Over time, Merewether gained the tall woman's trust and spent a number of years making a documentary about her life - Jabe Babe - which will have its UK premiere as part of the London Australian Film Festival this weekend.

The result of her collaboration with Jabe, who is 6ft 3ins, is a film which crosses the boundary from documentary to fiction, and tells the story of Jabe's life very much in her own words.

"She was a strong character, quite eccentric, and I felt that I could talk about the social issues around tallness and women's bodies along with opening up ideas of difference - social difference."

Born to a schizophrenic mother and not knowing her father, Jabe had a troubled and disruptive childhood, characterised by physical abuse, a series of foster homes and a growing feeling of alienation made more acute by her height.

In the film she strides around a model town, lifting the lid on a series of suburban houses, in which she lived, to reveal a small screen on which is projected a part of her life.

Merewether believes that scientific documentaries about rare genetic disorders can often render the subject passive - a victim of the condition.

And in order to have any chance of survival, she had to face the prospect of open heart surgery - something which Merewether felt was made even more difficult to bear without the support of close family.

Having recovered from the surgery, but still believing the doctors' prognosis of an early death, Jabe used her stature to her own advantage and began a seven year spell as a professional dominatrix.

Some of her foster homes were run by Christian fundamentalists and others who insisted upon impeccable behaviour and meted out physical punishment for failing to live up to the mark.

She also begins to contemplate motherhood, although she is strongly advised to consider having a surrogate carry the baby because of the risks to her health.

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