Cinema Papers July 1986

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COVER STORY The Fringe Dwellers: Will it be A u stra lia ’s Color P u rp le ? ..................................................... 14

EDITORIAL

3

LETTERS

5

NEWS:

H o w A ustra lia did at Cannes; film and television news and views; and a trib u te to Bill G o o le y .................................................................. 6

PROFILES:

C ajun film m a ke r G len Pitre, Indian d ire cto r M rinal Sen and le g e n d of the British cin em a M ichael P o w e ll................................................. 12

ON LOCATION:

Tw o pa ge s of pictures from Great Expectations —

The Untold S tory.......................................... 38

FILM AND TV

REVIEWS:

FEATURES Ciao, Manhattan: W o o d y A llen talks to A le xa n d e r W a lke r........................................................ 19

Reviews of Crocodile Dundee, A Room with a View, Hannah and her Sisters, Shout! The Story o f Johnny O'Keefe, The Last Warhorse, The Quiet Earth, After Hours, Body B usiness, V a g a b o n d , D o u b le Sculls, When Father was Away on Business, The Blue Lightning, Dot and Keeto, Stock Squad and Banduk, plus all the latest

Caring and controversy: A n inte rvie w with G erm an dire cto r R einhard H a u ff...................26

20th-century giant: A farew ell trib u te to O rson W elles by frien d and fellow d ire cto r H enry J a g lo m .............................................................................................................. 31

re le a se s.............................................................40

BOOKS:

A g u id e to the ‘real H o lly­ w o o d ’, tw o histories of Y ug oslav cin em a and a lo ok at film a n d TV in W A .................................................................. 52

OVERSEAS REPORTS:

T he latest film and TV news from aro un d the w o rld ............................................................ 61

FESTIVALS AND MARKETS: The best an d the w o rst of C annes ’86, plus reports from H o ng K ong and the S oviet Film W e e k ............................. 66

TECHNICALITIES:

C hris Hutson helps you to live with the tele­ cine ........................................

69

PRODUCTION:

A ro u n d -u p of w h a t’s being shot w h e re in A u s­ tralia, plus the usual c o m p re ­ hensive p ro d u ctio n s u rv e y .......................... 73

CINEMA PAPERS July — 1

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FILMWEST FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT; Filmwest Corporation Pty. Ltd.

Percy Jones Motion Picture Services

75 Bennett Street, Perth, W.A. 6000 Tel(09)325 1177/3251423 Telex: AA94150

1st Floor, 29 College St. Gladesville. N.S.W. 2111 Telephone: (02)816 3371

‘ Alan Lake Film Production Services Pty. Ltd.

Peter Grbavac Photographic & General Instruments.

32 Barcoo S treet.

203 Rocky Point Rd. East Roseville. N.S.W. 2069 Ramsgate, N.S.W. 2217 Telephone: (02) 406 6443 Telephone: (02)525 6314

John Bowring-Lemac Films (Aust) Pty. Ltd. 279 Highett Street Richmond. Victoria.3121 Tel(03)4283336/429 2992

Filmwest Pte. Ltd. Suite 157 Raffles Hotel 1-3 Beach Road, Singapore 0718 • Tel: 337 8041/336 1509 Telex: RS36389

Bread, butter . . . and jam Editor: Nick Roddick. Publisher: Patricia Amad.. Assistant editor: Kathy Bail.

Art director: Debra Symons. Editorial assistant/subscriptions: Linda Mal­ colm. Proofreading: Arthur Salton.

Typesetting by B-P Typesetting Pty. Ltd. Colour separations by Colourscan Pte Ltd. Negative-making and printing by York Press Ltd. Distribution by Network Distribution Company, 54 Park Street, Sydney 2000 (Australia).

Founding

publishers:

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Signed articles represent the views of their author, and not necessarily those of the editor. While every care is taken with manuscripts and materials supplied to the magazine, neither the editor nor the pub­ lishers can accept liability for any loss or damage which may arise. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the copyright owner. Cinema Papers is published every two months by MTV Publishing Limited, 644 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3051. Telephone: (03) 329 5983. Telex: AA30625 Reference ME 230. © Copyright MTV Publishing Limited, No 58, July 1986.

* Recommended price only.

Cover: Kristina Nehm in The Fringe Dwellers (photo: Robert McFarlane).

Cinema Papers

¡s pu b lish e d w ith fina ncial assistance from the

AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION a n d FILM VICTORIA

A good few years ago, I used to live in a basement flat. Like many basement flats, its plumbing was, at best, provisional. Periodically, an evil looking trap would rise ominously, disgorging effluent into the back yard.

This used to bother everyone except the plumber, a taciturn individual, who blocked all further conversation with the memorable comment: “ It may be shit to you, mate, but to me it’s my bread and butter!”

One could say much the same about Cannes, which is now over for another year: for all its excesses, it is a bread-and-butter operation for the Australian film industry.

But, in all that is written about Cannes (in Cinema Papers as much as elsewhere), there is an aspect that tends to get overlooked. Cannes is not just the stage on which the latest Australian movies are exhibited to the world: it is also a chance for Australian filmmakers to look at what the world is doing, and for Australian distributors to bring bits of it back home.

From the perspective of Oz, it is sometimes easy to forget that the world is not just Warner Brothers. Or that buying films doesn’t have to be an expensive version of plumbing. Hundreds of films — and dozens of very good ones — are made elsewhere than in Hollywood. They’re made in foreign languages, of course, which means they have to be subtitled. And that means that not everyone — or, to put it another way, hardly anyone — will go and see them.

But, even if Australia is not, in Mr Keating’s memorably alarmist phrase, about to turn into a banana republic, Australian audiences have a lot to learn from the kind of films they make in France and Germany, Spain and India, Japan and Brazil.

Getting to see them, however, other than on the admirable SBS, is another matter, even without the obscene intervention of those who, as now with Godard’s H ail M ary, want to stop others seeing films they can’t even be bothered to see themselves.

It is easy to blame distributors for playing it safe, though safe is not really the word. It is also unfair: producers of foreign films are as greedy as anyone else in this business, and they like to sell their films for more than most Australian distributors can hope to recoup.

It is easy, too, to blame the media. If an ‘art film’ gets mentioned on TV, it is worth opening a bottle of wine to celebrate. If it gets more than a passing mention in the daily press, that is likely to be because Stallone somehow failed to deliver that week. Worse still, one bad — openly hostile or merely dismissive — review can kill the film’s chances for ever.

It is easiest of all to blame the punter, traditionally unwilling to shell out seven bucks for something that doesn’t have two major stars and an explosion every five minutes.

But, without endorsing the views of Mr Georgatos (see the Letters page), who seems to be inventing a new version of the cultural cringe, Australian filmmakers and Australian audiences need the jam of non-mainstream films, from Europe and America, to supplement the bread and butter of Hollywood. It is the basis for a healthier industry and a healthier film culture.

That’s why, to coincide with the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals, which are often the only places the jam gets spread, nearly 50% of this issue of Cinema Papers is about non-Australian films — about Woody Allen, who goes his own way to an extent that few Australian directors are able to do; about Orson Welles, who always went his own way; and about Reinhard Hauff, whose career has been a lesson in how not to compromise.

Compromise, of course, is always going to be a part of any film industry.

What counts is the information on which the compromise is made. And, for Australia, a southern hemisphere Hollywood is not the only option.

Nick Roddick CINEMA PAPERS July — 3

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Write and tell us when we get it right — and when we get it wrong.

From Annette Marshall, Helensburgh,

NSW.

I was delighted that your review of Eureka in the March issue (Cinema Papers 56) did the film some justice, but you perhaps ought to know of its presentation at the Valhalla, Glebe, over the summer.

The film was at first shown at a 7.30 session, followed, by Where the Buffalo Roam at 9.45. Eureka runs for 129 minutes, so you will immedi­ ately perceive this involved sacri­ fices. The sacrifices were made by the audience, who had to sit through a version with half the courtroom scene cut out. I know that’s the scene that superficially shrieks for some editing, but the more you see the film, the more you see the court­ room confrontation as its heart. . I rang up the Valhalla and com­ plained, but was told this was the print they had obtained from London. Three weeks later, I took myself off to see it again, at a time !when it was being followed by a film starting at 10.00. Miraculously, the missing bit was back in. I was delighted to see it, but extremely pissed off with the Valhalla for their cavalier attitude.

I wouldn’t be so annoyed if it was the local flea-pit or surprised if it was one of the big chains. But the Valhalla pretends to be above all that.

From Harry Georgatos, Homebush, NSW. I am sick to death of filmmakers and people within the industry blaming 10BA for the quality of the films churned out.

The quality is not determined by 10BA, but by the knowledge and creativity of the director, actors and crew members. Apart from Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford and, to a degree, George (Mad Max) Miller, who can comprehend the language of film, the majority of the industry cannot.

The only manner to progress is for the industry to invite lecturers, film­ makers and talents from overseas.

Then the industry might learn the art of cinema. Learning ,one’s craft is a greater dilemma than 10BA. I hope you have the courage to publish this letter. I’m sure you do.

From Sidney Safir, Safir Limited, London, England.

Films

We enjoyed reading your May 1986 issue (Cinema Papers 57), quite a lot of which was devoted to Australian films at the Cannes festival.

To the best of our knowledge you never made any enquiries with us, one of the most active international sales agents for Australian films. We must therefore assume that the com­ plete absence of any reference to our involvement in a number of films mentioned in your issue was due to inadequate information passed on to you by the AFC and individual producers.

On page 42, you carry an inter­ view with Margaret Fink about For Love Alone, but there is no mention of the fact that we handled My Brilliant Career and are now the agent for For Love Alone, in both cases for the world excluding Aus­ tralasia and USA/Canada.

On page 44, headed ‘Cannes doers’, you gave no information about us and, on pages 48 and 49, setting out details in respect of For Love Alone, Flouse Broken and Spirit Chaser, you omitted our name as exclusive sales agents.

In September 1986, the School will be inaugurating a complete academic year of celebrations and fundraising, to mark 30 years of its existence.

At time of writing this letter, our plans are in the earliest stages, but we hope to organize a grand inter­ national reunion for all ex-students and former members of staff. For this to be possible, it will be neces­ sary to contact as many alumni as possible, as soon as possible. I hope that all graduates of the LFST, LFS and LIFS who read this letter will contact me at the School, so that we can organize not only the reunion, but also the many other events we have in mind for our 30th anni­ versary year.

(It is true that individual producers did not mention Safir Films to us, but this may have been our fault, given the comparatively loose phrasing of the question: "Who will be repre­ senting the film at Cannes?" The interview with Margaret Fink was both brief and concerned with pro­ duction rather than marketing: Ms Fink cannot be expected to cover every aspect of the operation. Our apologies all the same to Sidney Safir, who has indeed been a sales agent for Australian films for a con­ siderable period of time. Ed.)

I beg you to print a portrait of the beautiful Linda Kozlowski, of Croco­ dile Dundee fame, in your next issue.

From Phil Mottram, Administrator, London International Film School, 24 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9HP.

From Richard Wolstencroft, Kangaroo Ground, Vic.

I am writing in the hope that, through your letters column, I may be able to contact ex-students of the London International Film School (and its predecessor schools, the London School of Film Technique and the London Film School) who are readers of Cinema Papers.

We were disappointed by the inclu­ sion of Marauders in the ‘Television’ section of the Production Survey in your May issue (Cinema Papers 57).

Even though Marauders is being shot on video, it is still a feature, not a weekly soap or miniseries such as Prisoner or Prime Time.

4rw w w w w

Don’t hold it all in!

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Competition results

What is happening to you? We were all set to give away five copies of Robert Hilburn’s Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A., but only two of you got the answers right.

The American director currently preparing a movie inspired, by Springsteen’s song, 'Born in the USA’, is Paul Schrader and the film is called Light of Day. (It used to be called Around the Corner to the Light of Day.) The director making a film with a title taken from a Buddy Holly song is Francis Ford Coppola, and the film is Peggy Sue Got Married. And the Australian rock star who has now finished shooting his first feature film in Melbourne is Michael Hutchence of INXS, and the film is Dogs in Space.

The two winners were:

Julianne

From Giles Flower, Wattle Park, SA.

La Rosa, 13 Tucker -Street, Fawkner, Vic 3060.

Ian Taylor, GPO Box 3657, Sydney, NSW 2001.

Which leaves us with three books still to give away. So here is a second round of three (easier) questions about rock 'n roll cinema: (1) Who played Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), and who directed the film?

(2) What 1956 American film fea­ tured Fats Domino, Little Richard and The Platters, and who was the star?

(3) Which 1980 British film featured Joe Strummer and The Clash?

Send us your answers quickly: this time, it’s first come, first served.

Meanwhile, on page 56, you can win a copy of The Color Purple and a double pass to see the film .. .

CINEMA PAPERS July — 5

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Deals, debuts and an air of delight Lots of sales and an excellent critical response make Cannes ’86 a bumper year for Australia The sun shone uninterruptedly on the Croisette throughout this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, which may have had something to do with the delight expressed by most of the Australians there. But business was probably the key: Cannes, in addition to being the world’s most prestigious festival, at which a prize can do wonders for a filmmaker’s career, is still the fore­ most international film market. “ If anybody ever had any doubts about Cannes for marketing Australian films,” said Jim Henry, head of Aus­ tralian World Marketing and con­ sultant to the South Australian Film Corporation, “ they can now forget them.”

Henry himself was delighted with, among other things, the response to the exploitation movie, Fair Game, very much a ‘market film’ which, he claims was “ one of the un­ applauded stars of Cannes. I could have sold it three times over in every territory” . As it was, the film went to Embassy Home Video for the USA, Canada and the UK; to Scandinavia for “ the highest price ever paid for an Australian film” ; and to India for “ only a few dollars less than they «paid for Rambo".

One of the things Australian pro­ ducers were able to cash in on this year was the shortage of middlebudget American films, now that most of the latter are made with advance video deals. Says Ross Dlmsey, who had a very successful trip with Kangaroo: “There is no such thing as a middle-budget American film any more. So, who does it? The bloody Australians!”

Bloody Kangaroo was so successful that an extra market screening had to be organized, and the film was sold to Enterprise for UK theatrical release, and to the BBC for, says Dlmsey, “what I’m lead to believe Is a record deal for an Australian film; well In excess of 50,000 Pounds”. Opening the Mel­ bourne festival and closing Sydney, Kangaroo will also represent Australia at the Montreal International Film Festival in September.

The response to the film seems, gratlfylngly, to have been to its quality, not because of its national origin. This was a point echoed by Bob Rehme, co-chairman and CEO of New World Pictures who, early in the festival, announced a m ajor deal with Australian Films International and the New South Wales Film Corporation for Dead-End Drive-In, which was featured on our March cover. “ It doesn’t make any difference where it’s from,” said Rehme. “ It doesn’t hurt and it doesn’t help.”

The deal, which marked the end of negotiations begun at the AFM in February, was for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, and will see Drive-In open in the US in August, with a major publicity campaign and a massive, thousand-print release. In Australia, it will open through G re a te r U n io n , p ro b a b ly at

6 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Christmas.

The New World deal is part of an ongoing relationship ("W e’re going long-term,” said Rehme), and repre­ sents a significant step forward in NSW marketing director, Danny Collins’s package-deal game-plan. “ If you do video and TV first,” says Collins, “ you effectively preclude theatrical sales, because you can’t offer the distributor the protection of TV and video rights.”

This year, apart from the NSWFC, which maintains its own office, other Austraian producers and sellers were based in the new Australian Producers' Sales Office, located in a suite at the plush Majestic Hotel, just across the road from the Palais des Festivals. “ All the producers seem to have been much happier because of the two offices,” said Film Vic­ toria’s Greg Tepper who, along with Jim Henry and the Australian Film Commission’s London representa­ tive, Gary Hamilton, was co-ordina­ ting things at the Majestic.

The new facility provided a single location through which producers could be contacted, where tapes of the films could (generally) be viewed, and where deals could be done. It also had the effect of freeing the AFC’s penthouse suite for other purposes, such as major meetings and press interviews.

The split, felt the AFC’s marketing director, Clive Turner, worked “ brilliantly” . Indeed, in an industry where mateship is more often a theme of the films than a feature of intra-industry relations, the dividingup of functions seems to have been universally approved. Some, how­ ever, including Jim Henry, felt the Majestic office was a bit multi-func­ tional (it played home to Oz-based TV crews, not to mention the occa­ sional film magazine) and the arrangements “ needed some refine­ ment. But it didn’t,” stressed Henry, “ stop us from doing the things we needed to do.”

High spot at the AFC’s other office was the signing, on 15 May, of a co­ production agreement between France and Australia. The agree­ ment, which will run on a trial basis until 1 January 1988, represented, said the Centre National de la Cinematographie’s director general, Jerome Clement, the termination of “ a very pleasant and easy discus­ sion” . “ Our film industry began with the French,” quipped AFC chair­ man, Phillip Adams. “ It was a French cameraman who filmed the 1897 Melbourne Cup. It was an Aus­ tralian horse that won, though!”

The other high-profile presence at Cannes this year was NSW premier Neville Wran, an official guest of the festival. He seemed to need little convincing of the job his state Film Commission was doing — though, like everyone else he had a few words to say about 10BA. “ It’s been my experience,” he told Cinema Papers, “ that Australian investors are a bit timid: they like to see their

dividend before they make their investment!"

Deals and dollars apart, the chief achievement at Cannes this year came with Jane Campion’s Palme d ’Or — the top prize — for her short film, Peel, a movie that the Film and TV School disliked so much they tried to dissuade her from finishing it.

The Palme d ’Or is a major achieve­ ment, since it gives Campion an almost guaranteed ‘in’ to the main competition at a future date.

Campion was besieged by Euro­ pean journalists: the French daily, Liberation, gave her a full-page inter­ view, in which names like Ozu, Welles, Sirk and Wenders were freely bandied about. But she did not allow any of this to go to her head — "Jane has one of the clear­ est visions of what she wants to do of anyone I’ve met,” says 2 Friends producer Jan Chapman — and was not on hand to pick up her prize.

Instead — fittingly, perhaps — it was collected by Nadia Tass, direc­ tor of Malcolm which, with Kanga­ roo, was the most warmly received of the films in the market. It had British distributors falling over them­ selves to buy it (Vestron already have it for the US), and has been sold to Scandinavia, Germany, Indo­ nesia and Yugoslavia — the last bringing particular pleasure to Tass, who was born within five minutes of the Yugoslav border.

The other Australian director to make a major critical impact at Cannes was Bill Bennett, whose Backlash closed ‘Un certain regard’ with tw o p a cked screenings.

Bennett, too, was the focus of a great deal of European media atten­ tion, and found the whole affair weird but worth it. “ It proves,” he said, “ that you can make quirky films and find a market for them.

Seeing films like Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law and some of the films in the Director’s Fortnight made me feel it was all worth it.”

Bennett’s comments seem to sum up Cannes ’86. After a couple of years in which the films on offer on the Cote d ’Azur have disappointed both buyers and critics, this year’s crop seems to have confirmed that Australian films can still operate effectively across the spectrum, from medium-budget mainstream movies like Kangaroo and The More Things Change, to quirky ‘smaller’ films like those of Campion, Bennett and Scott Murray (whose Devil in the Flesh was in the Critics’ Week).

With the indefatigable help of publicist Pierre Rissient, apparently undaunted by aspersions cast in a recent National Times article, Austra­ lia’s profile is again strong in the 'art film’ world, while the pictures made for commercial reasons are, at long last, proving — like Dead-End DriveIn and Fair Game — to justify all the claims that have been made for them. For Australia, as for any filmmaking country, that sort of split identity is a blessing rather than a burden.

Jane Campion: Golden Palm for the best short film.

Fair Game; could have sold three times over.

Malcolm; buyers were falling over each other.

Kangaroo; “Who does it? The bloody Australians!”

New World’s Bob Rehme: “It doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t help. ”

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Bill Gooley:

Stepping out

A tribute by Sue Milliken

New unit provides solid base for Victorian women’s films

Bill Gooley, who died on 15 May 1986, was born in Sydney in September 1932, and grew up in Redfern. He won a bursary to Cleve­ land Street High School, but left school at fifteen. At sixteen, he went to work at Percival Film Laboratories and, apart from a three-year break processing and taking stills, his entire working life was spent in laboratories.

The international reputation for technical excellence achieved by the new wave of Australian films owes much to the influence of Bill Gooley. Peter Weir called him "someone In whom the artist and the technician meet” .

Bill’s first job was at the end of a b la c k - a n d - w h ite p r o c e s s in g machine, locked away from any contact with filmmakers. From Per­ cival Laboratories he moved to Filmcraft at Camperdown, which later became Colorfllm, and he remained there for the rest of his career. In the late sixties, Bill oversaw the foreign feature films which went to workprint only and were completed overseas (including, remarkably, They’re a Weird Mob).

The Hands of Cormac Joyce, pro­ duced by Crawford Productions for the Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1972, was the first colour 35mm feature entirely completed at Colorfilm, and Bill was the lab liaison. However, his reputation as the man you could trust went back further than that. As a newcomer to the industry in 1968, I was instructed to call the lab and "speak only to Bill Gooley: he will tell you exactly what’s happening” .

Bill created his own style of lab liaison to service the emerging film industry. He considered himself one of the crew. He insisted on reading the script, talking to the cameraman and, wherever possible, on visiting the location during pre-production, so as to have an understanding of the look the cameraman was trying to achieve.

He had a remarkable sense of drama and, even though he viewed rushes mute, would discuss tech­ nical matters in dramatic terms, referring to the artistes by name and in the context of the action which was taking place in the scene. He was the cameraman’s security blanket. Understanding creatively as well as technically what the camera­ men were trying to achieve, he was their eyes and their mentor when they were hundreds of miles away on a shoot. I doubt that there is one of our famous cameramen of today who hasn’t sidled up to the first assistant director on set saying: “ When Is lunch break? I think I’ll just go and ring Bill Gooley.”

Bill trained a generation of clapper loaders and production secretaries.

Immensely disciplined and dedi­ cated himself, he had no patience with production staff who did not live up to his standards. If the clapper loader turned in messy camera sheets or the production secretary failed to liaise properly about rushes movement, Bill would tell them in

8 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Bill Gooley accepting the Raymond Longford A ward in 1983. no uncertain terms to pull their socks up. As there wasn’t a cruel or nasty bone in his body, the recipients of his ire would simply do as they were told, without resentment.

His eye for a problem was incred­ ibly sharp. Sitting through an earlymorning rushes session with him was a unique experience, as he kept up a running commentary on every­ thing from the lighting to the opera­ ting to the make-up to the ladies’ hats. This was his way of staying alert and involved through millions of feet of one-light workprint. If you were in Broken Hill or Tennant Creek, sweating on the neg report, the phone call from Bill always set you straight.

