, Mitchell learns resilience from the age of sixteen months. Childhood has its challenges, though Mitchell is cradled in love as his mother, Jan Bennett, holds the family unit together as best she can. Nevertheless, childhood is packed with adventure for this sports all-rounder. Approaching his teens is where Mitchell faces a dark chapter in life. The story of this surfer's young life explores the question: when does someone lose their innocence and begin accepting the responsibilities of adulthood? Mitchell tracks his early life memoir through the metaphor of a surf safari. As Mitchell learns to live with a diagnosis of Affective Bipolar Disorder, he relays some highs and lows of his early roller coaster journey. Mitchell realises that throughout life, there is a lifeline attached, and communities of people are at the ready.