AustLit

Set in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda in the late 1980s, A Matter of Convenience is a bitter-sweet comedy that explores the relationship between Valma and Joe. Verging on midlife, Valma wants a baby with her partner Joe, a gentle and well-meaning writer who has had absolutely no success in sustaining himself financially with his work and is not a good prospect as a reliable father. In order to live, he takes on a 'job from hell' at a chicken factory. Desperate to do something else, he accepts a proposition from a businessman called Alphonse, whose current money-making venture is arranging 'marriages of convenience' to help new immigrants fast-track themselves to Australian citizenship. Usually, Alphonse arranges 'marriages' between immigrant women and gay Australian men. This works well because the men are not interested in 'funny business' and are prepared to take on the role of husband for a large fee. Alphonse also later arranges the divorce. In his attempt to help Valma and Joe, however, Alphonse breaks his own rule, and the situation becomes critical when Joe's 'bride' turns out to be the young and gorgeous Fadya. To further complicate matters, the authorities decide to take an interest in Alphonse. Three immigration officers each contribute their own personal version of hell to the Valma-Joe-Fadya triangle.