"Always tell the truth” was his binding precept. If the lab had munched its way through five thou­ sand feet of your major stunt sequence, Bill would tell you straight up. If he thought the fault was in the camera, he would say so, and you always knew immediately where to look to start redressing the problem.

Bill worked the hours of all the pro­

ductions going through the lab. He was always there when you needed him. Somehow, amongst all of this, he managed to have a fulfilled and loving family life. Happily married to Rosemary for 27 years, he was a lively and amusing friend as well as a father to Shannon and Meaghan.

In an industry in which generosity is not a major attribute, Bill Gooley was genuinely loved and universally respected. His illness,and the cour­ age with which he and his family fought it, touched us all. Most people never know how they are perceived by their peers, but Bill’s many friends saw to it that something of what he had given the industry was given back, however inadequately, over the last three years. In 1983, the AFI recognized his contribution to the industry, by preseating him with the Raymond Longford Award.

Bill’s last production was the delivery of the answer print of The Fringe Dwellers. In April, too ill to work, he and Rosemary neverthe­ less held their annual pre-Cannes dinner, although the numbers were reduced from previous years. The night was filled with love and laughter, and that is how we should all remember him.

The Victorian Women’s Film Unit was set up in late 1984 as a CEP project, sponsored by the Australian Film Com m ission with tw elve months’ money from the Women’s Film Fund. The project was insti­ gated in recognition of a problem In Melbourne, which has less of an established women’s film network than Sydney, and almost none of the women who were employed on the project had ever been involved in commercial filmmaking.

The Unit’s first production was Pre-Occupied, written by Lyn Mac­ Donald and directed by Solrun Hoass. This neatly Interwoven filmwithin-a-film looked at the problems (and rewards) of motherhood, par­ ticularly for single women. It also examined the moral issues involved in cinema vérité. Of particular note ■ was the performance given by the actor at the centre of the film-withina-film: a documentary about mother­ hood. Her existence is disputed, even threatened, when she is chosen as the ‘star’, and her anger with —- and envy of — the wellmeaning young woman director who invades her life is realistically expressed.

By contrast, traditional families were chosen as the subject for two other films, a trilogy called Blood ' Ties, and Sunday Lunch, written by Deborah Hoare and Claire Dobbin.

The latter is a delightfully black little comedy, focusing on the yawning chasm which forms the generation gap. The choice of dialogue be­ tween a working-class couple, their yuppie son and his odious wife and child, have a painful ring of truth.

Mike Leigh, look to your laurels!

Blood Ties, written by Danae Gunn, records three episodes in the life of a female who lives on a farm with her father and mother. The first, directed by Louise Hubbard, shows us the main character, May, as a sad and confused little girl, trying to win the approval of her insensitive, tyran­ nical father. The next part of the trilogy, directed by Jane Stevenson, has May trying to break free from his dominance and make a life of her own — an attempt which ends as tragically as a Tennessee Williams play. In the last episode, directed by the writer, May and her mother are left alone together, two old women resentful and yet utterly dependent on each other, like characters out of Beckett.

Tango Delta deals with the prob­ lems writer/dlrector Jenny Harding faced while working as a technical director in video production. Angry and eloquent, her statement has application for all women who refuse to act as cheerleaders in a job, and are told: “ Thanks for your help” , not “ Thanks for your work” .

Each of the films is fresh, engross­ ing and well made. As a CEP pro­ ject, the Unit has been highly suc­ cessful, employing more than a hundred people during its funding period. And it is encouraging to hear that many of the women have since

received employment on various commercial film and television pro­ ductions. What is more, one of the films has been singled out for a Greater Union Awards nomination, and was shown at the Sydney Film Festival.

The film, High Heels, directed by Sue Brooks, is a witty and thoughtprovoking look at this perennially popular fashion in women’s shoes.

Although the linking of men’s fond­ ness for women sporting this kind of footwear with the Chinese custom of foot-binding may seem obvious to readers of feminist theory, it is good to see such ideas expressed on the screen. Only occasionally didactic, High Heels is nevertheless refresh­ ingly free of the tyranny of ideo­ logical soundness, with its theme song (written by Jan Cornall) speak­ ing in favour of a woman’s right to wear what she pleases, without being branded as a sexual object by her peers, or treated as such by men.

Christine Cremen

Rising stars Graduate screenings at the Film and Television School

Jane Campion’s success at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival wifh the short, Peel, has assured her place as one of the ‘risen’ stars of the Austra­ lian Film and Television School. But what about the rising ones?

At the opening of the graduate screenings in May, director Anne Deveson said that the exhibition was important in allowing students’ work to be reviewed. She also com­ mented on the recently completed report on structure and curriculum at AFTS, and the expansion of the Open Programme in other capital cities. But while the administration is taking stock, graduates are looking elsewhere.

Sexuality, consumerism, family

Sex and the single girl: Deborah Hoare in Anna Grieve’s Skipping Girl. politics and romance were some of the dominant themes. Michael Webb’s Fami/y Bond, a satire on a seemingly ‘perfect’ suburban family, presented an interesting narrative which tended, however to be played out too quickly.

More experimental was Leslie Oliver’s Tennis Court Opera, a slick melodrama which looked at per­ sonal game-playing by metaphoric­ ally aligning the spectacle of a tennis match with the scenes of an opera.

Taking Away, by Chris Roache, drewfa few laughs but overall was an

Smart packaging and a little solid­ arity has done wonders for a group of experimental, film and video artists in Melbourne. Under the title, the Modern Image Makers Association (MIMA), they have already pre­ sented theirjgirst season of films at the Glasshouse Theatre.

J h e May exhibition included works by the Cantrills, Lynsey Martin, Marie Hoy, Marcus Bergner, Dirk du Bruyn, Maggie Fooke, Chris Knowles, Bill Mousoulis, David Chesworth, Robert Randall, Frank Bendinelli and Peter Lyssiotis.

Nigel Buesst’s Fun Radio, Peter Tammer’s Beethoven and All That Jazz and Phillipe Mora’s Aberrations were some of the films from the sixties that provided a fascinating, often nostalgic, counterpoint to the more recent films.

According to MIMA’S full-time administrator, John Smithies, lorm\ng an organization for film and video artists is a direct way of over­ coming a rigid distribution system

that cuts out anything that doesn’t conform to the standard length "It also guarantees things like artists’ fees — looking after those- moral rights that are overlooked when it comes to art,” says Smithies MIMA will be collecting and cata­ loguing film and video work, leaking it a valuable archival and resource base. “ We’re looking at having about 200 titles registered by the' ., end of 1986. We will have details oa the format of the work, where prints' and copies are held, where jfyhàS' been screened, and a contact num­ ber for the artist," says Smithies. ■ > As well as the register, MIMA will*?1 release three 'yearbooks’ in A ùgujìf '' with selections from the monthly;'" screenings.

MIMA is funded by the AFQfs (where the .idea originated) and Film Victoria. Smithies will also b p ' approaching the Victorian Ministry;; for the Arts and the Visual Arts Board? to get further funding for a tour'of; works in regional galleries. "We?, think it is also a visual arts area?), These divisions create problems for;;? film and video art, but why shoqla|f|? only be screened irycinemas??;The' next MIMA- programmeité-n titled ‘Melbodrné — the place’, arid?' will ’ be held at th e . Glapshopsd' Theatre in Melbourne ón 17 18 a n d jl 19*July Joh n Smithies can be'do®-if tacted on (03) 663 1953?

empty, longwinded account of a loser who runs a hamburger store.

Events just become more and more improbable.

The most successful of the pre­ view screenings was Anna Grieve’s Skipping Girl. Shot in black and white, it begins with a woman doing street interviews on the difference between love and sex. This often hysterically funny sequence forms the background to the more serious main narrative, which is about a woman’s one-night stand. Visually, the film is stunning and, through sensitive direction and camerawork, makes sharp observations about fantasy, love and desire.

Under Control, by Peta Hill, and

N.S.B. Parson's The Portrait of Wendy’s Father examined ideas about confrontation, fear and con­ trol, the former by focusing on a falconer and psychologist and his relationship with the birds/children, the latter by analysing a family where sexual relationships are un­ resolved and threatening. Both were quite skilfully managed.

Stephen Best’s So Pale, however, was indicative of a problem that characterized many of the films. He takes a fascinating idea — a girl lost in a fictional world — yet the explora­ tion stops there. With Best’s, as with many of the films, there is no lack of ideas: what is lacking is develop­ ment — and that takes time. ►

Smart moves for MIMA A new outlet for experimental film and video

CINEMA PAPERS July — 9

mwmm Briefly

■ Negthink is not some wild new concept, but the new name for a Crows Nest editing facility that has changed its company name from Negative Thinking. They have recently acquired an AEC Mark 3 com puter for g e ne rating edit decision lists on to industry-standard 8" floppy discs. For more details, contact Greg Chapman on (02) 439 3988.

■ The Australian Screen Directors’ Association is hoping to establish a Melbourne office. A working party was formed at a meeting on 21 April and, with Sydney ASDA manager, Peter Howard, will compile a sub­ mission to Film Victoria for funding of activities, as well as plans for the Melbourne base.

■ Presentation of the Australian Writers’ Guild annual awards will take place on 11 July at Leonda in Melbourne. Writers for screen, tele­ vision and theatre are eligible. In other awards, the documentary, Koori, was co-winner of the Prix Nanook at the fifth Ethnographic Film Festival in Paris. Directed by Rene Roelofs and produced by Nicolaas van Roosendael, it is about the Aboriginal outstation movement.

■ If you miss the film festivals, try video. The first Australian Video Festival begins on 23 July and will run over five weeks at the Chauvel Cinema, the City Art Institute, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Australian Centre for Photography and the NSW Institute of Technology. There will be a competiton, an exhibition programme and forums.

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■ David Ruda and Steve Gordon, owners of the Moviola Movie Memorabilia bookshop in Mel­ bourne, are true fanatics. Included in their stock are over 100,000 original movie posters from Australia, America and Europe, and a selec­ tion of new and out-of-print books.

Their new shop is in the Midcity A rc a d e , 20 0 B o u rk e S treet, Melbourne.

■ A note for your movie diary: David Stratton’s Cinema Classics returns to SBS on Tuesdays at 9.30 The initial programme is: 29 July, Accattone (Pasolini); 5 August, Rome Open City (Rossellini); 12 August, / Vitelloni (Fellini); 19 August, Il Grido (Antonioni); 26 August, Summer with Monica (Berg­ man); 2 September, The Age of Day­ dreaming (Szabo); 9 September, La notte brava (Bolognini); 16 Septem­ ber, La Grande illusion (Renoir); 23 September, Le jour se lève (Carné); 30 September, Lumière d'été (Gremillon); 7 October, Alphaville (Godard); 14 October, Les Visiteurs du soir (Carne); 21 October, The Red and the White (Jancso); 28 October, General della Rovere (Rossellini); 4 November, Destiny of a Man (Bondarchuk); 11 November, Lotna (Wajda); 18 November, Death of a Cyclist (Bardem); 25 November, The Executioner (Berlanga); 2 December, Viridiana (Bunuel); 9 December, La caza (Saura); 16 December, / Soliti ignoti (Monicelli); 23 December, Eve Wants to Sleep-, 30 December, Smiles of a Summer Night (Bergman); 6 January, Death of a Bureaucrat (Alea).

For those of you who thought Winners had been around for some time . .. you’re right. What is significant about the May announce­ ment, however, is that the whole series is now going out in a regular time-slot on the Ten Network, rather than as one-off telefeatures, which is how two of the series have already been screened.

Writers and directors on Touch the Sun include Kristin and David Williamson, Michael Aitkens and Rob George, and directors Paul Cox and Michael Carson. Touch the Sun, says ABA Director of Special Events Jan Edwards, is “ very relevant to the objectives of 1988” , with its national spread and its focus on youth.

■ 10BA or not 10BA. Here’s the economic argument, from figures supplied by Film Victoria: 10BA pro­ jects increased in 1984-85 by 85% over the previous year (from $30 mil­ lion to $56.3 million) and there was a 145% increase in jobs created in the industry (from 530 to 1,301). The net cost per job to the Victorian govern­ ment decreased from $3,094 to $2,230, while the net combined cost to Federal and State governments d e c re a s e d fro m $ 3 4 ,7 3 0 to $21,301.

■ Film and television activity in Western Australia is often left out of the picture. The WA Film and Tele­ vision Institute aim to put it back in with its publication, In the Picture.

The July issue should be out now.

You can get it from the FTI, 92 Adelaide Street, Fremantle, WA 6160.

■ On 27 May, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation announced three major projects: Kaboodle, thirteen half-hours of drama for five-to-nine-year-olds; Touch the Sun, the Foundation’s Bicentennial project, with a budget of $8 million and funding support from the Bicentennial Authority and Film Victoria; and Winners.

■ Two major announcements from Hoyts suggest buoyant business.

Together with the Dutch-based com­ pany, Cinema International Corpora­ tion NV, they are planning to build new multi-cinema complexes in all Australian states. One hundred screens should be in operation within four years. Each complex will use a computer-based ticketing system and will offer free parking. In another venture, Hoyts has entered into a co-production and co­ financing agreement with the United Artists Corporation. They will make up to three pictures for the next three years. Hoyts will look after distribu­ tion in Australia and New Zealand, with United Artists distributing out­ side these territories.

Contributors

journalist based in Trieste a contn butor to Postit and Italian corre­ spondent for tne International Fum

and Television and a board member of Film Victoria Paul Harris is co host o* Film Buffs

Naoko Abe and Georgina Rope head the Tokvo based Goanna Saskia Baron is film editor of C /f/ Urrhts magazine in London John Baxter is a film reviewer for The Australian and author of numerous books on the cinema.

Marcus Breen is a Mejbournebased journalist, freelance writer and documentary filmmaker Susan Bridekirk is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne.

Mick Broderick works as a publica­ tions officer with the Australian Con­ servation Foundation and is a free­ lance writer on film Pat H. Broeske writes regularly about film for the Los Angeles Times, and is Hollvwood corre spondent for tne Washington Post and other oubhcations Tony Cavanaugh is a freek e script editor.

Lorenzo Codelli is a fmeiance

10 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Guide. , I Joan Cohen works in the film department of trie Los Angeles Count / Museum Mary Colbert is a Sydney based journalist Christine Cremen is a freelance writer on film Sophie Cunningham is a film stu dent and freelance writer. She c o n trib u te s re g u la rly to th e

Melbourne Times.

Mike Downey is an actor and free­ lance film writer and lives in Munich Tony Drouyn is a freelance writer on fi'm wno also play-, and teaches classical guitar Derek Eiiey is associate editor of the

International Film Guioe Michael Freedman is a freelance film writer and editor of Austraran

Hort culture Sarah Guest is a director of the Aus­ tralian Courcil for Children s Film

contr bufor to Tne Age Chris Hutson is a telecine colour grader at AAV in Melbourne Henry Jaglom is an independent American director whose films in elude A Safe Place Sitting Ducks Can S*e Saxe a Cherry Pie'* and Sheila Johnston is a London baspd wnter and Vanslator She is a fi'm eritic for LAM magazine Brian Jones is an independent pro ducer director scriptwriter and journalist Dorre Koeser is a freelance writer and assistant film editor currently living in New Orleans

■ The AFC Creative Development Branch, now under the direction of Megan McMurchy, has finalized pro­ duction grants for thirteen projects and production investments for another fifteen. Production grants will be given to The Australian Bush (Paul Winkler), Buzzard (Alexis Raft), Howard (Roger Monk), The Magic Portal (Lindsay Fleay), The Ordinary Man and the Electronic Servant (Brian Perrett, Peta Spear and Daniel Gentile), Quick Window (Kate Jason-Smith), The Road (Kerry O’Rourke), Spavento Passed (Luigi Acquisto), The Spell Misspelt (Robin Gold, Simon Daley and Peter Morgan), Strange World (Andrew Frost, Nick Meyers and Sean O ’Brien), Sydney In An Other View (M arkus Lam bert), Tem ptation (Antonia Bruns) and Weya Wi Na? (Ngukurr School Council).

Production investm ents have been given to Not a Place for Grand­ mothers (Michael Cordell), Pollen (Jeff Skinner and Greg Punch), Along the Border (Robert Burns), Arrangement of Youth (Jane Steven­ son and Mick Bell), Courageous (Georgia Wallace-Crabbe and Janet McLeod), Damsel Be Damned (Wendy Thompson), Feathers (John Ruane), Friends and Neighbours: East Timor (Gil Serine), How the West was Lost (David Noakes and Heather Williams), Insatiable (David Chesworth), King Neptune's Ulti­ matum (Anne Jolliffe and Neville D a v ie s ), M id d r if f in i (S a b rin a Schmid), Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em (Ray Bosely), With Inertia (Jasmine Hirst and Margie Medlin) and Home­ lands (David Knaus).

The W omen’s Film Fund has given a production grant to Flight to India (Louise Collins and Kim Castle) and production investments to Characters (Helen Martin), Damsels Be Damned (Wendy Thompson), Good Clean Fun (Merilee Bennett) and With Inertia (Jasmine Hirst and M argie M edlin). A L ittle Life (Deborah Howlett) and Radio Burn (Zana Dare) rece ive d project development investments.

Belinda Meares is a Paris-based Sue Milliken is a film producer Harvey Mitchell is a writer editor and broadcaster

Norbert Noyaux works as an interpreter for the French Commercial Office* in Melbourne and is a free lance writer on film Dieter Osswald is a journalist and contributor to Filmecho Mark Spratt is a freelance writer on David Stratton is host of Movie of the* We^k on SBS TV and reviews films for Vanety Jenny Trustrum is a journal st at the

Centra'ian Advocate

David Marsh works *or a film distn bution company in Munich

Michael Visontay is a journalist at *he Sydne, Vornmg Herald

Brian McFarlane is a lecturer in English at tne Chisnolm Institute and author of Words and Images

Alexander W alker is film critic for the London Standard and author of numerous books on the cinema. '

"...we should be thankful for A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL —for its compassion, its quiet skill.”

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"Perhaps only a writer like Horton Foote, with his deep commitment to family and tradition, could indict - ^ individual family with such unnerving clarity.”

“Page subtly stylizes the whole role. In the end, she’s painted the whole character so clearly that she makes you weep.”

"A TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL is a Chekhovian piece because,of its seamless mixture of tears and laughter, the way it sees grief rooted in the passage of time, in barriers to communication, in life itself.”

LOS ANGELES TIMES

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G ERA LDINE JO H N CARLIN RICHARD REBECCA PAGE H EAR D GLYNN BRADFORD D E M ORNAY ISLAND PICTURES PRESENTS A FILMDALLAS I a n d BOUNTIFUL FILM PARTNERS PRODUCTION “THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL” STARRING GERALDINE PAGE JOHN HEARD CARLIN GLYNN RICHARD BRADFORD AND REBECCA DE MORNAY AS. THELMA DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY FRED MURPHY MUSIC BY J.A.G REDFORD EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SAM GROGG a n d GEORGE YANEFF p r o d u c e d b y STERLING VANWAGENEN a n d HORTON FOOTE SCREENPLAY BY HORTON FOOTE BASED ON HIS PLAY “THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL” DIRECTED BY PETER MASTERSON

Commences Hoyts July 17

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Original Sen Indian director Mrinal Sen Some travellers are swift to adopt the mannerisms and the props — the clothing, the food, the brand of cigarettes — of the country in which they find themselves. Not so Mrinal Sen who, despite the international acclaim that has greeted his 25 feature films, from Raat Bhore (.Night's End) in 1956 to Genesis in 1986, rem ains an e xtre m e ly reluctant traveller. He may be multi­ lingual and at home in the west, but his clothes, his bearing — and his cigarettes — remain resolutely Indian. I mention the cigarettes because I have never seen Sen — or a photo of Sen — without one.

Sen is 63 now: he celebrated his 60th birthday at Cannes three years ago, with one of the nicest parties ever held in a town where parties tend to be something you have to get invited to, but don’t generally expect to enjoy. And he was in Cannes again this year, with his third film in a row in the official competi­ tion: Genesis.

The problem — though Sen would politely deny there was one — with Genesis was that it was an inter­ national co-production, involving India, France, Belgium and Switzer­ land; and it involved lots of travel. “ There were certain conditions,” he explains. “ Switzerland was very generous, in the sense that it allowed all the money to be spent outside its territory. France allowed a part of the money to be spent out­ side its territory. But Belgium, like India, didn’t allow a single copper to be spent abroad. “ So, during post-production, I was a regular com m uter between Brussels and Paris. You know, we in India are scared of this freezing cold here in Europe, and last winter it was very cold. I have been travelling quite a lot for several years, but I could never stay outside my country

S for more than ten to fifteen days. This was the first occasion I had to be almost in exile. But it was a very rewarding exile, because I worked. I don’t feel exhausted at all, as long as I work!”

Would he do it again? “ Well, I’d love to, since I’ve smelled it. A tiger, when he tastes blood, goes in for more and more. So, now I’ve tasted it. It has been a fascinating experi­ ence for me, to be able to work on a large canvas, with a lot of people having diverse national identities. I found myself to be in a big family.”

Genesis came about as a result of a lunch Sen had in Calcutta in 1983 with (then) French Minister for Culture, Jack Lang, who was on a state visit with President Mitterand, and who was scouting co-productions. The final participants in the deal are Scarabée Films (Paris), Les Films de la Dreve (Brussels), and the admirable Cactus Film, the Zurichbased company which has been handling Sen’s films for some time (and which was responsible for the completion of Yilmaz Guney’s Yol).

Genesis, which is a parable of civilization's collapse, rebirth, decay, further collapse and implied rebirth — in Sen’s own words, “ a world built or gained is but a world lost, to be rebuilt or regained” — tends toward the non-specific. But, says Sen, “ even though it is timeless, ageless and can happen any time, in any part of the world, in any language, I was making this film in the 20th century, and I couldn’t but invest the story with a contemporary sensibility.”

The point is one he has evidently had to make often, since his artistic beginnings were with the Marxistoriented agitprop Indian People’s Theatre Association in the forties. His early films were informed by a Brechtian concern with the relation­ ship between aesthetic form and social change. And critics, who like to pigeonhole directors — especially third-world directors — don’t easily forgive those who elude their original classification.

But a fascination with cinema has

always been well to the fore in Sen’s work. As the Indian critic, Chidananda Das Gupta, wrote in 1966: “ His progress towards a socialist content couched in vigorous and inventive terms [is] his hallmark. As he grows older, Sen becomes more youthful in his love for the medium of cinema and his need to play with it.”

Twenty years on, Sen, with Genesis, is youthfully discovering the joys of the soundtrack, thanks to having been able to do his mixing in Europe. “ I kne w ,” he says, “ theoretically I knew, that the sound is as important as the visuals. But I could never achieve it because, in India, we always run short of funds at the end, so we have hurriedly to complete the mixing. But here, the quality of the sound has been so good, it has lent tremendous dimen­ sions to the film, which I was never aware of before. So, what did I do?

Even though Ravi Shankar made many pieces for us, we didn’t have to use all his music, because we found the natural sound so strong. I made a little whisper, a little sound of the wind. I have been very cor­ rupted by this working in Europe!”

Genesis ends with bulldozers destroying the tenuous, subsistence society built by the two men and a woman of the regenerated world.

But, for Sen, this carries a hint of yet another genesis. “ On the surface, it is not: I know that. Several of my mili­ tant friends, they say: ‘How is is that your films end on a note of despair all the time?’ I say: ‘Yes, but this is life! I wanted you to face reality. That is terrible, and you have to face it.’ “ I expect my spectators to see something outside the frame of the camera. There will be another con­ frontation, a much more vigorous time. Behind thispessimistic picture, there is an interior strength which keeps you going,, keeps you looking forward, keeps you dreaming, keeps you living, loving and desiring. That is what I believe in.”

Nick Roddick

Mrinal Sen (right) with G enesis cameraman Carlo Varini.

The Archer at eighty British director Michael Powell Michael Powell’s critical star has been enjoying a healthy rise in the last ten to fifteen years, as the grip of realism and moralistic cinema has finally loosened in Britain, to be replaced by something more playful and imaginative. Ten years ago, the quirky, sometimes fantastic films of the Powell and Pressburger team were still being dismissed by main­ stream critics as too frivolous.

But, as TV’s sponge-like soaking up of ‘true stories’ continues, a space is being cleared for visions in the cinema. It would be about time for Michael Powell, who said in 1968: “ I distrust documentary. I have no interest in what people tell me is the truth. How do I know it is the truth?” And, to those critics who disliked his use of caricatures and fantasy, accusing him of showy sur­ realism, he responded: “ All films are surrealist, because they’re some­ thing that looks like the real world but isn’t.”

Powell was part of the ‘British presence’ at Cannes this year — though, in an era of simultaneous British national pride and xeno­ phobic - whining about American colonization, Powell, who doesn’t have a bad word to say for the Americans, points out that “ God didn’t create a British film industry” .

In any case, Michael Powell isn’t in Cannes with a new film. All the many eagerly reported plans since the two Australian features, They're a Weird Mob (1966) and Age of Consent (1969), have come to nothing except a credit as ‘Western version super­ visor’ on the forgettable 'AngloRussian ballet biopic, Pavlova.

Instead, he is there accompanying an old favourite: as part of British Film Year’s final fling, the festival is screening Powell and Pressburger’s A Matter of Life and Death (1946), and presenting them with a special award.

The Michael Powell rehabilitation machine has been running ever smoother since the mid-seventies, when American directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola repaid their childhood debts of grati­ tude from TV matinees. Scorsese financed a 1979 American re-issue of Peeping Tom (1960). And, in 1982, Coppola invited Powell to be ‘senior director in residence’ at his illfated Zoetrope Studios. There, Powell “ pottered around” , but didn't make the hoped-for feature.

He is, however, still intent on making movies, and currently talks about making a silent horror comedy.

There was an example of Powell’s mixture of modesty, shrewdness and charm when, at a London lecture to celebrate the relaunch of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), Powell and Pressburger together presented their adoring fan, Martin Scorsese, with a signed copy of the script for The Red Shoes (1948). Then, as Scorsese wriggled, Powell told the audience how the younger director made him watch

Taxi Driver and kept eagerly asking, “ Did you spot the quote?’’, and Powell had to keep saying: “ No” .

Robert De Niro gave Powell an airrifle for his 80th birthday, so that he could shoot the squirrels that plague his Gloucestershire home. De Niro, according to Scorsese, watched Blimp over and over again, to pre­ pare himself for the ageing process in Raging Bull.

The thirteen films Powell made with former Hungarian' journalist Emeric Pressburger — some during the war, when Pressburger was classified as an ‘enemy alien’ — are

credited as ‘Written, produced and directed by’ the two of them, leaving a permanent puzzle for those fed on auteur theory. But, as Michael Powell snappishly asserts: “ Anyone 'w h o thinks they can make films alone needs their head examined".

In his time — he has been working in movies since he was eighteen, one of his first jobs being as stills photographer on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1928 film, Champagne — Powell has broken most of the expected norms of authorship. Although his films, with or without Pressburger, often share cast and crew credits, no two are alike. “ I’m difficult to cate­ gorize,” he says. "I never want to make the same sort of subject twice.” So his films range from the early, quota-quickie thrillers to regional romances, from big-budget ballets to sly wartime propaganda, from benign and fantastic fairytales to darker explorations of people’s fantasies, which question the very nature of the cinema.

It was that ‘morbid’ element in Peeping Tom (made without Press­ burger) that stopped Powell’s filmmaking career for a long time and, in terms of major features, possibly for ever. The critical scandal surround­ ing the film’s sympathetic portrait of a disturbed young photographer/ filmmaker who kills people while they watch themselves die in a mirror on the front of his camera, has become something of a myth now, with various still-working critics cringing when their horrified con­ demnations are dragged out again.

But certainly, in what Peeping

Tom implied about the voyeurism of cinema, and the capacity of the director/spectator for evil, it severely damaged Powell’s cuddly, elderstatesman image. “ I didn’t under­ stand the fuss either then or now," he says. “ First, it was treated as a piece of pornography, then as a great work of art. I don’t think it is either. I never understood why it shocked so many people. Maybe it’s because the British lead such sheltered lives.”

Today, he is more than a little tired of the subject, and doesn’t take at all kindly to the suggestion that it might be autobiographical — after all, Leo Marks wrote it. But he’s still wary about naming names. “ After I made Peeping Tom, I seemed to have made one or two enemies who were important people. And I found I could no longer make films.” Very calm.

Yet, if you look at the impassioned statement he made during a 1968 interview with Kevin Gough-Yates, the sense of waste he must feel can be guessed at: “ I chose the cinema when I was very young, sixteen years old, and from then on my memories virtually coincide with the history of cinema. I have worked actively in cinema for the last 40 years, and I live equally for the future, since I am profoundly dis­ satisfied with what has been done so fa r . . . I am not a director with a per­ sonal style, / am simply cinema. I have grown up with and through the cinema.”

In the past year in Britain, more and more of Powell and Pressburger’s work has been held up for wider viewing than that afforded by dark corners of repertory cinemas and chopped-up afternoon TV schedules. The creative work of ‘The Archers', their nom d ’écran, has been removed, not always without complaint, from the sole care of film buffs, and students. The National Film Archive has restored tatty nega­ tives lingering in the vaults; and, in the case of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, pieced together the original version, which was cut shortly after its release in 1943.

Churchill was not amused by its ' wry portrayal of the British army as gallant old duffers, nor by its ‘good German’. The film had originally been commissioned by the Ministry of Information; but, when Churchill saw the script, he tried to have it stopped and withdrew all help on it.

Colonel Blimp was a success as a cause célèbre, but a shortage of the materials needed to make Techni­ color prints, and the refusal to grant it an export licence, made it a victim of the scissors. The relaunch in London last year was a critical and financial success for the British Film Institute, who hyped it heavily on the political contretemps.

Now, Powell enjoys telling the story of Churchillian censorship, but he wasn’t so happy at the time. “ After seeing the script, we were told: ‘The Old Man doesn’t like it’.

We said: ‘So what?’ And they said: ’We can’t tell you to stop it, because this is a democracy, but you’ll never get a knighthood!’ ” They still haven’t, remaining plain Mr Powell and Mr Pressburger. Tories have eiphantine memories.

Saskia Baron

Bayou boy Glen Pitre, Cajun filmmaker A couple of years ago, Glen Pitre was spending his evenings touring isolated Cajun communities with two old projectors, selling tee-shirts and records, and showing his own films.

Hardly surprising, then, that at last year’s premiere of Belizaire the Cajun, he should look somewhat out of place in a dinner jacket, and seem less than comfortable that there was nothing else for him to do but stand in the foyer and chat about his film.

Belizaire the Cajun is a landmark in the history of the American cinema: the first film about Cajuns, based on Cajun legends, set in Cajun country and directed by a Cajun. Sadly, though, for commercial reasons, the dialogue is in English.

Pitre, a 29-year-old Harvard graduate and a native of Cut Off, Louisiana, is single-handedly creat­ ing a Cajun narrative film tradition in the United States. His two previous films, La Fièvre jaune ( Yellow Fever) and Huit piastres et demie! {$8.50 a Barrel!) were both straight out of the bayou: strong on action and local colour, featuring non-professional locals (Including his own parents) as actors, and with budgets of less than $30,000 a piece. Unlike Belizaire, however, they were shot entirely in Cajun French, and earned acclaim throughout the French-speaking world.

For the uninitiated, the Cajuns — a deformation of ‘Acadians’ — were originally French people who were exiled from their adopted home in Nova Scotia by the British in the mid­ eighteenth century. A large number found a home in the south-westernLouisiana bayou country known as Acadiana, and developed a culture distinguished by its music (some­ times known as Zuydeco), its cuisine and its joie de vivre.

On the screen, however, Cajuns had to put up with conventional Hollywood caricatures of their culture if they wanted to see stories about themselves. The last motion picture to have a Cajun hero was Evangeline in 1929, an early talkie that featured Dolores Del Rio in the title role. Since then, the movies have given short shrift to the exiles.

In the 1946 release, Thunder Bay, Cajuns got in the way of oil man Jimmy Stewart and were swiftly removed. In Walter Hill’s more recent allegory, Southern Comfort (198.1), they were portrayed as murderous swamp-dwellers, a main­ land dramatic equivalent of the Viet Gong.

Glen Pitre on the set of Belizaire the Cajun, with Nancy Barrett and Stephen McHattie.

But that is not what prompted Pitre to make Belizaire. “ I didn’t make this movie to apologize for films like Southern Comfort," says Pitre: “ I made this movie because it’s important to remember and im­ portant to show accurately a very unique people and lifestyle. I’ve wanted to tell Cajun stories for as long as I can remember. And, since Cajun is an orally-transm itted language, film is the best medium.”

The story of Belizaire the Cajun is a romantic adventure tale set in the mid-nineteenth century, about a Cajun woman, Alida (Gail Youngs), who is emotionally torn between a rich American cattleman, played by Will Patton from Desperately Seek­ ing Susan, and a legendary Cajun traiteur or healer, played by Armande Assante, star of Unfaith­ fully Yours and Private Benjamin.

Ultimately, it is the conflict between the Americans and the Cajuns which provides the real tension of the film.

The whole project came to fruition under the tutelage of Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute in Utah, which meant that Pitre’s script was catapulted from project to major motion picture overnight. The Insti­ tute brings together experts from all areas of the motion picture industry to help polish the work of promising independent filmmakers. Among the experts who participated in the Belizaire the Cajun project were R edford, Robert Duvall (Gail Y o u n g s ’ s h u s b a n d ), S yd n e y Pollack, Karl Malden and a host of other specialists, ranging from film editors via screenwriters to produc­ tion managers. “ It was a dream come true for me,” says Pitre, “ to work with these people. Here they were, watching me direct, giving me pointers, letting me peek inside their bag of tricks.

People kept coming up and saying: ‘Hey, I liked your films!’ when it should have been the other way round!” -As a mark of their confid­ ence in him, Sundance also put up the completion bond.

Belizaire the Cajun is no master­ piece, though it does bear witness to Pitre’s story-telling gifts, and the combination of amateur and profes­ sional actors gels nicely in, for instance, the scenes of collusion between the sheriff (Loulan Pitre) and Willoughby (Stephen McHattie).

The film also contains by far Assante’s best performance to date.

Sadly, though, despite the current Cajun cult in the US, it seems un­ likely to get a wide release. But, for Cajun cinema — and Cajun culture — it is definitely a start.

Mike Downey

CINEMA PAPERS July — 13

epresenting Australia at Cannes, opening the Sydney Film Festival and (hopefully) com ing to a cinem a near you before too long, The Fringe Dwellers is already stirring up contro­ versy. Kathy Bail finds out why.

R

14 — July CINEMA PARERS

Illllp!

||& Looking for another dreamtime: Kristina Nehm g l | as Trilby in The Fringe Dwellers.

For the indefatigable Steven Spielberg, The Color Purple is a story not just about race or colour, but about humanity: “ I never felt that I was ill-equipped to handle the specificity of the story as being what people might assume is an all-black experience . . . it’s an all-human experience — often all too human,” he says. It is a tack that Bruce Beresford, director of The Fringe Dwellers has also taken. Having assembled a mainly black cast, he maintains that The Fringe Dwellers is essentially a story about “ a family — their relationships, struggles, aspirations” . Questions of colour, Aboriginality and racism form, if you like, the sub-text of the film.

The Fringe Dwellers is, however, being unavoidably pushed into the same arenas of

debate as its purple-coloured American counterpart, and it looks like Beresford may well end up with some of the same problems.

Spielberg’s glossy and extravagant rendition of Alice Walker’s more subtle and radical novel has touched the heart strings of middle America. The Fringe Dwellers, based on Nene Gare’s less sophisticated 1961 novel, is cloaked in much the same sentimentality and is as sweetly and professionally packaged as the Hollywood production. However, in a country that is only just beginning to take in black perspectives, the Australian film treads very, very carefully.

In competition at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival, The Fringe Dwellers received a

fair critical reception. It was, above all, the performances of the lead actors, Kristina Nehm, Justine Saunders and Bob Maza, that were commended highly as the cham­ pagne flowed on the gala night; but a walkout by three Australian Aboriginals was a prominent manifestation of the views of some of those who are passionately ques­ tioning the representation of blacks in the film, and decrying its lack of analysis of Aboriginal history, culture and politics.

Playwright and activist Bob Merritt feels that The Fringe Dwellers is “ an advertise­ ment for the world to see exactly how Aboriginal people aren’t” . After a screen­ ing of the film, he exclaimed: “ It’s a fig­ ment of a non-Aboriginal’s imagination.

It’s in keeping with the old ways. What has ► CINEMA PAPERS July — 15

Fringe benefits changed since The Chant o f Jimmie Black­ smith'?” Offended by the misrepresentation in the film , Bobbi M cH ugh, an administrator at Eora, an Aboriginal visual arts and performing centre in Redfern (where Merritt also works), claimed that it had set Aboriginal rights back 200 years.

Speaking from an entirely different position, Aboriginal poet Kath Walker, who plays the wise, spiritual leader, Eva, in The Fringe Dwellers, explained that what Beresford was showing was “ the lack of communication between two races . . . He gives a very authentic and accurate picture.

I think Aboriginal people will identify all of the characters, but there is also a message there for all people.”

Ascertaining whether any film represents life ‘as it really is’ is a problematic endeavour — the search for an authentic voice is an illusory one. What we do have, though, is a film more concerned to pull the heart strings and entertain than fore­ ground both overt political issues and ques­ tions of representation — a film which attempts to tell a story about a family who just happen to be Aboriginal, and who just happen to be poor.

Set in contemporary Australia, The Fringe Dwellers traces the life of the Comeaway family. Trilby (Kristina Nehm), the proud and exuberant daughter, is intent on escaping the poor conditions of the fringe camp in which her family lives. She and her sister, Noonah (Kylie Belling), coax their parents into moving to a Commission home in town. Patronized by the whites, they miss the bonding and support of their own community, cannot pay the rent and eventually face eviction.

honesty about the way the whole film came together. Performing with the Aboriginal and Islander Dance Theatre, she was dis­ covered only weeks before principal photo­ graphy began. She admits she rarely goes to the cinema, so the industry was initially a total mystery. She tells a charming story about one day’s shooting, when Beresford asked her to look at “ the magazine” .

Nehm started looking for Vogue, utterly confusing DOP Don McAlpine!

Now that the shoot is over, however, she has very definite views about what The Fringe Dwellers signifies in terms of the Australian film industry: the fact that the film was even produced is enough of a statement. “ This film is a breakthrough,” she says. “ It shows a group of black actors performing really well, doing something that hasn’t ever been seen before. I think it’s a good working type. It indicates how professional Aboriginal people can be. And it’ll wake people up!”

Perhaps, in industry terms, the film will be a landmark. Beresford had wanted to make it before Breaker Morant, but faced huge barriers when it came to getting finan­ cial backing: basically, investors did not regard a black theme as commercial.

Eventually it was Virgin Films, the cinema arm of London’s Virgin Records, that agreed to a pre-sale, allowing it to be financed under 10BA. Justine Saunders, who plays the mother, Mollie Comeaway, is also adamant about the film’s importance as a catalyst. She has had extensive experience in the industry, appearing in Women o f the Son, Rush, The Chant o f Jimmie Blacksmith, and, in theatre, Bob Merritt’s The Cake Man and Thomas Keneally’s Bullie’s House. Her absolute faith in what can be done in Aus­ tralia, particularly, comes through continu­ “ The film is made more for ally. She boldly asserts: “ I’m fighting for entertainment than to show any black content and women’s content . . .

The Fringe Dwellers will be a talking point, political argument. I don’t think but it also proves to the industry that we it’s a political film” can do it.”

Known affectionately as ‘the little black Kristina Nehm duck’ by her sisters on the Prisoner set, she is willing to talk about the black issue (“ After all, I am carrying a banner” ), but Trilby believes that good lies in another is, in the long run, more interested in ques­ life — in education, a job in the city — and tions “ about me, Justine, the actor” . She refuses to let her family’s acceptance of doesn’t live, she says, a single-issue life. their position prevent her from breaking Her feelings are reminiscent of the words away from the Aboriginal way of life. But of Whoopi Goldberg, lead actress of The her dreams of this sort of independence are Color Purple, who seems to be copping the threatened when she becomes pregnant. same kind of flak. Goldberg has said she is She decides to have the child. Then, in a blazing a trail, not necessarily for black melodramatic scene in the hospital, the baby is killed in an ‘accident’, freeing The sentimental, purple-coloured counterpart: Trilby from what she foresees as life in “ a Akosua Busia (left) and Desreta Jackson in The humpy on the river . . . [as] a mother with C olor Purple. snotty-nosed little kids.”

Following the novel, the film’s narrative centres on Trilby, though in the book she was a more forceful and violent character.

Beresford does not include a scene where she is put in jail and tears the cell apart like a wild animal. As a result, Kristina Nehm’s portrayal of Trilby often lacks the spirit and anger that events demand.

For some, anger impels — it is a source of strength or courage. But, for Kristina Nehm, the role of Trilby was not imbued with any intense symbolic passion. “ It’s :V just a story about a young girl, about how she sets about achieving her dream,” she says. “ The film is made more for entertain­ ment than to show any political argument. I don’t think it’s a political film.”

This is Nehm’s first acting experience, and she reveals an unusual innocence and

16 — July CINEMA PAPERS

“ I’m fighting for black content and women’s content. . . The Fringe Dwellers will be a talking point, but it also proves to the industry that we can do it” Justine Saunders actors, but for “ normal-looking people . . . I mean I’m blazing a trail for the art of acting” .

To Justine Saunders, it seems particu­ larly appropriate to talk about the acting experience. For the part of Mollie, she had to age dramatically, adding layers of padding, layers of make-up, and streaks of grey. Her performance, on this level, is quite extraordinary — Dustin Hoffman watch out! However, Saunders, who was in Cannes for the premiere screening, prefers another comparison: “ Cannes, it was like a dream. I thought I was Sylvester Stallone!”

It is this focus on challenging dominant attitudes — the emphasis on ‘professional­ ism’ — that infuriates activists like Bob Merritt, who believe in a positive black film practice that subverts the form s of the dominant culture. Merritt’s pleas are about the relationship of Aboriginal culture to the hegemonic WASP establishment. The Fringe Dwellers, he says, presents a danger­ ous argument for apartheid: “ Keep the blacks quarter of a mile out of town. Leave them there. Leave them to their own devices . . . It’s saying that they don’t belong anywhere: they’re the people that time’s forgotten.”

Disputing any of the film’s claims to accuracy, he goes on to say that, “ if The Fringe Dwellers depicts a particular com­ munity, I’d like to know where it is. It didn’t have a soul because there was no underlying truth. It was framed to deliber­ ately ward off the hopes of Aboriginal kids wanting to come to terms with their own identity. “ It is about a misfit, rural, black family who don’t want to escape, to go anywhere.

I’ll admit all black people aren’t totally together: there are families who live with­ out any hope. But I thought that was best articulated when people are clinging to hope when there seems to be none at all. “ There are no heroes in the film. I don’t know who the young boy, Bartie [Denis Walker], wanted to be like. I don’t know what Trilby was on about. All people need heroes and heroines — look at any culture.”

Alternatively, Kath Walker believes that it is not for the film to bring forth rays of

hope: “ We have no hope! Unless, of course, there is a dramatic change in the political system. We are still on the fringe of society. With the film, we weren’t there to bring hope, but to show that this is as it is. It is an indictment against white politi­ cians that very few Aboriginal people have moved beyond the fringe-dwelling situation.”

Thus, from the point of view of the actors in The Fringe Dwellers, there has been a dramatic shift from the stereotypical characters of early Australian films like Jedda (1955), and even The Chant o f Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) and Storm Boy (1976).

Bob Merritt disagrees, arguing that Beresford has taken a sensationalist approach to the representation of Abori­ ginals. Deriding the film’s often blatant mythologizing, he states: “ Aboriginals don’t depict their culture in that manner.

We come from an oral history, rather than a written one. Sure, we see things in terms of images. It’s like the black tracker: he doesn’t read the tracks, he reads the images.” And it is the way the images in The Fringe Dwellers will be read that most worries both Merritt and McHugh.

Trilby observes a fight at the pub, but we don’t know why it was started: the violence almost seems obligatory. Mollie tells Trilby about the lost languages: “ silly language, silly words, forgotten them all now” . But is it all lost? Is there no continuity and pride in the past? The baby’s nappy is changed at the dinner table as if there were no

Star cross’d ¡overs: Kristina Nehru (Trilby) and Ernie Dingo (Phil) in The Fringe Dwellers.

knowledge of hygiene; juxtaposed is the clinical, sterilized image of the hospital.

The father, Joe (Bob Maza), is easily per­ suaded to gamble the rent money (‘lazy black man’), while Trilby’s boyfriend, the young drover, Phil (Ernie Dingo), is held up as the good man because he’s “ been saving like a white fella” . Family solidarity is ex­ pressed in a scene reminiscent of Uncle Tom’s Cabin-, it shows the family painting their new house in garish colours and singing along to a catchy jingle.

The scene which is likely to provoke the most discussion, however, is the climactic psychic sequence in the hospital, which leads to the death of the child. It is pre­ ceded by a scene where Eva tells Trilby the ‘recipe’ for abortion, although the young girl is horrified at the thought. Eva still pre­ dicts a death.

Kristina Nehm hesitates to add any more interpretive layers to this scene. “ Trilby is just in shock. I don’t think she intentionally dropped the baby, I don’t know . . ,” she says. “ I was really sick when I did it. I kept on saying: ‘what am I going to do?’ And Bruce said it should be like something inside you just snaps for a second, so I just shut out. Trilby knows from Eva’s words that, if it was a matter of survival, the child should be killed. I suppose Trilby just saw it as necessary.” Justine Saunders agrees that you can’t read too much into this scene: “ It’s the woman’s choice,” she says.

But it is the way these aspects of Abori­ ginal culture are dealt with (aside from the fact that it relates to many other myths), that makes the film susceptible to being misread. “ What should have been ex­ plained here,” says Merritt, “ is the Aboriginal philosophy that it’s not neces­ sarily the one who plants the seeds who’s the real parent, it is the one who loves. The thing that really made me feel ashamed watching The Fringe Dwellers was the loss of a life and the fact that, from a black point of view, there was no grieving.”

The script for The Fringe Dwellers was written by Beresford, though as Kath Walker points out, the Aboriginal cast “ tidied things up” . For example, they cor­ rected some of the terms of address; they inserted a scene where Bartie chooses to recite a Jack Davis poem in the classroom; and, towards the end of the film, they felt it was important for Trilby to gain her mother’s support before she left for the city: it was wrong that she just disappear.

For the actors, many of the changes were obvious, if only because they identified so strongly with their characters. Like Trilby, Kristina Nehm had a rough time at school; and, growing up in a predominantly white family in the western suburbs of Sydney after her mother remarried, she felt the burden of cultural schizophrenia. “ I could identify with Trilby’s frustration,” says Nehm. “ She wants everybody to be treated equally. Even though there’s a colour barrier there, she doesn’t put that much emphasis on it. But everybody else around her seems to. She’s trying to prove that, if you’re strong and forthright, you don’t have to end up a baby-sitter all your life. So she just leaves home: she can’t see any other way out of it. I wouldn’t say she’s exactly a feminist or anything like that — she sees herself as a strong woman.”

For Merritt, unlike the critics at Cannes, the performances are a disappointment. “ Aboriginal people are great interpretive artists. Our race produced that: the corro-

A ll in the family: the Comeaways in The Fringe Dwellers.

boree was a vehicle that carried the culture.

We choreographed everything, everyone was a storyteller, everyone could dance, everyone could sing — but this isn’t evident in The Fringe Dwellers,” he says. “ It’s like the people are walking around stillborn — except when you see a fight. Aboriginal people get excited over a pregnancy, they get excited over the natural things in life.

But the characters in this film were like still people — they were incapable of dreaming.”

The Color Purple is set in a now-mythical time of slavery and oppression earlier this century, and people have fallen in love with the soulful character of Celie and her com­ panion, Shug, just as Justine Saunders did when she first read Nene Gare’s novel. But, unlike Spielberg, Beresford has chosen a contemporary setting — where the regres­ sion on land rights is one marker of a politically sensitive climate — and a time when it is a little more difficult to get away with fairy tales.

By not speaking directly to the issues of black representation — that is, by believing that The Fringe Dwellers is merely con­ cerned with an Australian family — Beres­ ford loses the specificity that lends ambiguity and complexity to any cultural product. He does not present a living, dynamic culture open to the future, but one curiously unaffirming and silent. White Australians may swallow the sugar-coated pill, but there will still be little to make them ponder their own prejudices.

On the other hand, it must also be remembered that, for Beresford, producer Sue Milliken and casting agent Alison Barrett, simply getting the film off the ground required enormous determination and resilience. And they have assembled a large cast of mainly Aboriginal actors — a first for the Australian film industry.

The Color Purple may signify a shift in the content of Spielberg’s blockbuster films — from romance and adventure to a story which deals, in the glossiest and sweetest of ways, with very real social issues — but it hasn’t marked a change at the box office.

With Beresford’s eclectic oeuvre, the transi­ tion in content is not so marked, and it would be astounding if The Fringe Dwellers achieved the same commercial success. But the film should be met with debate — not silence; and, while it is not going to be Crocodile Dundee, it doesn’t deserve to be a commercial flop either. ★ CINEMA PAPERS July — 17

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WOODY ALLEN An Interview by Alexander Walker

In New York, by the late spring of this year, the one solidly-established new film in town, taking in money from the bawdy lights of Times Square to the sedater reaches of the East Side, was Woody Allen’s Hannah and her Sisters. Not since Annie Hall, nearly ten years ago, has Woody Allen so rewardingly hit that popular nerve which receives the vibrations of New York life and turns them into a representative pattern of people.

In this case, the people are all members of one Manhattan family. Hence the un­ usually large cast for a Woody Allen film.

As usual, Allen wrote and directed it. And, as nearly usual, he appears in it, playing Hannah’s ex-husband, a self-harassing, hypochondriac TV director, who has no sooner been cleared of the brain tumour he suspects he’s got, than he rifles through several different religions trying to find the one that offers hope. Ultimately, he con­ cludes, salvation lies in being able to laugh in the cinema.

But Hannah and her Sisters is not a comedy, so much as a group-portrait of people trying to shake a meaning out of their busy-busy lives. It opens at one Thanksgiving dinner and closes, two years later, at another. In between, we follow the ups and downs of three daughters from a showbusiness family, their husbands, lovers, parents and offspring, all against a New York backdrop which Allen presents like a photo album of his favourite places and seasons.

Besides Allen himself, the cast includes Mia Farrow as Hannah, Michael Caine as her second husband, Dianne Wiest and Barbara Hershey as her sisters, Max von Sydow as Hershey’s surly, live-in lover, Carrie Fisher as Woody’s girlfriend, and veteran players Maureen O’Sullivan and the late Lloyd Nolan as Hannah’s parents.

Part of the success of Hannah and her Sisters, I suspect, is the feeling that people — or at any rate New Yorkers — have been taking away from it: namely that it presents, if not a happy ending, then a happier view of existence than is customarily offered by Allen’s comedies of urban desperation. In this instance, the group seems to produce its own therapy.

Whether or not this is intentional is, of course, something Woody Allen himself is best placed to answer. So, on a visit to New York, I made my bid to see him. It was just over five years since we had last met. At that time, the meeting was in the duplex penthouse he still occupies, which was seen in the 360-degree shot with which his favourite cameraman, Gordon Willis, opened Manhattan. It looks out on Central Park — and, coincidentally, towards the Central Park West apartment of Mia Farrow, who is Woody’s closest off-screen companion. It is Mia Farrow’s apartment that turns up in Hannah.

I was better prepared on this visit to encounter a Woody Allen who,' as the years pass, adds up less and less to the comic

“W e’re allforced to choose between reality a n d fa n ta sy — ' o f course, yo u can’t choose fa n ta sy ; because there lies madness. I f yo u do choose reality, then things are not perfect a n d yo u get h u rt”

CINEMA PAPERS July — 19

WOODY ALLEN

An Interview by Alexander Walker

Little Guy grabbing at one-liners like lifelines. Since our last meeting, I had translated Robert Benayoun’s big, coffeetable book on Allen, Beyond Words, which comes out this summer. And, in it, a far more complex Woody Allen emerges than the usual Anglo-Saxon newspaper and magazine profiles present. He responds to Benayoun’s Gallic interrogation with unwonted seriousness, revealing the breadth of his literacy (which, of course, shouldn’t surprise anyone who has read his New Yorker stories), and also the reach of his ambitions. Neither the breadth nor the reach seems characteristically American: on the contrary, Allen’s spiritual and literary baggage appears to have been freighted from Northern Europe and pre-revolu­ tionary Russia. And, in this sense, Hannah and her Sisters reveals itself as a film far closer in denseness to the social and cultural fabric of Czarist Russia than of Reagan’s America.

This time, my meeting with Woody Allen was at The Beekman, an apartment house on Park Avenue which also houses the screening theatre and cutting rooms of the Manhattan Filmmakers’ Cooperative. The Beekman’s solid old entrance hall has, un­ expectedly, a Norman-arched ceiling, which gives anyone passing through it the impression of entering an Anglican church.

The monastic feel is heightened by Woody Allen him self: polite, considerate, articulate, but obviously seeing sand run through his hour-glass, as these questions eat into the time available to him for seeking answers to his own dilemmas, never mind making confession to critics who aren’t able to grant absolution.

“ We budget for re-shoots to begin with, and my first eight or ten weeks’ shooting are a ‘first draft’. It would be like asking someone to write a novel in one draft and say: ‘This is it. I’m not going to rewrite it’ ” I believe yo u ’ve just finished your new film — the one after Hannah?

No, I’m finishing it. We’re going to shoot again next week, because I’m not happy with a couple of scenes in it and we’re going to do them over.

and cumbersome to re-shoot. It’s not like erasing! But there’s no other way to do it.

So how much o f the film is in the shooting script?

Well, I try and get as close as I can. I’d love one day to finish the first shooting and say: “ Great. I don’t need any re-shooting” ; or “ I need only one day” . But it’s never close to that.

Let me ask you first about Hannah and her Sisters . . . Who or what came first in it?

Was it an ‘idea’ or a ‘character’, or a set o f characters?

Actually what happened was, I was re­ reading Anna Karenina one summer, and I thought, “ Gee, it’s really interesting to do a story where you go from small groups of people to other groups of people and back to the first group.” I thought it would be fun to do a movie with that technique.

There were certain themes that were reverberating, that I had never really worked out fully. One was, I always thought it would be interesting to do a story about a man who had fallen in love with his wife’s sister. That always interested me.

Another thing that interested me was: What happens to someone who gets the news that he has to go in for X-rays and tests and that sort of thing? Because I see it around me so often. I’ve been guilty of it myself! When the doctor says: “ I just want to check this next week” or “ I want to take a little biopsy” or something, people get plunged into re-evaluating their lives: they get so frightened over that. So, these ideas were just roaming around, and I was able to coalesce them in a film where I could go from story to story.

I t ’s a very prodigal film. It throws up ideas, scenes and sequences that, with elabora­ tion, could themselves have made a separate film.

Right. You could elaborate on some of those and do them separately. But, to me, the fun was to try and interweave them.

That was based strictly on having read Anna Karenina and thinking: What fun it is to work like that!

In Robert Benayoun’s book on you, he asks you some interesting questions about your predilection fo r Russian literature. Hannah and her Sisters has, almost in its title, a Chekhovian overtone, hasn ’t it?

Is that usual with you?

Uh-huh. This is my fifteenth film. I’ve never had a film that I didn’t do extensive re-shooting on. Most of them are made in the re-shooting.

Is it that extensive?

Uh-huh. We budget for re-shoots to begin with, and my first eight or ten weeks’ shooting are a ‘first draft’. We look at it on the screen and, you know, it would be like asking someone to write a novel in one draft and say: “ This is it. I’m not going to rewrite it.” The same with a film. It’s just that, with a novel, it’s inexpensive and not cumbersome; on the screen, it’s expensive 20 — July CINEMA PAPERS

I guess it does and, interestingly enough now you mention it, Hannah and her Sisters, without my having any idea of what the story was, was really the very first thing that came — the title. It’s hard to make that relevant. Once, years ago, I was sitting home working on another script — working on some names or something — and the title of Hannah and her Sisters came to me.

I had no idea of the story or anything. I just thought: That’s an interesting title for something. And I filed it. So that was really the first thing that came.

Now, Hannah and her two sisters: are they examples o f womankind in general, or specific New York womankind? Hannah is a very serene character in the film . . .

Uh-huh. . . . as indeed Mia Farrow was in Purple Rose of Cairo. A nd her two sisters represent other aspects o f women, and perhaps New York women?

They’re three very different types, actually.

As you say, Hannah is very serene and seems to have her hand on the wheel, though there are some hints in there that there are problems, too. One is, apparently, that her husband is not getting something from her that he needs, which causes him to drift a little to her sister. And then, in the scene with her sister in the dress store, when her sister says she’s going to do a singing audition, Hannah is not exactly supportive.

She is so on the surface, but not under­ neath. So, you know she’s less than perfect.

But of those three sisters, she’s the one able to keep her life together, whereas the other two have had much tougher times.

Such as?

Well, Dianne Wiest, who plays sister Holly, is completely neurotic. She’s had a bad relationship in her life, and she switches from job to job. She’s got a creative streak in her, but she has no control over her emotions. Hannah has control over her emotions. Holly is all over the place and any whim that happens . . . well, happens.

She thinks she can write, she thinks she can act, she’s gone from job to job, floundering completely. But she’s also competitive with Hannah, because she wants to achieve success in the same area that Hannah did, although she’s not suited to it at all.

The other girl, Lee, played by Barbara Hershey, is the pretty younger sister, and kind of lost. She was an alcoholic for a while — I mean, not a genuine, fallingdown-in-the-street alcoholic, but enough of a problem to be sent to Alcoholics Anony­ mous. And she has been living for years in a tutorial relationship with an older man who’s really teaching her. In the end, she winds up marrying her teacher from college. So she’s obviously in need of that kind of dependent relationship. It works for a while with a much older guy, but he is obviously too damaged himself, too diffi­ cult, and so it has to break up.

There’s a feeling about this film that there isn’t in, I suppose, the film s it may be com­ pared with, like Annie Hall and Man­ hattan. I t ’s a feeling o f mellowness, even o f happiness, at the end o f it.

It’s deceptive. I think that people are reading that into it. It’s not intended. If it’s true, it’s an accidental success. I didn’t want it to be a depressing film but, if you ask me, I wouldn’t say it was happy. I’d say, first, Michael Caine has this inexplic­ able yen for his wife’s sister in the film that causes him a lot of pain, that causes his wife some pain, because she senses he’s drifting from her. It causes the young girl some pain, because she leaves the artist she’s living with and is in one of those rela­ tionships where the guy loves her but won’t leave his wife for her. It causes suffering for all those people. And, in the end, it does not really resolve itself in any tremendous way. Lee finally ends up with another ‘tutor’, and Michael Caine drifts back to his wife, never really understanding what it was all about.

The character I play is mortally afraid because of his hypochondria, and it causes him to quit his job and realise how trivial all the tension of his television show is, all the fight for ratings. He goes off on a quest to try and find answers to some of the deeper questions of life and, floundering in an amusing way, doesn’t succeed in getting at those answers. He even thinks of shooting himself at one time — and then, finally, figures: “ It’s pointless to shoot myself. I’m never going to know any of this, I’m just going to have to hang on to that slim reed of ‘maybe’ — maybe there’s more to life, maybe not.” So, he gets no answers and just decides to hang on, have sleepless nights and anxiety; but maybe there’s more to this than meets the eye . . .

“ I don’t see it as optimistic: I see it as vaguely hopeful” So, I’d seen the film as not at all a happy thing, but as a slightly mature experience — or at least, content within great limits of resignation. The characters sort of resign themselves at the end. But people see this as great happiness!

Would you say it’s an optimistic film, despite yourself?

I don’t see it as optimistic: I see it as vaguely hopeful. Not suggesting that there is more to life than we see, and not suggest­ ing that the human heart is ever going to be fathomable or that we’re ever going to understand our emotions or get control.

We’re all going to flounder around and hurt people and never understand why we fall out of love with people or why we love them, and never understand if there’s a god out there or if there’s not . . . just go on in a quasi-humorous sort of way.

In The Purple Rose of Cairo, Mia Farrow finds that the movies are the consolation in her life. I t ’s touching at the end, when she sits there watching Fred and Ginger dance on the screen . . . . . . because of the way she played it.

O f course . . ., and the way it was directed.

And, in this film, when you see the Marx Brothers and you realise that, well, maybe laughter is a sort o f consolation that you ’re bringing to people, with the sense o f contentment or resignation that accom­ panies it — do you see this as the male equivalent o f the female character in Purple Rose?

In one respect only: that is, both characters seem to get sidetracked by a distraction.

With Mia, real life in the film is an incredibly painful thing, and we’re all forced to choose between reality and fantasy — and, of course, you can’t choose fantasy, because there lies madness. You must choose reality. If you do choose reality, then things are not perfect and you get hurt. People betray you, things don’t work out for you. She gets badly hurt. And then, at the end, the best she can do is kind of go back to these little distractions,

“I want to get back to more serious, intimate stu ff”: Diane Keaton and Kristin Griffith on the beach in Interiors.

because that’s all the movie house offers her. Neither she nor a million other Americans were ever going to go out to Hollywood during the Depression and marry movie stars. She’s just got an hour and a half of forgetfulness from the pain of everyday living. The same in Hannah and her Sisters. You see the Marx Brothers and you say to yourself, “ Well, not every second of life is torture” . I mean, there are some moments that are pleasurable, and you may as well hang in for them, for they’re the best you get. But I never found a sense of optimism in Hannah and her Sisters — just a sense of reasonably healthy resignation . . . that, you know, you opt not to shoot yourself . . .

Or at least you miss when you pull the trigger.

Exactly.

Tell me something about the casting. I t ’s interesting to see Michael Caine in a Woody Allen film. I t ’s also amusing to see Max von Sydow in a Woody Allen film.

Michael was originally an idea of mine, because I’ve always been a great fan of his.

He’s one of the few people around who can play serious and comedy. There’s not a lot of us around! There are some great actors around, but you give them anything amusing to do and they can’t do it. And vice versa: there are some wonderful comedians, and you give them something serious to do and they can’t do it. But Michael seems to have a bigger scope than most actors: he just can play those things. I

wanted a normal man — you know, not Marlon Brando or something: just a regular man who could play both serious and comic, where you could see him suffer a little and he could also get some laughs . . .

And Max von Sydow, who plays the touchy, rébarbative artist in the SoHo loft whom Lee lives with: whose idea was he?

Yours too?

Someone else suggested him. We were sitting in this room, this viewing theatre, pitching names, and someone said: “ What about Max von Sydow?” The second she said it — it was my casting director — it was, like, for me, nobody else in the world could play that role: he just seemed as right as could be for it. Yet he never occurred to me. When I was writing it, I had in mind someone naturally American, and gruffer — I mean, more like Ben Gazzara, someone like that: Lee was living with an angry artist. As soon as someone said “ Max” , it felt perfect. It was a pleasure he was available: he was certainly fun to work with.

He also has that apocalyptic feeling he brings over from an Ingmar Bergman film.

Right: he’s truly a larger than life character.

And Maureen O ’Sullivan as Hannah’s mother?

Maureen was the natural choice: she was available, she’s Mia’s mother in real life, ► CINEMA PAPERS July — 21

WOODY ALLEN

An Interview by Alexander Walker

and she can act. That fell in naturally. It would be hard for me to cast the part of Mia’s mother without casting . . . well, Mia’s mother, who’s an actress and right there! Lloyd Nolan, who plays Mia’s father in the film, was one of the many names that came through. Actually, Lloyd was not the first choice for that part, because he lived in California and, you know, the film was not a high-budget film and we were fighting the budget. Wherever possible, especially in smaller roles, you try and hire people whom it’s easy enough to fly in and put them up and all that. There was another actor we chose in New York, but we couldn’t get insurance on him because he was elderly and they’d just had some health problems.

So we went to Lloyd. I didn’t know it at the time — none of us did — that Lloyd in fact was dying. He would come in and, very quietly, he’d lie down in the other room in Mia’s house, which we were using for filming, or the make-up room; and then, very quietly, come on the set and fu ll out do his thing beautifully, and then retire to the other room and husband his strength all the time. You didn’t know what was really at the back of it. You just thought, “ Well, he’s an elderly man, into his early eighties” , and you felt, “ Well, the guy’s tired” . We didn’t know he was dying. He was wonderful. I’d seen him in so many movies when growing up.

“ I was talking to Jean-Luc Godard the other day, and he said: ‘Why do you make so many movies?’ And I said, ‘Well, I don’t know what else to do’ ”

We all had. A question with a figure in it: when you mention a budget fo r a Woody Allen picture, in what area does the budget lie?

Like eight million dollars, which is not a lot of money by American standards. Annie Hall, for example, cost three million dollars to make and, if I made the same picture today, frame for frame, it would cost eight million dollars — you know, with no improvements at all — just because of the huge inflationary rise over the years. The unions and the cost of shooting in New York has gone up, up, up. I was talking to Jean-Luc Godard the other day, and he said: “ Why do you make so many movies?” And I said, “ Well, you know, I don’t know what else to do. I finish a movie and then I have another idea. So, that’s what I do for a living: I make movies.”

Then it turned out, on closer examination, he’s made about 45 movies or thereabouts.

I mean, he’s got a huge oeuvre.

I should have thought he was the last person to criticize you fo r your output.

He said: “ Yes, I sometimes think I’ve made too many” . But I don’t think he’s made too many. I always look forward to them.

You like Jean-Luc Godard movies?

Yes. I think he’s a brilliant innovator. I 22 — July CINEMA PAPERS

don’t always love every film he’s made. I think he’s very inventive, but sometimes his inventions are taken by other people and used better. But he’s certainly one of the innovators of cinema.

There are scenes in Hannah and her Sisters that look as if you said to yourself: “I must get this aspect o f life — or this particular event I ’ve seen happen — into a movie”.

For example, the two girls being driven back home at night by the man, and each one trying to make sure she is dropped o ff last, which is a very funny sequence; or the scene where the client comes into Max von Sydow’s studio in order to purchase his painting by width and breadth to decorate his new home.

Both of those things I’m familiar with in real life: exactly right. I’ve been present at the first, where you wonder who’s going to be dropped off first because you want privacy and thus you want to be dropped off last. And I know someone who was decorating a beautiful home and was buying paintings to fit in with the decor of the home. Those are true-life incidents, yes.

Could I revert to what you mentioned at the beginning: how you have a built-in part o f the budget fo r the re-shooting and, in fact, how quite a lot o f the creative things happen during the re-shooting stage? Could you give me any specific examples?

Oh, sure. I can give you some big examples.

In Hannah and her Sisters, the whole of the second Thanksgiving party — there are three Thanksgiving parties in the film: at the start, the end and in the middle, marking a two-year time-span — was an afterthought. In the original script, there were only two parties: one at the beginning, one at the end. But, as I saw the story on the screen and saw where I needed character development and where I needed climaxes to occur and all that, I went out and shot the entire sequence. When I say ‘re-shooting’, I mean some old scenes and some brand new scenes. So, the entire second Thanksgiving party, which is a big climactic chunk of the picture, was never in my original script and only became apparent to me that I needed it after I saw what I had on the screen.

A t what point does this become apparent to you? During the rough assembly?

No. What happens in re-shooting, first you see the dailies. I sit here in this screening room and look at the dailies the day right after we shot them and, if the scene looks good, we file it and go on. If the scene doesn’t look good, I shoot it again the next day. I don’t feel comfortable accumulating scenes I don’t think are good. Then I finish the picture with all — presumably — good scenes and cut the picture together and it’s usually a miserable disappointment. I don’t say that facetiously: it is. I look at it with the editor, and we talk and sometimes I bring in the casting director, who’s a friend of mine, or one of the players in the picture, like Dianne Wiest. And we sit and chat and look at the film, and take some scenes and put them in a different order and trim certain things out and then, finally, we come to a point where we say: “ We’ve done what we can with this existing

material” .

The problem here is you need, say, a revelatory scene between mother and daughter, or you got to see the exploding gun here . . . And then, I go out and shoot those things and put them in and, if I ’ve guessed right, I’ve helped the film enor­ mously. Usually, you tend to guess much more accurately in those situations, because it isn’t going from zero to a film: it’s going from an existing film where the gaps show you more palpably what’s really required.

Then, usually, I go out and shoot again. I can say to the producer: “ Well, we’ve solved eighty percent of the problem, but we’re still missing a scene” , or “ For some reason my idea for a scene with the girl at the end didn’t work” . We go out and shoot again . . . and again . . . and again, if necessary, until it’s finally done. But I don’t have to go over budget for that. I have a budget for that.

“ I conceive the film — I sit home and write it — and it’s brilliant.

Everything is true Chekhov or Shakespeare: it’s greatl And then, you start to work, and the truck with fresh compromises drives up every day”

Now, there is a great tendency, when you’re sitting with people watching dailies . . . they all want you to love the dailies because, you know, the producer doesn’t want to hear: “ I’ve got to go and do that again tomorrow!” So, the lights go on and all the heads turn back to me and it’s, like, thumbs up/thumbs down on the thing.

They want me to say “ I love it!” and go on.

But you have to have the courage to say it was no good. Because one doesn’t realise^ that if, say, I shoot five scenes a day in a five-day week — between 20 and 25 scenes — and let’s say just one shot is bad, and the other 24 are fine. You figure: “ well, it’s a great week: one out of 24 is nothing” . You can live with that, and you go on. Then you find, after your twelve-week shooting schedule at that rate, that you’ve got twelve shots that don’t work. You don’t think it’s much at the time, but it slowly accumu­ lates. When you actually have to cut the film together and you’re sitting in front of the editing table, you’re stuck with twelve scenes that don’t work. Let’s say it’s two out of 25: then you’ve got two dozen scenes that don’t work. The cost is huge in terms of the effectiveness of the film.

So, you really have to be nasty about it.

You’ve got to say to the folks: “ I’m sorry, it is not a good scene. You all love it, but for me it doesn’t work” , and you go and get it to be happy with it. Even at that rate, all the pictures come up imperfect. Even at that meticulous rate of shooting them over and over again, they still come out flawed.

None of them is close to being perfect.

Some are better than others, some are very entertaining to the public — but flawed.

Creatively flawed.

Sure, because the public doesn’t know where you’re aiming. You’re aiming for the

stratosphere and you fall. You hope you fall successfully enough to give audiences a good time. But sometimes you fail abysmally.

That must be rare.

It’s been rare, fortunately. And it has to be rare in the film business, otherwise they don’t give you the eight million dollars.

Which film has been a disappointment to you?

For me, I’ve been disappointed uniformly down the line. I conceive the film — I sit home and write it — and, when I conceive it, it’s brilliant. Everything is true Chekhov or Shakespeare: it’s great\ And then, you start work, and the truck with fresh com­ promises drives up every day. You can’t get the actor you want, the set doesn’t really look the way you envisioned it . . . When you said in the script: “ He comes in, hangs up his coat and kisses the girl” , the guy’s got to come in, walks across the room, take the coat off . . . and suddenly, it’s taking forever. It doesn’t happen on the screen the way you conceive it. So, you keep changing and compromising. And, when the picture comes out, it’s, like, sixty percent — if you’re lucky — of what you wanted to make. You don’t get the hundred percent.

So, for me, they’re all such disappoint­ ments. They’re so far removed from all the great masterpieces I felt I was conceiving.

“ We're all going to flounder around and hurt people and never understand why we love them and if there's a god out there or if there's not . . . ”

It must surely be a powerful consolation when you read the reviews?

It’s not so much a consolation: it’s a lifesaver. There are some filmmakers who are not dependent on reviews and some who are. I happen to be one that is. An extreme example: you could say anything you wanted about Sylvester Stallone and they’d come. But, when I make a film, if the critics don’t support it, then I don’t get much of an audience for it. So I trade a lot on the critics. Over the years, the critics have been very supportive of me, so I feel very relieved when that happens. But I feel I’d still like to get some of the nice critics who’ve been supportive on one side and say to them: “ I’m sorry I let you down. If you could have only seen what I had in my mind’s eye: I had nothing less than Bicycle Thieves or Citizen Kanel” Very likely, De Sica or Welles were saying the same thing about Bicycle Thieves or Citizen Kane at the time they made those films.

It’s possible that that kind of thing happens. Bergman once told me that he’d

“ I’ll run into someone who’ll say to me: ‘Gee, Annie Hall Is the best movie I grew up on!’ And I’m thinking to myself: ‘Oh, I missed so many good depths in that picture, and so many bright ideas in the original script!’ ”

Top, with Mariel Hemingway in M anhattan ; above, with Diane Keaton in A nnie Hall.

been very surprised at the reception that The Seventh Seal got. It had been some­ thing they ‘went out in the woods and shot’, so to speak, and he was very sur­ prised at how Americans had taken to that film and how interested they were in it — those who saw that it had greatness written all over it. But, to him, it was just a film based on a play he’d written quickly. So, you may be right about that in certain cases. I’ll run into someone who’ll say to me: “ Gee, Annie Hall is the best movie I grew up on!” And I’m thinking to myself: “ Oh, I missed so many good depths and so many bright ideas in the original script!”

Can you say anything about your new picture?

I can only say this: that I’m not in it, and it’s deliberately nothing like Hannah and her Sisters. I didn’t want to make another picture like that right away. That’s to say, an intimate picture. It’s a big, colourful, comic cartoon, with a lot of music in it — almost a musical. But it isn’t a musical: it’s a nostalgic comedy about a plot, just sort of a part-documentary, part-plot account of certain years of my childhood — un­ related little incidents that I happen to know about second-hand or that I remem­ ber first-hand. It’s got a very large cast, but tiny parts. Mia Farrow has a tiny part, so has Dianne Wiest, and Jeff Daniels and Tony Roberts and a lot of people I’ve

Allen with Mia Farrow (top) in H annah and (above) in Broadway D anny Rose.

worked with. Diane Keaton sings a song in it. It’s meant to be a nostalgic memory-film for an hour and a half, and I hope it works as such. I’m writing my next film now, and I want to get back to more serious, intimate stuff. But I did want to take a break from that: I wanted to make something broader and less about suffering.

When you say ‘more serious’, how much more serious? Serious in the way Interiors was?

Yes. I’d like to start to clear the decks before the next series of films I make. I want the next few films to be of quite a serious nature. Yes, as serious as Interiors.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to improve my tech­ nique. I think I have improved since then.

Have you ever thought o f making a film in a foreign country?

I have thought of it. It would not bother me at all. Of course, right now, the world is in such a mess. I don’t dare even go to the airport to meet my parents coming back from Florida! But, yes, it’s not a bad idea to make a film abroad. Many of the great cameramen are abroad. They’re all abroad, with the exception of Gordon Willis — all the great ones are either British or Italian or French. Yes, it would be fun!

CINEMA PAPERS July — 23

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SWINBURNE FILM & TELEVISION SCHOOL would like to express sincere thanks to the public institutions, film and television companies and private individuals who have generously supported our student productions during 1985.

1985 PRODUCTION AWARDS

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY • $500

Sponsor: Monahan, Dayman Adams Pfy Ltd awarded to Peter Maguire for Mongrel's Funeral BEST PRODUCTION: FILM • $500

Sponsor: Victorian Film Laboratories Pty Ltd awarded to Peter Maguire for Mongrel's Funeral BEST ACHIEVEMENT INANIMATION *$1000

Sponsor: Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd awarded to John Taylor for The Huge Adventures o f Trevor, a C at BEST PRODUCTION: VIDEO • $500

Sponsor: Crawford Productions Pty Ltd awarded to Vladimir Lensky for O ff Air BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION: FILM OR VIDEO • $500

Sponsor: Melbourne Directors Guild awarded to Peter Maguire for Mongrel's Funeral BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY • $1000

Sponsor: Kodak (Australasia) Pty Ltd awarded to Don Percy for Saigon Pink Cats BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING: FILM • $500

Sponsor: Mike Reed's Post Productions Co. awarded to Allan Mitchell for Chasing Lizards BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND: FILM OR VIDEO • $500

Sponsor: Sound Firm Pty Ltd the award is shared between Sabrina Schmid for Elephant Theatre and Ollie Martin for The Dummerer BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY • $500

Sponsor: Australian Film Institute awarded to John Taylor for The Huge Adventures o f Trevor, a C at

“The

M ike Downey meets Reinhard Hauff, director o f the controversialfilm about the BaaderM einhof Group which won the prize at Berlin this year, to the accompaniment o f shrieks o f fury from Gina Lollobrigida.

,

downfall of man is not the end of his life,” reads the inconspicuous but strategic­ ally placed poster in the centre of Reinhard Hauff’s notice board. “ Where there’s hope, there’s life.” In one way or another, the poster and its positioning reveal a good deal about Hauff, the unsung hero of the New German Cinema movement — which is now, of course, both old and over — and director of the controversial Stammheim, which won the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Above all, Hauff’s gentle, powerful calm contrasts strikingly with the near hysteria of the festival’s jury president, Gina Lollo­ brigida, who gracelessly denounced Stammheim as “ an empty, boring, banal reportage which is cheap, ambiguous and extremely dangerous” . She even went so far as to suggest (in an interview with the magazine, Der Spiegel) that “ the vote for Stammheim was pre-determined: it was obvious before the festival that it would win first prize.”

La Lollo’s reaction is further highlighted

by Hauff’s affable understanding of her comments. “ It was not really a good idea to ask her to be president of the jury at this festival,” he says. “ But she did the best possible job. Normally, it’s not my style to get publicity in this way. But what she said was more provocative than actually winning the prize. She said what the majority of people feel about this type of film, and she gave it more media coverage than it would have got if she had remained silent.”

Even with this first glimmer of major international recognition, seventeen years after his first feature, Hauff still remains sceptical about the usefulness of festivals and the value of their awards, however. “ I have found competitive festivals not worth­ while,” he says. “ The jury decisions mean nothing. I’ve been on juries myself, and you fight and compromise for films, countries or friends. It’s like a lottery: a jury rarely reaches a unanimous decision, so then the barter begins. It’s an old game. “ I didn’t actually want to get involved in this year’s Berlin festival, but at least I had time to prepare properly. We spent a lot of time speaking to political correspondents

“ In Germany, either people are brought up in a very literary way, or they’re brought up on cheap comedy. The two never meet.

That’s why we have so few films that are both meaningful and entertaining” about Stammheim: very few people knew anything about the inside story of the Baader-Meinhof trial, so we paved the way with lots of background material. Really, though, I think the festival only took it because they couldn’t find another German film. When they first invited me, in November, I said no. But, by January, they were desperate, and they changed the ruling so that films previously screened in Germany could be shown. So I relented. In general, I prefer non-competitive festivals like the one at Hof: it’s important to have CINEMA PAPERS July — 27

HEART, HAUFF & HEAD contact with other directors.”

Hauff’s earliest involvement in the arts was as a theatre director and actor in his student days, but the combination of taking a vacation job at the Bavaria Studios and his urge to abandon his university studies allowed him to stray into the world of film, albeit via television. “ I just wanted to get an idea of what TV work was like,” he says, “ and they asked me to stay. I was a third assistant, but I did everything: I was even a script reader. Then I graduated to second assistant in the enter­ tainment section. It wasn’t really what I was interested in at the time. I wanted to do theatre — it was the heyday of Camus and Sartre — but I couldn’t really turn down the chance of making TV programmes. It also gave me the chance to travel: I spent a long time in Japan, America and France.

And I had my own programme when I was 24. My last TV documentary was about Janis Joplin, and it went about as far as you could go in that field at that time. After that, I got out. But it wasn’t so easy to get into serious dramatic programmes. This stems from our whole educational system in Germany: either people are brought up in a very literary way, or they’re brought up on cheap comedy. The two never meet. That’s why we have so few films that are both meaningful and entertaining.”

Abandoning light entertainment for a year, Hauff managed to put together Die Revolte (The Revolt) in 1969, a TV film dealing with the student uprisings the previous year. He followed this up with his first film for the big screen, Matthias Kniessl (1971), about a legendary Bavarian outlaw, and Desaster (Disaster), which was shown in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 1973. It starred Margarethe von Trotta, in a piece about failure in the context of the big cities, where survival is only possible through silence.

“ I want to use emotion to reach some kind of understanding, to reach the head through the heart. Messages are useless without emotion” Hauff is completely open about his desire to send the public messages through his film. But he is also insistent about how this must be done. “ Of course, I have nothing against a message,” he says, “ but I think you must first of all entertain an audience. I want to use emotion to reach some kind of understanding, to reach the head through the heart. Messages are useless without emotion: alone, they have no power. My favourite films all have a high emotional content and a provocative message: a film needs a strong foundation in reality, but also a universality. Many filmmakers allow their aesthetic obsessions to interfere too much. Very few are able to have those obsessions and then not lose the thread of the main concept. Take Rossellini in Roma citta aperta: he has melodrama, naturalism, realism, documentary, and yet the film has one centre. My main influence is probably Italian neo-realism.”

It was reality that was to provide Hauff with the centre of his next film. In 1966, Burkhard Driest, an ex-classmate of Hauff’s, was jailed for five years for a bank robbery he had committed near Hanover, just before taking his final exams at law 28 — July CINEMA PAPERS

school. He got away with 7,000 Deutsch­ marks (under $5,000). On his release, Driest wrote the novel, Die Verrohung des Franz Blum (The Brutalization o f Franz Blum), which was turned into a screenplay and directed by Hauff under the same title in 1974. Like other ex-cons, Driest didn’t produce an autobiographical report of his experiences, but used his personal suffering to tell an objective story of great authenticity, about the brutalization of a human being in a brutal environment.

Driest’s essential experience was that, in a prison, you find the same rule-structure as on the outside, but more highlighted because uncovered.

H auff’s collaboration with Driest continued on Zundschniirre (Fuses) in 1975, which was the first of a series of three films dealing with the problems of young people.

“Fuses was about the resistance by the children of . communists to the Nazi regime,” says Hauff. “ I used four fourteen-year-old amateurs, and I would very much like to work with young children again: their language is somehow very poetic, especially in their description of ideas. Sometimes, though, their reactions are more conditioned than you would believe: they say the same things as their parents, only more stupid.”

Hauff followed up Fuses with a ‘Heimatfilm’ — a traditional German genre about rural life — called Paule Paulander, which was also from a script by Driest, in which he seems to have discovered the old film­ maker’s dictum from the days of the silents: that the most penetrating narrator possible is the camera itself. Paule Paulander portrays the misery of contem­ porary rustic life, ultimately exploding in brutal tragedy. Grotesque and lugubrious, but not — as per the aforementioned poster in Hauff’s Munich office — without a glimmer of hope, the film displays a great love of the countryside and its inhabitants. “ It was Paule Paulander that first raised the thing about working with non­ professionals and somehow feeling responsible for them,” says Hauff. “ There were all these questions: what was I doing as a filmmaker, interested in other people’s (as opposed to my own) stories, invading their world, taking over for a while, then suddenly you up and leave and wave goodbye? I spoke with Werner Herzog about this, because he often uses non­ professional actors. But it’s not so much of a moral issue with him.”

Hauff found a young boy, barefoot and ragged, on the streets of a small town in Bavaria, who was ideal for the lead role in Paule Paulander. “ When I asked his father’s permission to do a test, I found that the father would be ideal for his on­ screen father. I showed them the script and they said: ‘Yes, we can do it. It’s our life’.

They didn’t have to act that much, because they understood exactly what they were doing. But, before that, they had never actually discussed their situation. After a while, we just left. And they were on their own again, with a whole mass of problems having being raised.”

The sheer joy of finding a readymade cast was soon to become a cause for alarm, when the teenager in question left home as a result of his interaction with the director, actors and crew. He came straight to Hauff for help. In the long term, Hauff could offer none.

This is where the idea came from for Hauff’s first internationally known film, Der Hauptdarsteller (The Main Actor),

whose screenplay was written by Christel Buschmann. “ It was around the time Pasolini was killed,” recalls Hauff, “ and the circumstances of his death were a kind of parable of what I wanted my film to be about. He was fascinated all his life by working people, by the power of the young people of the streets, by their fantasy and culture, music, language and dialect. In the end, it killed him. The homosexual aspect is not important: the main thing was that he was killed on the streets. I haven’t been killed or attacked, but the story of the actor and the fictional director is similar. You’re always going after people, changing their lives, bringing them new ideas and, perhaps, a greater understanding of their situation — situations they maybe never analyzed before.”

“ Of course, I am a bourgeois and not a country proletarian. But they can’t make films about themselves, so why shouldn’t I do it?”

Though the hypocritical director of The Main Actor is seen as reflecting some of Hauff’s own attitudes, they are hardly compatible or comparable. “ My position is that I don’t have any right answers. The boy is alone at the end. The director is interested in making films and not correcting faults. Of course, I am a bourgeois and not a country proletarian.

But they can’t make films about them­ selves, so why shouldn’t I do it?”

It seems Hauff’s guilt feelings run fairly deep — perhaps a result of his strongly Protestant upbringing during and just after

No sign o f the middle way: above, Ulrich Pleitzer as the court chairman and, below, Andreas Baader (Ulrich Tukur) being restrained during the trial in Reinhard H auff’s Stam m heim .

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George Tabori, and followed by a debate with a panel of experts. So, Thalia built the set and provided the actors. We also got some money from the autonomous Film Fund in Hamburg: they’re more liberal than the one in Bavaria.”

Even in the context of the plethora of films about urban terrorists which have been made recently in Germany- — Margarethe von Trotta’s Die bleierne Zeit (Dark Times) and Das zweite Erwachen der Christa Klages (The Second Awakening o f Christa Klages), and the compilation film Deutschland im Herbst (Germany in Autumn), to name but three — Hauff con­ sidered his documentary subject matter so important, and his public so sheltered from the true facts and revelations of the trial, that it was a matter of duty to bring the story to the screen.

“ Some of their dialogue in prison was pure poetry: a scriptwriter couldn’t have written it”

the war in Germany. “ I feel strongly for others and their predicament,” he says, “ and I am frustrated by my own helpless­ ness to do anything. My films all deal with victims of one kind or another. Most of my protagonists are in opposition to society, struggling alone or without ideology. I feel that so many people are unhappy with society, and the situation is getting so much worse for so many.”

After The Main Actor, it took another three movies — Messer im K opf (A Knife in the Head, 1979), Endstation Freiheit (Slow Attack, 1980) and Der Mauerspringer (The Man on the Wall, 1982) — before Hauff finally gained really widespread inter­ national recognition with this year’s Berlin prizewinner, Stammheim. With such a dauntingly provocative script, however, it was not easy for him to find the money to produce it. Bioskop Film, the production

company he shares with Volker Schlondorff and Margarethe von Trotta, put up some of the budget, but the rest was found through more unorthodox means. “ One good thing about West Germany,” says Hauff, “ is the federal system: there are so many different TV centres, and I can chop and change. I could never have gone to the Bavarian Film Fund with the script of Stammheim — I’m not that stupid! I actually went to three TV stations, and they all said no: it was too risky for them. One was direct about it, the others made excuses. So, in the end, I found a very different way round the problem of raising 1.3 million Deutschmarks [$812,000]: I found a theatre group in Hamburg which had just been set up — Thalia Theater, run

by Jurgen Flimm. The pretext was to get money by presenting the finished film alongside a theatrical epilogue directed by

“ The real conflicts and the inside story of the prison — how they actually talked with each other — was never widely known,” he says. “ For anyone who has a feeling for language, it was like absurdist theatre — like Beckett. When I first read the transcripts, I couldn’t believe that this happened for real in a German court of law. Some of their dialogue in prison was pure poetry: a scriptwriter couldn’t have written it. But what I wanted to show was the extreme points of view held by both left and right — a dialogue of the deaf: no one listening to anyone except themselves. It’s a special problem in Germany: people narrow down their own perspectives and block out other opinions so easily. “ The main problem lay in finding a general concept. Here, we have the question of finding an alternative to terrorism and the state — a third way. The problem for non-Germans is that, even with translation, they get only about a third of the subtlety of the dialogue. But the people from Cork and San Sebastian who saw it could immediately grasp the concept, because they have similar trials in their own countries. How do you deal with people who have a genuine political point for their attacks, backed up by reason, logic and motivation? But, as one of the prosecutors in the trial said: ‘How can we allow every­ one who is against something to set up his own private war?’ He’s right: there would only be chaos.”

Though Hauff empathizes to a consider­ able extent with the terrorists in Stamm­ heim, he has since come under attack from both left and right. At their (briefly united) hands, copies of the film have been destroyed, cinemas set on fire and projec­ tionists locked in their boxes. He has also received threatening phone calls himself. “ For many,” he concludes, “ terrorism is the only answer; that is why it exists. But, for the general public and the media, terrorism is only the effect: two killed, a car bomb, whatever . . . No one asks why. It’s not so difficult to understand. What is difficult is to provide a solution. One in ten people in Germany today is living below the poverty line, in some cases well below it. A lot of people have no hope, especially at my age. I have friends who know that they have little chance of ever finding work again. No wonder terrorism exists.”

Jf CINEMA PAPERS July — 29

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O R SO N a

tribute

HENRY JAGLOM In 1970, I d irected O rso n W e lle s in ,4 S afe P lace, m y first film . In 1 9 8 5 , 1 d irected him in Valentine, h is last fi}m p e r fo rm a n c e , as it turned o u t. It w ill be released th is y ea r. _ In th e d ecad e an d a h a lf in b e tw e en , w e becam e very g o o d fr ie n d s. W e had lu n ch o n c e o r tw ice a w e ek , an d sp o k e o n th e p h o n e a lm o st d aily fo r seven years. I learned m u c h v e r y m u ch — fr o m O rson W elles. W e taped a ll th o s e lu n c h e s, fo r him to use in a b o o k th at he w o u ld so m e d a y w rite: h is a u to b io g r a p h y .

■ '

‘* nevergive

overyour tools, ’ ’ % is what I hear Orson telling me now

...

CINEMA PAPERS July

— 31

OR S ON

—

inPßris in 1983 W M m sM m

I would ask him a question or mention a person I was interested in, and whom he had known. C haplin. Hemingway.

Churchill. Garbo. Picasso. F.D.R. And he would talk.

I felt as if I was meeting the people I had always been most fascinated by. Of course, Orson had prejudices which influenced his perceptions of these people, and his attitude toward them was naturally coloured by who he was. But his prejudices were so like mine that I felt as if I were getting to know them the way I would have done, had I been around back then.

On each of my last two films, Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? and Always, Orson did something truly remarkable. He waited both times until I had a fairly solid first rough cut, resisting the strong temptation on each occasion to look at any of the footage in the early stages. Lunch after lunch, for many months, 1 would tell him: “ Not yet!”

When 1 finally did have a pretty tight cut ready, he came to my cutting room, sat in a wheelchair for comfort, smoked his Monte Cristo cigars and looked at the movie on my editing machine, reel by reel, talking as he watched — advising, suggesting, praising, laughing, arguing with the whole mad filmmaking process, being reminded of the movies he had made: their virtues, their flaws, his ‘mistakes’, his conclusions.

Both times, it was a virtuoso perform­ ance, lasting two days per movie, ten or twelve hours each, following lunch, followed by dinner, where the talk con­ tinued, the ideas flowed, images stimulated thoughts, dialogue provoked memory.

And he would talk. 1 would listen. Ask. Argue. And learn.

Still, in the fifteen years that I knew him, I’d say that the two main lessons Orson taught me came early. One was positive, from Orson’s example. The other was nega­ tive — also, sadly, from his example.

The positive lesson was this: MAKE MOVIES FOR YOURSELF. “ Make them as good as you can, so that you are satis­ fied, never compromising, because they are going to show up to haunt you for the rest of your life,” he told me on the set of my first film. He had watched me for a few days, and finally came to the rather surprised conclusion that “ you’re trying something interesting, aren’t you?” I nodded: yes, I hoped I was. “ Don’t let anybody tell you what to do,” he said. “ And never make a movie for anyone else, or on some idea of what other people will like. Make it yours, and hope that there will be others who will under­ stand. But never compromise to make them understand. Never do less than you feel you have to.”

The negative lesson was simply this: NEVER NEED HOLLYWOOD. Never depend on it for your financing, for support, for your ability to make films. Get your backing as far away as possible from what they proudly call their ‘Industry’, if you have any intention of being an ar.tist.

Co-existence cannot occur, as Orson’s last two decades sadly showed. He needed them till the end, and they rejected him till the end. And a half-dozen or more brilliant motion pictures never got made as a result.

And a magnificent artist could never get back to the canvas that they had pulled out from under him.

So: “ Never give them control over your tools,” is what I hear Orson telling me now, as I edit his final screen appearance. “ Make the movies you want to make. On your own. And be free . . . ” CINEMA PAPERS July — 33

Full house: the Cinematheque’s Chaillot theatre in 1985

Above, Clint at the Musée. Below, Costa Gavras and Bernard Letarjet,

Henri Langlois was, in every sense, the father of the Cinémathèque. But, when he died in 1977, what he left behind was styled very much in his own image: an enormous labyrinth of unquantifiable treasures, possessed of a youthful benevolence, yet decaying through neglect and mistrust of the outside world.

Ten years on, the Cinémathèque Française, one of the world’s richest and most prestigious film archives, is cele­ brating its 50th birthday. Its successful new wave children have grown up and moved away; and the French government has taken charge of its affairs, offering it a luxurious new home and a generous pension to ensure its survival. The old lady of French cinema, however, shows all the signs of passing through a crisis. The recent change of government in France is only the latest cloud on the horizon.

A report on the Cinémathèque’s new management, published in June last year by the Cour des Comptes, France’s public accounts committee, was heavily critical. It put losses during the preceding three years at several million francs: 53,000 francs ($10,250) went missing in one night alorie at the Chaillot theatre; double payment of accounts was a frequent occurrence; and insurance claims were lodged so late that no reimbursement was possible. Two highlypaid audit firms tried to sort out the books, but without success.

In 1983, many new staff members were taken on, only to be made redundant a few months later for ‘economic reasons’, enabling them to claim high levels of un­ employment benefit. The Cour des Comptes report also mentioned several cases of alleged extravagance. For instance, 5,000 seats were specially manufactured for the marathon projection of the complete version of Abel Gance’s Napoléon. The cost: 2 million francs ($400,000) for three screenings. Plans to send the film on tour in the provinces and abroad had to be abandoned, and the seats were put in store at a further cost of 40,000 francs ($8,000) a year.

The Cinémathèque also produced a special video cassette illustrating René Clair’s contribution to the silent cinema. Of the 200 made, only four were sold. Also criticized by the report were the “ consider­ able benefits” enjoyed by its honorary president, filmmaker Costa Gavras, and the generous annuity paid to the widow of film historian Georges Sadoul, in return for the donation of his library.

All this came as little surprise to an organization which has consistently been plagued by controversy and accusations of mismanagement. And the Cour des Comptes should have been aware that a lifetime’s work devoted to the preservation of world cinema cannot easily be expressed in terms of profit and loss. Founded in 1936 by a 20-year-old Turkish immigrant (Langlois) and his friend, Georges Franju, the Cinémathèque originally consisted of a small cine-club, the ‘Cercle du Cinéma’, on the Champs-Elysées, and a few films reputedly stored in Langlois’ bathroom. At

Life Begins A t Fifty This year, one of the world’s most famous film institutions clocks up its half-century.

Michael Freedman looks back over the 50 sometimes turbulent years of the Cinémathèque Française, and examines the shake-up of the past twelve months.

“What concerns me is that we continue to make new film s, that cinema moves ahead. For me, the cultural role o f the Cinémathèque lies in creating the future, since it is the museum o f a living art. A museum dedicated not only to the past, but also to the future.

For me, the glory o f the Cinémathèque is to have made possible Les 400 coups, Le Beau Serge, A bout de souffle; to have helped Resnais and Rouch; to have contributed in the heyday o f Milan and Rome to the genesis o f neo-realism. ” Henri Langlois

Henri Langlois: calling the shots.

a time when most producers were recycling film stock for future production, Langlois set about collecting and preserving movies: to him, they were all priceless works of art.

Above all, he would show his films.

By the end of the war (and without any state funding), the Cinémathèque’s collec­ tion numbered 3,000 films, and its screen­ ing room in the Avenue de Mesine was regularly filled to capacity. It was here that the now famous filmmakers of the sixties literally learned their trade: the ‘children of the Cinémathèque’ would later become the ‘enfants terribles’ of French cinema. A Cahiers du cinéma editorial in 1968, signed

by François Truffaut, Eric Rohmer and Jacques Rivette, declared that “ without Langlois, there would be neither Cahiers nor a new wave” .

The Cinémathèque’s greatest challenge came that same year, when Langlois was sacked by De Gaulle’s Minister for Culture, André Malraux. The French government had financed the recent move to the Palais de Chaillot, and felt that it deserved a greater say in the running of the institution.

It appointed eight state-chosen representa­ tives to the administrative council, and a financial director to whom Langlois was, for the first time, answerable. Following the very critical Heilbronner report on the operation of the Cinémathèque and the acknowledged attempt by the Gaullist government to centralize the arts in France — something which went against the idea of the Cinémathèque’s independence — Langlois was sacked on 9 February 1968, and replaced by Pierre Barbin.

Such was the support for Langlois that, within four days, 60 directors had decided to boycott the new administration by not allowing their films to be screened, and 300 filmmakers, actors and critics attempted to blockade the Cinémathèque’s Left Bank theatre. On 14 February, Barbin sacked 40 Cinémathèque employees. The following day, 3,000 people attended a demonstration called by François Truffaut, normally the most unpolitical of men, at the Palais de Chaillot. The police were called to set up blockades, and no one but Jean-Luc Godard got through. When the police charged, Truffaut and Godard were slightly injured, and Bertrand Tavernier’s face was covered in blood.

The battle continued to rage in the press for more than a week, and the government organized a press conference at the Bois d’Arcy archive to show journalists in what ‘bad conditions’ Langlois kept his prints.

When American producers and a number of foreign archives joined the boycott, M alraux was finally persuaded to surrender, and Langlois was reinstated less than two weeks after he had been dismissed.

While the affair of ’68 was a resounding victory for Langlois and the Cinémathèque (and was considered to have been an important catalyst and example for the violent student riots which gripped Paris later that year), ft also meant that, with the departure of the government, the funding disappeared. For more than ten years, the

Cinémathèque survived only by the deter­ mination of Langlois and the waning enthusiasm of its supporters. “ After Langlois,” says the new president, Costa Gavras, “ the Cinéma­ thèque was like an abandoned ship: leaking and slowly sinking. The films were decaying — destroying themselves. Up to 1981, the Cinémathèque’s subsidy was ludicrously small: a mere 6 million francs [SI.2 million, at current exchange rates].

Everything changed when Jack Lang became Minister for Culture [in Mitterand’s Socialist government]. The subsidy went up to 12 million francs in 1982, 20 million francs in 1983, and 25 million francs in 1984. We weren’t prepared for such an injection of funds: there was no real management team. The new budget posed enormous problems for an organization which had lived in misery for so long. But today, everything is going well.”

It seems that the latest report from the Cour des Comptes has served to galvanize the Cinémathèque into action and, on the admission of Costa Gavras, helped it put its house in order. “ We’ve introduced tight management,” he says, “ with a detailed budget for each activity; a new salary structure has been set up; and, for the first time in its history, the Cinémathèque’s books will be balanced. “ When I got back from shooting Hanna K in Israel at the end of 1983, I carried out a shake-up: four of the top people left, and I ran the Cinémathèque single-handed for four months, until Bernard Letarjet joined us as general manager in May 1984.” “ When I got there,” says Letarjet, “ I devoted my time almost exclusively to two main projects: reorganization of the archives (warehousing, cataloguing and restoring the films), and cleaning up the administration. The first job will take about ten years, but at least now we are on the way.”

Tire report by the Cour des Comptes, which examined all the Cinémathèque’s activities, revealed a fact that had previ­ ously been kept secret — or at least never properly established: the Cinémathèque’s collection contained 17,000 films, or 130,000 cans, 50,000 cans of which were still on nitrate stock. Used almost exclu­ sively until 1940, nitrate stock becomes increasingly inflammable as it ages. After a certain time, depending on storage condi­ tions, the films will literally self-destruct.

Indeed, nitrate stock was blamed for the tragic fire a few years ago, which almost destroyed the Cinémathèque’s Pontel ware­ house and, with it, hundreds of cans of priceless film footage.

Typically, Langlois had been violently opposed to transferring his films onto safety (acetate) stock: since nitrate film was, for him, alive and infinitely more beautiful, it could die in the cans. Langlois believed that removing the films from their cans and projecting them (or at least rewinding them) would somehow protect them. Certainly, this had the effect of dissipating the noxious gases given off by the nitrate. But, according to scientists, it ► CINEMA PAPERS July — 35

Cinémathèque Française: Life Begins A t Fifty would not prevent the film from eventually becoming unstable. Ironically, although the nitrate stock argument did much to damage Langlois’ reputation, it also greatly enlarged the Cinémathèque’s collection: in 1951, the government declared the posses­ sion and screening of nitrate films illegal, and ordered holders either to destroy them or hand them over to the Cinémathèque.

The high proportion of nitrate films was not the only problem: even before the events of 1968, Langlois evinced a mistrust of government interference bordering on paranoia. Convinced that the state would somehow find a way of getting its hands on his films, he refused to keep them all in one place, or even to prepare an inventory of what the archive possessed. And he would never disclose the origin of many of his films. This, coupled with a lack of funds, particularly during the seventies, meant that many of the films that arrived at the Cinémathèque could not be checked as to their condition or content. Many were already in a poor state, and the cans remained unopened for many years. In retrospect, it seems that Langlois’ talents lay more in collecting than conserving, and the new administration faced a monstrous task in putting the archive in order.

Salvaging films became the number one priority, according to Letarjet. With the modernization and extension of the ware­ house facilities at Saint-Cyr and the Bois d’Arcy, the Cinémathèque has increased restoration from ten to 150 films per year, and has commenced the gradual establish­ ment of a completely computerized inventory. “ We’re currently restoring more than two feature films per week,” says Letarjet. “ In five to ten years, the entire nitrate collection should have been trans­ ferred.” 5,000 titles have already been classified onto the new computer, with over 50 details for each film to be stored on the index. A team of ten people is working full­ time on the inventory; and, under archive director Vincent Pinel, 25 people are employed in restoration and conservation work. Among the most notable of this year’s restorations are Abel Gance’s La Roue (1922), Louis Feuillade’s 1915 classic, Les Vampires (screened nightly at midnight throughout the 1986 Cannes film festival), and Alexandre Volkoff’s Casanova.

In some cases, restoration becomes a case of almost total reconstruction. An extreme case has been André Antoine’s L ’Hiron­ delle et le mesange: shot in 1920, the film remained unedited until the Cinémathèque recommenced post-production in 1982, and had its ‘premiere’ as the opening screening of this year’s birthday celebrations.

What has made the Cinémathèque so much more vital than other film archives has been its policy, started by Langlois and continued by his successors, of devoting as much effort to screening films as it does to preserving them. For its 50th birthday year, the Cinémathèque has an even more than usually tempting programme planned. In the Palais de Chaillot and the relatively new cinema in the Centre Georges Pompidou, screenings include hommages to Carl Theodor Dreyer, Ernst Lubitsch and Georges Franju; a repeat of the entire 1936 Cercle du Cinéma programme; and an entire month devoted to the new wave.

Directors have been invited to present and discuss their films, and Jean-Luc Godard and Elia Kazan have already made appear­ 36 — July CINEMA PAPERS

ances to packed auditoria. Wim Wenders, who screened his Der amerikanische Freund (The American Friend, made in 1977 and dedicated to Langlois) in January, declared that the year he spent attending screenings at the Cinémathèque in 1965 was “ among my fondest memories, and responsible for my decision to make films” .

Since 1982, various attempts have been made to find the Cinémathèque a proper home (it currently rents accommodation in three separate locations). There was some talk of the Grand Palais but that, in the end, was put to another use; and the planned Grand Louvre on the outskirts of Paris apparently proved too expensive. The Palais de Tokyo, which formerly housed the Musée d’Art Moderne (now included in the Centre Pompidou), was finally selected in 1984, and an official announcement was made by Jack Lang in February of this year. The Cinémathèque is expected to begin moving some time next year. Accord­ ing to Costa Gavras, “ the Palais de Tokyo will be ideal for the Cinémathèque, because it matches our requirements exactly. It is in poor condition, and restoring it will cost a lot of money. But, at long last, the cinema’s collective memory will be gathered together under a single roof.” If all goes according to plan, within two to three years the Palais de Tokyo will house the Cinémathèque’s offices, the Centre National de la Photo­ graphie, an entire floor devoted to a cinema museum, and three theatres. Of the latter, one would show 300 films a year from the archive; one would be devoted to the classics of world cinema; and the third would be reserved for contemporary films which did not get a worthwhile run in the commercial cinemas. The French film school, IDHEC, and the Sadoul Library, which now contains over 100,000 volumes, would also be housed in the same building.

Not everyone supports the plan. Cahiers du cinéma, longtime supporter of Langlois and the Cinémathèque, and never one to shy away from an intellectual debate, believes that 1986 should mark a turning point in the history of the Cinémathèque: Cahiers senses a new direction — or at least ‘une certaine tendance’ — which may be for the worse. Two things in particular bother Cahiers: the planned extension of the cinema museum, and whether or not the Cinémathèque will stick to its role of encouraging and developing new talent. “ It is now up to the directors to restore to the Cinémathèque the mission inscribed in the thoughts of its founder, but abandoned over the last 20 years, due to lack of both means and enthusiasm,” thunders Cahiers. “ Museum? Did someone say museum?” inquired Frédéric Sabouraud in Cahiers’ January 1986 issue. “ I can see it now: long, deathly corridors, embellished here and there by orderlies in caps, collecting dust. Is this the future of our Cinémathèque?”

Despite Cahiers’ objections, however, the museum had been one of Langlois’ dreams: for over 30 years, he collected everything and anything to do with the cinema.

Indeed, the provision for a museum was inscribed in the original statutes of the Cinémathèque, signed in 1936. In 1972, Langlois opened his first Musée Permanent du Cinéma, covering the period from pre­ history to the end of the silent era. Even then, it polarized his supporters into those (including Truffaut) who saw it as a useless

indulgence and waste of much-needed funds, and those who considered it an in­ valuable and ingenious record of the history of cinema.

Pending completion of the Palais de Tokyo, the Cinémathèque currently has a temporary museum, open for guided tours only, in the Palais de Chaillot. The collection includes over 20,000 posters, 3.000 models and drawings, 400 costumes, 2.000 cameras, and over two million stills.

A number of famous sets have been com­ pletely rebuilt, including scenes from Das Cabinett des Dr Caligari and Les Enfants du paradis. Despite its limitations, the museum gets 35,000 visitors every year. “ The place of cinema in modern culture is even more fragile now than it was 20 years ago,” claims Bernard Letarjet. “ Its own museum, which as yet doesn’t exist, would be a symbol of the incarnation of cinema as an art. The role of the Cinéma­ thèque hasn’t changed.”

Cahiers’ second objection concerns, obliquely, the apparent preoccupation on the part of management with seeking new partners and sponsorship (something it shares with its Australian counterpart), and with attracting capital and prestige, rather than concentrating on the urgent need to revive the ailing French film industry.

Agreements have been signed with GAN, the national insurance federation, for two years’ exclusive sponsorship, and co­ productions are envisaged with television channels TF1 and Antenne 2. Cahiers believes that such decisions need looking at again. “ One of the first things that needs to be done is to start showing the films of young French directors — to help them find work.” It is here, asserts Cahiers, that “ the projects are still on the drawing board: the Cinémathèque has ceased to be a nursery.”

According to Costa Gavras, “ Langlois was a discoverer more than a conserver. We have to find a balance between two contrary positions. On the one hand, there is the Cinémathèque as the centre of a practising film culture: the pure and funda­ mental side which must be preserved. But we must also open ourselves to new methods of propagating film culture, hence the need for new partners and a wider audience. We will have to show ourselves capable of reconciling two qualities: the eccentricities of the true collector, and the seriousness of the curator. I just hope the balance will be tipped slightly toward eccentricity!”

Despite the recent change of government in France, the Cinémathèque’s administra­ tion is optimistic that the Palais de Tokyo plans will not be affected. François Léotard, who replaced Jack Lang as Minister for Culture (see the regular French column near the back of this issue), has been quick to declare his support for the Cinémathèque, and renovations (barring the usual delays) are proceeding according to schedule.

But questions of long-term funding have still to be thrashed out. And so does the question of future identity. If Cahiers is right — if the Cinémathèque has given up nurturing new talent, and French cinema is languishing — then, at the very least, it will languish in comfort and dignity. At best, the corner will once again be turned, as it was in the fifties, and the Cinémathèque will have resumed its role of cradle and catalyst to French film culture. +

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Telling the untold story On location with Great Expectations Tim Burstall is hanging eight actors at Trial Bay jail, South West Rocks, though he’d prefer to be stretching whoever caused his camera to develop a faulty shutter. The mal­ function has ruined three days' shooting of the $6-million Great Expectations: The Untold Story in this picturesque ruin on the New South Wales central coast.

The crew look glum, and Burstall himself, suffering from some local form of Convict’s Revenge, pale and crumpled in his canvas chair. Far more cheery, the ragged extras, recruited mostly from local amateur theatrical groups, look on with interest, as John Stanton is invited to hang his mates in return for a free pardon. Tourists loafing through the jail stop to stare at the filmmakers, as

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if it’s all part of the show. Already used as a location for the ABC’s feature, White Man’s Legend, a few years ago, the town is indifferent to the whole movie business.

The story untold in Dickens’s door-stop novel of young orphan Pip and his progress towards his ‘great expectations’ of inherited wealth is, of course, that of Abel Magwitch. Pip befriends the convict on the marshes during his escape attempt and Magwitch, on his return from transportation to Australia, repays the debt by conferring on him the pleasures, guilts and responsibilities of money.

Given director/writer Tim Burstall’s agile imagination, there is no shortage of incident to fill the six hours of this ABC miniseries, from which a piggyback feature is also to be made. Without giving too much away, Magwitch’s partner in crime, Compeyson, with whom he escapes from the hulks at the start of the story, now has links with both Miss Havisham and her ward, Estella.

Compeyson (Robert Coleby) haunts John Stanton’s Magwitch during his Australian imprisonment. Estella

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grows up to be Anne-Louise Lambert, Bruce Spence is the love­ able blacksmith, Joe Gargery, Noel Ferrier a Lawyer Jaggers ample enough even to rival Francis L. Sullivan in David Lean's film, and Sigrid Thornton (listed as co­ producer with Tom Burstall and the ABC’s Ray Alehin) has a meaty role as a squatter’s daughter with a taste for the bottle.

The hanging is going well on a gallows copied from one Charles Darwin saw in use on a visit to Flobart and described zealously in his diaries. But, even as we watch, the weather is changing from the blue skies of the last week. Tom Burstall keeps one eye on the sky, the other on his new daughter, still pram-bound.

The series itself had a troubled infancy. An approach to the Austra­ lian Film Commission for advice on whether a co-production with the ABC would be eligible under the tax regulations led, charges Tom Burstall, to a working party which “ put the project back at least a year’’. The improbable angel of its resurrection was Antony Ginnane

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Jail birds: above, the cast and crew o f Great Expectations prepare to film the hanging at South West Rocks. Right, Robert Coleby as the villainous Compeyson, who haunts the transported Magwitch down under.

who, in this as in a number of other projects this year, made the crucial introduction to a major American company, in this case Hemdale, which will handle the film outside Australia. In the light of John Stanton’s appearance in the up­ coming international miniseries, 7a/'Pan, Hemdale waived its demand for an American star, and the ABC deal has, says Burstall, given them the unexpected bonus of technical expertise, particularly in costume and design, which adds another $1 million to the series’ production value.

And, around South West Rocks, where the Corporation’s Countdown comes as a gaudy benison after a day on both channels of undiluted footy, Great Expectations: The Untold Story may be the treat that will have people glued to their sets.

John Baxter

Crocs away While May’s Cinema Papers was at the printers, I wrote a letter to over­ seas subscribers about the issue they would be receiving. On the cover, I said, was Paul Hogan, whose Crocodile Dundee had “ just opened to phenomenal business in Australia” .

It wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that I realised I’d written that letter the day after seeing the pre­ view of Crocodile Dundee, but the day before the film actually opened publicly.

I mention this not to indicate amazing powers of foresight (though the film did take over $2 million in its first week, outgrossing every other film in Australian cinema history, E.T. and Rambo included), but rather out of a dawning realisation that, after the preview — a full-scale, one-off, premiere-style preview in Hoyts’ largest Melbourne cinema — I somehow never had any doubt that Crocodile Dundee would bust blocks.

The audience response was extra­ ordinary: ecstatic, proud, delighted, in tune with every nuance of Hogan’s performance and the not inconsiderable talents of cinemato­ grapher Russell Boyd and director

40 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Peter Faiman.

In the weeks since, Hogan has passed from the status of crown prince of Australian television to saviour of the Australian film industry (which, god knows, needed a hit with the home audience). Vilified by Phillip Adams in The Australian (in itself, a kind of accolade), Hogan has otherwise acceded to the position of national treasure.

For the benefit of overseas readers — and the three Australians and a dog who have not yet (judging by the figures) seen Crocodile Dundee — the film is the story of an outback larrikin called Michael J. ‘Crocodile’ Dundee (Hogan) who, together with his mate Wally (John Meillon), runs an outfit called ‘Never Never Tours’.

Thanks to an encounter with a crocodile which has, like most of Mick Dundee’s life, been magnified from event to legend, he attracts the attention of a New York reporter called Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), who decides to turn him into a brief, Halley’s Comet of a celebrity.

Mick, however, so overwhelms Sue — and, subsequently, New York — that he neutralizes the exploiters and wins the heart of the girl.

It is a carefully calculated, skilfully executed piece of mainstream enter­ tainment — so skilfully executed, in fact, that the sheer bravado of the

A face in the crowd: Michael J. ‘Crocodile’ Dundee mingles with the natives in “the friendliest place on earth”. piece tends to obscure the fact that almost every finely tuned and superbly timed joke has a conserva­ tive, traditional or even hackneyed punchline.

Crocodile Dundee is an extra­ ordinarily clever film, exploiting the rough anarchy of Hogan’s identity and turning it into something living and almost proud. Mick facing up to the pimps, muggers and yuppies of the Big Apple is not the hick too stupid to see the threats through which he bulldozes: he is more of a holy innocent, floating through an urban nightmare whose mechan­ isms he simultaneously demon­ strates and dismantles.

Crucial to this is a degree of selfawareness built into Dundee’s larrikin image. Bluffly frying goanna to impress the gullible American, Mick himself feeds on the more authentic Australian staple of baked beans. Carefully shaving with a safety razor, he switches to his sheath-knife with the twelve-inch blade as soon as Sue starts to wake up.

More important than this, though, is the way Hogan and writer Ken Shadie take old jokes and rework

them. Mick in a plush New York hotel, for insance, encounters a bidet and puzzles over its function.

This has to be the oldest hick-in-thebig-city joke, but the timing of Hogan’s reactions and the delayed punchline, via a triumphant shout to Sue out of the window, delivered just after the joke had been dropped (“ For washing your backside, right?” ), are exemplary.

Better still is the almost inevitable boomerang joke. Mick is in danger of being badly beaten up by two pimps he had earlier crossed, when the black chauffeur assigned to him by the newspaper roars onto the scene in the stretch limo.

The pimps take flight until the chauffeur, ripping the crescent­ shaped TV aerial off the back of the limo, sends it scything after the fleeing hoods. The fact that it is the black New Yorker, not the Austra­ lian, who uses the ‘boomerang’ again transforms the joke (on several levels, not all of them palatable).

It is not just in the timing of its jokes that Crocodile Dundee impresses, though. Take the scene where Sue’s New York boyfriend (Mark Blum) proposes to her publicly at a large dinner party: the series of looks and angles through which Mick and Sue just fail to catch each other’s eye, and thus misunderstand the other’s feelings, is a fine piece of filmmaking.

And the finale, in which they restore relations in an emotive dialogue conducted via a hip black and a hard-hat white worker on a crowded subway platform, is as good as anything Blake Edwards has ever done.

There are, of course, bits of Crocodile Dundee which are gross and predictable: Hoges ogling Linda Kozlowski’s scoop-clad bum, for instance, or most of the brief but em­ barrassing sequence with David Gulpilil. But the nudging crudeness which could so easily have over­ whelmed the story is generally kept at bay.

Crocodile Dundee is a remarkably clear-eyed, intelligent and above all economical Australian comedy for the world market. The fact that, almost uniquely in recent history, it has turned out not to need that market makes it all the more impres­ sive. If Australia is going to make big, mainstream commercial films — ‘proper movies’, to use Hogan’s own phrase — then for god’s sake let them be films like Crocodile Dundee.

Nick Roddick

Crocodile Dundee: Directed by Peter Faiman. Producer: John Cornell. Line producer: Jane Scott. Associate pro­ ducer: Wayne Young. Screenplay: Paul Hogan and Ken Shadie. Director of photography: Russell Boyd. Produc­ tion design: Graham Walker. Music: Peter Best. Editor: David Stiven. Sound recordist: Gary Wilkins. Cast: Paul Hogan (Michae) J. C ro co d ile ’ Dundee), Linda Kozlowski (Sue Charlton), John Meillon (Wally Reilly), Mark Blum (Richard Mason), Michael Lombard (Sam Charlton), David Gulpilil (Neville Bell). Production company: Rimfire Productions. Distributor: Hoyts.

35mm. 102 minutes. Australia. 1986.

An English­ woman abroad The difficulties of expressing “ the holiness of direct desire” (E.M. F o rs te r’ s phrase) m ay seem minuscule to the sexually uninhibited eighties; but it is a measure of the success of James Ivory's film version of Forster’s 1908 novel, A Room with a View, that he is able to make them seem urgent.

The slender story of Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter), an English girl who falls in love in Flor­ ence with a troubled but ardent young man, George Emerson (Julian Sands), returns to England, puts her unsettling Italian experi­ ences behind her, and gets engaged to the priggish aesthete, Cecil Vyse (Daniel Day Lewis), provides the basis for a study of the conflicting claims of the senses and the social niceties.

For those who know nothing of either Forster or Ivory, A Room with a View offers a touching and witty examination of its central opposition of repression and expression.

Repression is most strikin g ly embodied in Miss Charlotte Bartlett (Maggie Smith), Lucy’s companion in Florence, aghast at the open display of feeling, whether it is that of old Mr . Emerson (Denholm Elliott), insisting that he and his son change rooms with Charlotte and Lucy to give the latter access to the epony­ mous view; or, more crucially, that of George, suddenly kissing Lucy on a Florentine hillside.

Charlotte is unequal to Mr Emer­ son’s unaffected, unrefined kind­ ness, and can only cope with the lushness of the Italian countryside by allowing it to remind her of a place in

Shropshire where she once spent a Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham holiday.

Carter in A R oom with a View.

The repression motif is also articu­ lated through C e cil’s bookish removal from the realities of experi­ varied parent-child relationships. ence. Fastidiously censorious of But, as in The Europeans (1978), most people, he at last (some time Ivory, producer Ismael Merchant after their engagement) asks Lucy and scrip tw riter Ruth Prawer for a kiss. Wondering only at his dila­ Jhabvala have achieved, not mere toriness, she agrees. And, as he lifts reverence, but their own distinctive her veil and looks cautiously around, flavour. This is perhaps more of an the film boldly cuts to Lucy’s achievement in the new film, since it memory of George’s passionate chooses to foreground so boldly the embrace in Florence. cultural status of the precursor text.

Back in the decorums of English That is, it repeatedly draws attention life, Lucy has suppressed this to Forster by using many of his memory, confining her passions to chapter headings ('In Santa Croce Beethoven. George, contrasted with no Baedecker’, for instance) on throughout in physical type and a plain screen bordered with Floren­ manner with Cecil, once again tine suggestions, to introduce suc­ 'insults’ her in England. After a com­ ce ssive e p is o d e s in a w ay plex series of deceptions and selfreminiscent of silent-screen titles. deceptions, Lucy breaks with Cecil, The acting, as is almost always the hears and responds to some kindly case in Merchant-Ivory films, is a truths from Mr Emerson, and elopes civilized treat. Maggie Smith in with George to Florence. middle-age is becoming a super­ The film’s last scene shows them lative film actress, here suggesting kissing in the casement of the Charlotte’s repressed sexuality and Pension Bertolini with a view of her capacity for giving and taking Florence behind them, symmetric­ offence, without a trace of the ally recalling the opening shot of m a n n e ris m s th a t s o m e tim e s Lucy (discontented) and Charlotte threatened her earlier film work. (disapproving) in a room with no As her 'opposite', Denholm view.

Elliott’s Mr Emerson is a finely and Having opposed the violent (a touchingly drawn study of openly street murder in Florence, where expressed affection and startling George rescues Lucy), the openly honesty. Helena Bonham Carter’s sensual (two snatched kisses), the Lucy recalls, without quite equalling, sensuous (nude bathing in a the restless emotional questing of Watteauesque woodland pool) and another Ivory heroine, Lisa Eichhorn the outspoken (Mr Emerson) to the as Gertrude in The Europeans. But, conventionalities of tea-drinking, as the two men in her life, Julian polite soirees and churchgoing for Sands and Daniel Day Lewis pro­ ladies only, the film comes quietly vide carefully detailed studies in and satisfyingly to rest in that final contrast. shot. The “ holiness of direct desire” A Room with a View provides has won the day, without senti­ evidence for Ivory’s continuing mentality or melodramatics. fascination with cultural discrepan­ A good deal of the film’s narrative cies. The control over mise en scene pleasure derives directly from which limns the distinction between Forster, as does its pattern of subtly England and Italy (matters of light

and architecture and behaviour) recalls his earlier preoccupations with Anglo-Indian clashes and contrasts (Heat and Dust), with worldly Europeans at sea in New England (The Europeans), with the opportunist English calling shots in Paris (Quartet), with old- and newguard theatricals in New York (Jane Austen in Manhattan).

In A Room with a View, Ivory (and Jhabvala) are as sharp as Forster on the English abroad, whether the latter are expressing criticism of dubious foreign arrangements or (like Judi Dench’s lady novelist) gushingly looking for the ‘real Italy’.

He lingers just long enough on the exotic beauties of Florence or the domesticated prettiness of Southern England. And he knows — he has always known; and this, chiefly, is why I value his films — that people are the key element of mise en scene.

Brian McFarlane

A Room with a View. Directed by James Ivory. Producer: Ismael Merchant. Associate producers: Paul Bradley, Peter Marangoni (Italy).

Screenplay: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, based on the novel by E.M. Forster.

Director of photography: Tony PierceRoberts. Production design: Gianni Quaranta (Italy), Brian Ackland-Snow.

Editor: Humphrey Dixon. Music: Richard Robbins. Sound recordist: Ray Beckett. Cast: Maggie Smith (Charlotte Bartlett), Helena Bonham Carter (Lucy Honeychurch), Denholm Elliott (Mr Emerson), Julian Sands (George Emer­ son), Daniel Day Lewis (Cecil Vyse), Simon Callow (Reverend Beebe), Judi Dench (Miss Lavish), Rosemary Leach (Mrs Honeychurch), Rupert Graves (Freddy Honeychurch). Production company: Merchant Ivory, for Goldcrest. Distributor: Roadshow. 35mm.

115 minutes. Britain. 1986.

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Everything you’ve always wanted to know about anxiety With Hannah and her Sisters, Woody Allen delights but does not really surprise. A look at two years in the lives of a New York theatrical family, Hannah is a charming, caring and generally upbeat story about that most resilient of all muscles — the heart. Taken in the context of Allen’s long career in film, though, it is yet another slice of life in his very small corner of the world: uppermiddle-class white neurotic Upper East Side professional New York.

Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest and Barbara Hershey play the sisters — Hannah, the successful actress and happy mother/nurturer; Holly, the coke fiend who dabbles in unrelated business ventures between un­ successful acting auditions; and Lee, the recovered alcoholic who ta k e s c o u rs e s ra n d o m ly at Columbia, and lives with an older, surly, misanthropic artist (Max von Sydow).

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Michael Caine is Hannah’s hus­ band, who falls in love with Lee and lures her into an affair, fully aware of the havoc he’s creating. The late Lloyd Nolan and Maureen O’Sulli­ van (Farrow’s real-life mother) play the bickering showbiz parents who, with only limited screen time, give a po w e rfu l im p re ssio n of w hat growing up must have been like for the girls. "They were interested in having us,’’ reflects Lee, "but not so much in raising us.”

Woody Allen’s appearances as Mickey, Hannah’s hypochondriac ex-husband, bring lightness and comic relief between the less funny neuroses of the other characters.

And the film is divided into short vignettes by provocative titles, like chapter headings in a novel, which works well.

The outstanding moments in Hannah include the only scene where the sisters are together alone.

It is flawlessly written and performed, as the camera circles a restaurant table while the women argue and bitch, in a way only families are capable of. Lee exposes her guilt about sleeping with Hannah’s husband without exposing the fact.

Wiest does jealousy to a tee in a scene where she and her untrust­ worthy friend (Carrie Fisher) vie for the attention of an opera-loving architect (Sam Waterston). The inter­ change is pricelessly accurate.

The irritating thing about these characters, though, is that they are

not only acutely aware of their own little aches and pains and mood shifts, but are continually asking each other: "W hat’s wrong? Are you OK? Are you depressed? You seem so distant?” at the drop of a yawn or a blink from the accused. Like the characters in Manhattan, they are problem seekers, but they are also u n n a tu ra lly s e n s itiv e to th e emotional squirm ings (however casual) in those around them.

Farrow, Wiest and Waterston are veterans of other Allen movies, as are many of Hannah’s characters and circumstances. Allen’s females are invariably descendants of Annie Hall, stuttering and strutting their insecurities about town. And the structure of the three-sister family in Hannah repeats the Interiors precedent (where the husband of the older sister also makes a pass at his wife’s youngest sister).

As in Manhattan, Woody Allen’s own character at first hates the woman he eventually falls in love with, as well as quitting his unsatisfy­ ing TV writing job, where he com­ plains about being surrounded by dope addicts and excessive silli­ ness. Tony Roberts plays the same role as he did in Annie H a ll— Allen’s partner, who goes on to commercial

Three sisters: Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest in Woody Allen’s new Chekhovian comedy o f New York mores.

success and driving convertibles in Hollywood. And, of course, Allen himself experiences yet another existential crisis covering his fear of death, the meaninglessness of life, the absence of god, etc., dealt with more than adequately in many of his films to date.

Love and Death said it best; in subsequent films, the subject has b e e n m e r e ly a r e d u n d a n t indulgence. Indeed, this repeat obsession underscores A lle n ’s inability to write characters that go very far beyond the Allen mould: they are all like personified elements of his personality. One need not look too closely at Hannah and her Sisters to realise that Michael Caine is just a tall Woody Allen, right down to the eyeglasses on his nose, and Max von Sydow just a humourless Allen.

The limitations Allen places on his stories, though, are liberating as well as restricting. For, although the tiny context of his Manhattan becomes repetitive and insular, he does New York so well. He flatters New York.

He can make a garbage dumpster on a New Y ork street look appetizing. And he knows the life and characters so well that he tells their stories with a rare style and insight and a special intimacy.

Woody Allen’s New York is an elitist city of bookstores, classical music, art galleries, long, safe walks in Central Park and tame jazz clubs.

He is a spokesman for a particular brand of New Yorker, making him an anthropological dramatist of sorts.

Allen describes himself most accurately through the voice of his character’s ex-wife in Manhattan, w ho p u b lis h e s a fra n k and embarrassing portrayal of their failed marriage: "H e was given to fits of rage, Jewish liberal paranoia, male chauvinism, self-righteous mis­ anthropy and nihilistic moods of despair. He had complaints about life but never any solutions . . . He longed to be an artist but baulked at the necessary sacrifices. In his most private moments, he spoke of his fear of death which he elevated to tragic heights when, in fact, it was mere narcissism.”

The same comments could apply to the maker of Hannah and her Sisters. But, even in criticism of Woody Allen, the man says it best himself.

D one Koeser

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Hannah and her Sisters: Written and directed by Woody Allen. Producer: Robert Greenhut. Executive producers: Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe.

Associate producer: Gail Sicilia.

Director of photography: Carlo Di Palma. Production designer: Stuart Wurtzel. Editor: Susan E. Morse.

Casting: Juliet Taylor. Sound recordist: Tod Maitland. Cast: Woody Allen (Mickey), Michael Caine (Elliot), Mia Farrow (Hannah), Carrie Fisher (April), Barbara Hershey (Lee), Lloyd Nolan (Hannah's father), Maureen O’Sullivan (Hannah’s mother), Daniel Stern (Dusty), Max von Sydow (Frederick), Dianne Wiest (Holly). Production company: Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe, for Orion Pictures Corporation.

Distributor: Roadshow. 35mm. 105 minutes. USA. 1986.

The noisy achiever I was too young to see the shows at the Sydney Stadium, but I do have strong memories of Six O ’Clock Rock, of my father’s dismissive description of Johnny O ’Keefe, Aus­ tralia’s answer to Bill Haley, as a rat­ bag; and, much later, in the seven­ ties, of the man himself, sitting in the front window of JOK Promotions in Paddington, a monument to burn­ out, staring into the Oxford Street traffic. I had forgotten what a superb performer he was, and had never realised how great was his contribu­ tion to the local popular-m usic industry.

Bringing it all back but giving.it a new perspective is Ben Gannon’s Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe, which takes a good look at the life of JOK and the ‘cultural dreaming’ of the fifties and sixties. What a deriva­ tive time it was, and would have remained, if it were not for the likes of JOK. He was the first to prove that we had world-class talent home­ grown, the first to show how profit­ able the teenage market could be.

Shout! evokes these years brilliantly, through its depiction of grisly social attitudes and the aping of American

popular culture, and in its meticulous period details.

While JOK's life story may be one that’s all too familiar in rock ’n roll, its peculiar Australian circumstances make Shout! more than interesting.

Part 1, which deals with the local boy’s rise to stardom, from Bondi talent quests to the Ed Sullivan Show, seems slower than Part 2, which shows his decline. Perhaps it’s inappropriate to the nature of the story itself: after all, it is a slow, hard climb to notoriety, and a fast drop to relative obscurity, especially when the latter is greased with booze, pills, a disfiguring car accident, a broken marriage and five nervous break­ downs.

O ’Keefe himself was, in many ways, an unattractive character. A spoilt brat who threw tantrums, he was a good Roman Catholic who had no trouble reconciling his faith with the immoral payola of rock ’n roll, but didn’t like his wife on the pill.

He was an ambitious, talented and driven man who tried to be some­ thing different in an Australia con­ sumed by suburban mediocrity, and he certainly paid for it.

Australians did not cut records with Festival, nor did they tour nationally, here or in the USA. JOK did all three and more, suffering the consequences of the lifestyle of rock

’n roll and the disapproval of the Australian establishment. In Shout! he represents the archetypal tall poppy, as well as being an old rocker whose kind of music went out of voque.

Terry Serio, much better looking than JOK ever was, is excellent as the Wild One. He manages to do justice to O'Keefe’s style of perform­ ance and the incongruities of the character, while maintaining con­ siderable charm. The supporting cast is also excellent, notably John McTernan as the music entre­ preneur, Lee Gordon, so fascinating that he deserves a miniseries of his own.

Indeed, Shout! is such classy entertainment it makes you wonder why it can’t be done more often with local material. Perhaps it is because, for all the good acting and delightful sets and costumes, it is the music which carries the story, reflecting the exuberance of an age that saw the beginning of youth culture. A big part of the enjoyment of Shout! comes from hearing the music again, in context and in stereo.

In fact, it is the excellence of both music and production which makes some of the more blatant mytho­ logizing of this new perspective of the fifties and sixties tolerable. It is obvious that Shout! is coloured by

Happy days fo r JOK: Terry Serio as Johnny and Marcelle Schmitz as Marianne in Shout!. the contemporary search for musical antecedents to help explain and celebrate current Australian musical success. While in fact it is myth and melodrama, it pretends to be history and ultimately manages to get away with it, not just in the name of good entertainment, but because Shout! finally attempts to do some kind of justice to the huge contribution that Johnny O’Keefe made to the musical development of this country.

Susan Bridekirk

Shout! The Story of Johnny O ’Keefe: Directed by Ted Robinson.

Producer: Ben Gannon. Screenplay: Robert Caswell. Director of photo­ graphy: Dan Burstall. Editor: Robert Gibson. Cast: Terry Serio (Johnny O'Keefe), Marcelle Schmitz (Mari­ anne O’Keefe), Melissa Jaffer (Thelma O'Keefe), John McTernan (Lee Gordon), Candy Raymond (Maureen O’Keefe), Tony Barry (Alan Heffernan), John Paramor (Bill Haley). Production company: View Pictures Ltd. First broadcast: HSV7, Melbourne, 7 and 9 April 1986. 2 x 2 television hours.

Australia. 1986.

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Steptoes in time: Kenji Konda, Olivia Martin and Sam, the trans­ formed scrapyard carthorse in The Last Warhorse.

THE LAST WARHORSE

Horse and home It is always good to see someone — in this case, JNP Productions — have a go at providing drama for children: it is a difficult and contro­ versial area, too often consigned to the ‘No win’ basket.

Produced by Helen Boyd and directed by Robert Meillon, The Last Warhorse has a go, apparently being intended for the lower primary age group and for those of all ages who like happy endings.

The storyline follows the well-worn tracks of goodies versus baddies.

Except that, in modern dramas, the clues are more subtle than in the good old days when black and white hats gave a firm indication. Nowa­ days, baddies overact, and the goodies can be identified by their habit of fumbling through their lines and their lives.

In this case, the goodies are child­ ren or grandfathers and the baddies are get-rich-quick property ‘ de­ velopers. (I nave always suspected that parents are obsolete, or at least unnecessary, and this film confirms my suspicion: no mothers or fathers appear.)

The story involves three children (Robert Carlton, Olivia Martin, Kristin Veriga) who live with their grand­ father (Graham Dow) and a cart­ horse called Sam. All five of them, it is assumed, lead an idyllic life in the grandfather’s scrap-metal yard — until, that is, a baddie comes along and offers to buy the property. The baddie, whose body language seems to consist of endlessly straightening his clothes, claims to represent a Japanese property tycoon who lives nearby with his grandson.

These two (English-speaking) J a p a n e s e p ro v id e th e nowcompulsory ethnic interest in a multi­ cultural society. Through their household, manners, cultural pup suits and philosophy, we see how very different their background is to the old Anglo-Saxon/Celtic variety.

But,, as we are absorbed by the cultural differences (the swordplay of the Japanese grandfather [Kazue Matsumoto] is quite beautiful), we are also made aware of the similari­ ties in: ¿he lives of the two old men: they are both somewhat cut-off and lonely, both prone to misunder-

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Worlds away ifThe opening { p a g e of The Quiet Earth reveals an ^enormous scarlet sun, shimmering in,atmospheric re­ fraction above the telephoto horizon, 4p the accompaniment of a powerful base-Dolby rumble. For an instant, it {resembles-the thermonuclear fireball jh a t enshrouds a bomb micro>seconds after detonation, /However, litis not an atomic holocaust to which research physicist Zac Hobson {(B ru n o L a w re n c e ) v io le n t ly awakens, but rather a more insidious terminal event.

Left to wander through a deserted New Zealand landscape, Zac dis­ covers that all life "has apparently vanished, literally -overnight. Halfeaten meals sit unfinished in, their trays, empty cars are strewn wreck-.' rlessly, about the roadways and, in one. inspired display of the film’s authentic feel for the un'canny, Zac passes by a randorC blaze m a levelled building, caused by a felled Air New Zealand jet, devoid of

standings, and both trying to bring up their grandchildren.

The action of The Last Warhorse is built around the attempts of the baddie to acquire the junkyard. He uses threats, hires thugs to ransack the place, buys up the old man’s debts, and generally makes life diffi­ cult. And the story ends with a scene of slapstick farce as traditional to children's films as the dame is to panto.

The junkyard is geared up to repel invasion, old cars are dropped onto new cars, car tyres are rolled down­ hill, huge piles of pipes are upset and, finally, the baddie in his snappy, much-straightened suit is made to walk the plank!

Which leaves the horse, who pro­ vides the element of fantasy gener­ ally reckoned to be necessary to this type of children’s story. Sam is the slowest carthorse ever to shamble across the screen. But what he lacks in speed and style, he makes up in inspiration: the Japanese boy (Kenji Konda) takes one look and sees in him the personification of a Samurai warhorse. Or does he take one look at the girl (Olivia Martin) and see in her the personification of female beauty? Either way, as the credits roll, the boy and the horse and the girl gallop into the sunset.

The subject matter and style, if un­ original, are tried and true in the traditions of children’s filmmaking.

What is less successful'is the execu­ tion. The story does not run smoothly, and the tale evolves in a rather episodic manner. The pace is slow, and there is little visual humour in the direction. The actors are un­ convincing, and their characters are stereotyped.

The direction of children is never easy, but it is hard to.remember any­ thing about the three siblings beyond the fact that they were a girl and two boys who had all managed to learn their lines. The Japanese boy, though, is more impressive.

But somehow, by the end, one is left wondering which audience The Last Warhorse is really aimed at. Is it intended for the child of today, who passengers, yet with' its seatbelts has been reared on a daily dose of /fully buckled. fast-paced TV? Or is it better, suited Disoriented, the scientist returns to to the more peaceful pace of the the high-tech ^research establish­ sunset homes? ment where he was employed, only The horse, though, makes a to learn that â coyert global opera­ wonderful horse. tion-called Project Flashlight,'run in Sarah Guest -conjunction with the US ,Defense Departrhenlÿ has had something to , do with fhe>’catastrophic'Effect that The Last Warhorse: Directed by , has eliminated all life from the planet/ Robert Meillon. Producer: Helen Boyd.

Revulsed by the implication of his Executive producer: James Davem. ; own ;destructive complicity, Zac Screenplay: Colin Free. Story con­ wrecks the computer centre and sultant: Lynn Bayonas. Director of escapes into the lifeless city>f photography: Peter Knevitt. Production Temporarily overcoming his fear designer: Darrell Lass. Editor: David and alienation, Zac plunders a Jaeger. Sound recordist: Richard Hill. deserted metropolis, impulsively Cast: Graham Dow (Pop McKenzie), looting department stores, feeding Robert Carlton (Ray McKenzie), Olivia Martin (Dee McKenzie), Kristin Veriga phis uncontrol fed whims .and fan­ (Sid McKenzie), Kazue Matsumoto (Mr tasies until he eventually degener­ ates into a morass of alcohol and Ishikawa), Kenji Konda (Mikio Ishikawa), Ritchie Singer (Parker), Kurt depression.

Schneider (Benkie). Production .>After a while; he relocates to an company: Filmrep Ltd. First broadcast: Auckland mansion; (“ Time to move Seven Network, 4 May 1986. Betacam. up in the world” ) but the traumatic 2 television hours. Australia. 1986. realisation that he is finally alone drives him towards megalomania In

a "manic attempt"to ratiohalize hrs new status, he assembles life-size cardboard cut-duts of historical ’celebrities’ — Hitler, Stalin — as a captive audience for the demented soliloquy in which he proclaims him­ self ruler of the world.

From the pits of despair, however,Zac is reborn to a more wholesome prim ary self, fro lic k in g naked through his new realm, apparently liberated by the sense of his new­ found existential ‘otherness’.

Whilst pilfering a store, though; Zac has his solitude abruptly shattered by the appearance of Joanne (Alison Routledge), who is fortunate indeed to stumble across him in his post-cathartic state. After allaying their mutual suspicions, the pair settle down to a ‘normal’ routine of exploring their new world and investigating Zac’s assumptions about ‘The Effect’.

Where no kiwis fly: Bruno Lawrence as Zac, Alison Routledge as Joanne and Pete Smith as Api in The Quiet Earth. §§1 ."-/■'/

THE QUIET EARTH

| The idyllic prospect of a nouveauEden quickly dissolves with the sur­ prise addition of Ap.i (Pete Smith), introduced/.ike a Maori version of S c h w a rz e n e g g e r’s T e r m in a tO j^ dressed as an IRA gunman. He am­ bushes an unwitting Zac and, in­ censed _by t/jie w h ite vm an(s attempted deceptions,;iur,es Joanne to the scenefijThe mere sight of the woman »(is, however, enough to dispel Api’s hostility, and the three e m b ra ce jjo y fu lly v — a postapocalyptic menage aitro is.' . Already somewhat enlightened', to cultural dispossession/dislocation{v ApLs sense of indigenous spiritual,.-,; ism * gradually conflicts' with ZaC's, ;. scientific rationalism,l especially.^ ' w heifit is revealed that all three have survived The-tEffecL due to their dpatlr at the exact* instant o f Rroject Flashlight’s energy flux — Api the victirn' of a murdej,.Joanne by acci­ dental electrocution, and Zac via suicide-froqp a Mogadon overdose Zac’s estrangement is further height ened when the others, confide their

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44 — July CINEMA PAPERS

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mystical, out-of-body experience at the time of death, oddly denied the physicist because of his selfish pre­ determined act.

The narrative is fundamentally -Zac’s story, however; and, after deferring to several displays of Api's bravado* he contrives a means of heroically neutralizing their cosmic displacement and preventing a recurrence of The Effect. Or so he : hopes.

Superficially, The Quiet Earth is a reworking (with some role reversals) of The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1958), in its examination of urban alienation, monogamy and racial tension. Indeed, there operates a genuine simplicity through the film which engenders a peculiar bathetic' quality akin to the fecund B-grade science fiction movies of the fifties, -th e frequently irritating banalities -one associates with such fare (wit­ ness Joanne's laboured rejection of the men’s god-like aspirations) are excusable within the context of cosmic calamity because of the mind-wrenching implications of the ^situation.

In this sense, The Quiet Earth exemplifies a primary feature of good science and speculative fiction: the creation of alien terrains/scen ario s, po pu late d by characters who, for better or worse, demonstrate the human condition within a hostile, imaginary topo­ graphy.

To this end, the film’s underlying thesis announces a violent wish to obliterate the dehumanizing com­ plexities of urban society. It heralds an apocalyptic fantasy, not un­ common to the genre over the past decade, by depicting a chance to start civilization afresh, bereft of multi-national corporate manipula­ tion and inherited social mores.

There is an opportunity to rediscover and redefine the individual self within the external, skeletal frame of the western world. There may not be a return to the primitive; but there is certainly the desire for dislocation fro m m o d e rn ity ’ s o p p re s s iv e regimes, Whether or not one agrees with the ideology, the end-imagery of the film is unquestionably exalting as it simultaneously closes and opens the narrative by its cyclical suggestion of rebirth and the infinite. Like the poetic epilogue to The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and the revela­ tion of the Star Child in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Quiet Earth finishes on what approaches a transcendant moment. It should not be missed.

Mick Broderick

The Quiet Earth: Directed by Geoff Murphy. Producers: Don Reynolds and Sam Pillsbury. Screenplay: Bill Baer, Bruno Lawrence and Sàm Pillsbury, based on the novel by Craig Harrison.

Director of photography: James Bartle.

Art director: Rick Kofoed. Special effects: Ken Durey. Music: John Charles. Editor: Michael Horton. Sound recordists: Mike Westgate and Ham­ mond Peek. Cast: Bruno Lawrence (Zac Hobson), Alison Routledge (Joanne), Pete Smith (Api). Production company: Cinepro/Pillsbury Films.

Distributor: Valhailla Films. 35mm. 100 minutes. New Zealand. 1985.

Night moves From being, with Mean Streets (1973) and Taxi Driver (1976), America’s most seemingly ‘blessed’ director of the seventies, Martin Scorsese has, over the past decade, become almost a cineaste maudit, unable to bring projects to fruition, thrust deeper and deeper into a kind of commercial wilderness.

It is a curve to which the history of Hollywood has accustomed us, par­ ticularly with directors from the East, like Nick Ray and Elia Kazan. But, with Scorsese, the process has somehow seemed faster. One moment (Taxi Driver above all), he seemed to have tapped unerringly into the pulse of a decade. The next, with New York, New York (1977), Raging Bull (1978) and The King of Comedy (1983), he seemed to be pursuing a series of personal visions which, for all their compulsive bril­ liance, no longer accorded with a public taste hooked on a gentler view of the universe.

Then, too, there have been the twin stars under which Scorsese’s career has progressed: the Catholic agonies of Who's That Knocking at

My Door? (1968) and Mean Streets: and the flamboyantly perverse fascination with Catholicism’s mirror image — the Calvinism which (perhaps throu gh w rite r Paul Schrader’s input) informed Taxi Driver. The two are thematically close, though: the massive taking-on of guilt by Travis Bickle’s taxi driver is, perhaps, just one step beyond the mystical, heretical Catholicism which required, in Mean Streets, that the sins of the world be washed away in blood.

After Hours, Scorsese’s latest movie, is a very Calvinistic film, although it allows for a tongue-incheek rescue at the very end. But, amazingly, for a film about suicide, sado-masochism, loneliness and attempted murder, it is a comedy.

It’s tone, though, is that of Lubitsch, not Capra or Blake Edwards — and certainly not of the contemporary H o lly w o o d c o m e d ie s of hip blandness.

With Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, it forms a kind of trilogy, not just in the sense that it is one of Scorsese’s three best films, but because it manages to combine a consistent (if limited) view of the world with a clear dramatic structure.

Many a slip: Paul (Griffin Dunne) finds brief respite in the moulded plastic wonderland o f Monkees fan Julie (Teri Garr) in Martin Scor­ sese’s A fter H ours.

After Hours follows its hero, Paul (Griffin Dunne), from knocking-off time at the computer company where he works, to signing-on time next morning. The film’s mood shifts from the acceptable hours before midnight, through the small hours into which we all occasionally stray out of choice or by mistake, and into the hour of the wolf, when the world seems dying or dead. As the pro­ prietor of a diner into which Paul strays three times in the movie puts it: "Different rules apply when it gets this late. It's, like, after hours.”

First, Paul meets Marcy (Rosanna Arquette) in (another) diner. She gives him her phone number and, when he calls, invites him round. As she gets weirder, however, Paul slips gracelessly away (his original sin, perhaps), sensing he is among crazies.

Stranded and (through a quirk of chance) broke, he wanders into the magnificently named Terminal Bar, where he meets Tom (John Heard) ►

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and Julie (Teri Garr), a beehivecoiffed renegade from another era, who lives In a moulded plastic apartment with a complete collection of Monkees albums. From there, his night goes all to hell, in a series of interlocking situations that shade into one another with all the brutal, clockwork efficiency of a Feydeau farce rewritten by Louis-Ferdinand Celine.

The measure of the achieve­ ment of Scorsese and his writer, Joseph Minion, is that the single funniest (sic) moment is the one at which he realises that Marcy, to whom he has been addressing an earnest monologue, is not simply staring blankly at the wall, but is dead, from a barbiturate overdose.

By now, Paul reacts according to the hour of the night: he flees the apartment, leaving helpful signs for the cops, with arrows, saying: ‘Dead person this way’. And plunges back into the farce.

It is, of course, only in the late 20th-century world of television sitcom that we have come to expect comedy to be only about nice things, and to have a happy ending.

The greatest comedies are merely tragedies in which the mechanism is random. And this is where After Hours reconnects with other Scor­ sese films, as Paul assumes respon­ sibility for a world he can neither understand nor control, but cannot evade either.

Unlike Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, though, there is no real sense of redemption. The bleakest thing about After Hours is that Paul learns precisely nothing from his nocturnal odyssey, neither about himself nor about the world. He has his work cut out reacting.

Paul’s journey to the end of the night is edifying to us, however, Firstly, because it affords the satis­ faction of watching an integrated system run its course — a system with humans, not data, like the computer systems Paul operates in the daytime. Secondly because it shows (as Hitchcock did, rather more cheekily, in The Trouble with Harry) that people die and the world might just as well go on laughing.

But finally because, through its escalating strangeness, the horrific consistence of the world it portrays and the unity of tone it maintains, it reasserts something which Scorsese demonstrated in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull: the uniquely troubling power of cinema.

Nick Roddick

After Hours: Directed by Martin S corsese. P ro d u c e d by Am y Robinson, Griffin Dunne and Robert F. Colesberry. Associate producer: Deborah Schindler. Screenplay: Joseph Minion. Director of photo­ graphy: Michael Ballhaus. Production design: Jeffrey Townsend. Music: Howard Shore. Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker. Sound recordist: Chat Gunter.

Cast: Griffin Dunne (Paul Hackett), Rosanna Arquette (Marcy), Verna Bloom (June), Thomas Chong (Pepe), Linda Fiorentino (Kiki), Teri Garr (Julie), John Heard (Tom), Cheech Marin (Neil), Catherine O ’Hara (Gail).

Production company: Double Play.

Distributor: Roadshow. 35mm. 97 minutes. USA. 1985.

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Hierophant bosh Body Business is a confusing and unsatisfying four-hour mini­ series, shown out of ratings in early May by the Nine Network. The show unashamedly lifts characters and situations from the glossy American nighttime serials, and combines them with the world of fashion and witchcraft against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour.

The story centres around Victoria Desmond, well played by Jane Menelaus, a strong actress who deserves better. Victoria returns to Australia with her son, Colin (Patrick Fisher), to make a series of commer­ cials for Glamour Industries. This high-class fashion company was once owned by her father, who died mysteriously some years ago.

Threatened by Victoria’s return are Nick Christopher (Gary Day, in a seemingly endless display of the latest male fashion) and Cassie Fairchild (Carmen Duncan, playing the now very standard Joan Collins superbitch role). Both want to take control of Glamour, and worry that Victoria will assume that position.

The really evil character in this drama, however, is not to be found in the corridors or boardrooms of power, but elsewhere. Elizabeth (Trish Noble) is Victoria’s sister. She works with a travelling circus as a tarot card reader and, we learn, stole V ic to ria ’s d ru g -a d d ic te d husband, Richard (Robbie Mc­ Gregor), by whom she has had a child called Sun (Eli Faen).

Much ado is made of Sun, because Elizabeth is convinced he’s the ‘promised one’ — the hierophant as he is called. Soon after Colin's arrival in Australia, Sun comes down with ‘the sickness’, and Elizabeth becomes determined to destroy this threat to her Messiah. His “ time is near” , you see.

Meanwhile, Victoria has begun her commercials. But, when one of her models is killed (by Max Phipps, proving yet again that he can

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breathe life and interest into any character), she realises that her return home isn’t going to be smooth sailing. Policeman Brian Doyle (played by an uncomfortable­ looking Gary Sweet) is assigned to the case. He and Victoria were once in love, but it didn’t work. “ I grew up in the slums, she grew up in the society pages. And never the twain shall meet.” And there you have it.

The opening credits — a series of shots showing Sydney harbour, tall city buildings, beautiful people, race­ horses and expensive cars — place us squarely in the heartland of highclass soap opera. Dynasty, Dallas and our own Return to Eden sell the same themes in those opening minutes.

Compared to others in this genre, however, Body Business is a major failure — which is a shame, because a lot of very talented people have given their time on it.

Not only does it lack the basic glossiness necessary to this form of drama (the clothes and cars look like props and nothing more), but the characters also fail: they are all one­ dimensional, and most of them are unbelievable.

Even the Joan Collins character of Alexis Carrington in Dynasty has some degree of depth. But what do we learn of Cassie Fairchild, except that she loves power and will do anything for it? Nothing. Having been established through dialogue, then basic overt visual presentation, the characters are then simply repeated for whatever purpose they exist. Need some threat? Cut to Cassie, or crazy sister Elizabeth.

Need some solace? Cut to the friendly policeman, or the in-laws.

Characters in Body Business reveal nothing, because there’s nothing to reveal — except, of course, the final revelation of who’s behind Victoria’s death threats, the murders and Colin’s kidnapping.

Joan Collins need not eat her heart out: Carmen Duncan as rich bitch Cassie Fairchild in B ody Business.

But when that comes, it’s so simplistic it fails to convince anyway.

It is probably the witchcraft theme that really sinks the show, however.

Always a difficult thing to sell at the best of times, it goes way out of control when the kidnapped Colin is delivered to Elizabeth for a ritual death, so that she can save her son, Sun the hierophant, whose time is (still) near.

The witches’ coven is established in a sequence that looks like a Fellini advertisement for a brand of toiletries, and Elizabeth with her band of followers are rarely threaten­ ing. Predictably, Colin is saved from the knife and reunited with his mother in the climactic sequence, being Cassie’s fashion parade, held at the . Opera House. Where else?

The truth is revealed to Victoria, and the real baddie (not Elizabeth) then makes a run for it, grabbing a gun on the way so he can shoot Victoria from the top of the Harbour Bridge.

Where else?

D e s p ite som e p o o r fro n tprojection and the entire sequence being totally gratuitous, it’s one of the few satisfying moments in the four hours. Angles, camera moves and editing are fabulous, providing a fleeting glimpse of what could have been.

Tony Cavanaugh

Body Business: Directed by Colin Eggleston. Producer: Stanley Walsh.

Associate producer: Jan Tyrrell: Screenplay: Ted Roberts and Michael Fisher. Director of photography: Ernest Clark. Production designer: Stewart Burnside. Editor: David Jaeger. Music: Mario Millo. Sound recordist: Bob Clayton. Cast: Jane Menelaus (Vic­ toria), Carmen Duncan (Cassie), Gary Day (Nick), Gary Sweet (Brian Doyle), Trish Noble (Elizabeth), Robbie McGregor (Richard), Anthony Hawkins (Steve), Doug Parkinson (Jingles), Max Phipps (Max), Patrick Fisher (Colin), Eli Faen (Sun). Production company: PBL Productions. First broadcast: GTV9, Melbourne, 6 and 7 May 1986. 35mm.

2 x 2 television hours. Australia. 1985.

Road warrior “ People who roam about the country in winter have always fascinated me: I find it scandalous and mysterious at the same time.

Last November, I felt like making a film about this.” (Agnes Varda) Nine years after L ’une chante, ¡'autre pas (One Sings, the Other Doesn’t, 1977) Agnes Varda has indeed made another feature film —

The c a m e ra fo llo w s M ona (Sandrine Bonnaire) relentlessly from right to left, along a slow and irreversible descent towards the frozen ditch as she wanders the wintery roads of southern France, stealing, resisting contact and, eventually, dying. Her trail is care­ fully marked by statements from those who crossed her path, not to mention the literally physical disinte­ gration and loss of her clothes and possessions.

(Yahiaoui Assouna), a Moroccan farm-labourer, the relationships function better, since they expect no thank-yous from Mona, receive even fewer and still demand nothing of her.

Her independence is almost her only possession and, with the excep­ tion of these two characters, Mona has to defend it bitterly against all the others who would take it from her. In a film as coldly executed as the winter in which it was shot, the

the cult of humanism.

The film is conceptual in intention and form but nevertheless still closer to a notion of reality than most of its contemporaries. Perhaps Vaga­ bond, like its central character, will also be able to evoke reactions from those who cross its path, for rarely has a film been able to express its concerns with such a clarity and directness. “ Mona is a person who will always evoke extreme reactions because

The witnesses to her descent con­ stitute a fair cross-section of society.

There is Yolande (Yolande Moreau), Aunt Lydie’s home-help, and her boyfriend, Paulo (Joel Fosse).

Yolande would like to help Mona, but Mona gets drunk with old Aunt Lydie (Marthe Jarnias). This is not quite the done thing, much as Aunt Lydie enjoys it. Mona must go.

There is David (Patrick Lepczynski), with whom she spends a few days and nights. He expects more of her; she disappoints him. There is Sylvain and his wife, Sabine, intellec­ tuals turned shepherds. Mona steals their cheese.

With all of these people, her un­ compromising attitude and refusal to bargain leads to a breakdown in com m unication. With Madame Landier (Macha Meril), a tree s p e c ia lis t, and w ith A ssou n

Road to nowhere: Sandrine Bonn­ aire as the restless Mona in Agnes Varda’s Sans toit ni loi (Vagabond).

she is never a victim, never pitiful.

The film can be defined by three words: distance, rebellion and simplicity.” (Agnès Varda)

VAGABOND

a term so lightly used that, in Varda’s case, it must be qualified by exacter definition.

Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi) does not avail itself of the convention that fiction should remind us of and rework reality for us. Rather, it recon­ structs a pre-existing reality that is not conveniently available to be filmed. It is thus fiction with as much claim on the truth as documentary.

There is almost the hint of a plot as the film opens: a classic case of what looks like violent death to be ex­ plained in a long flashback. A corpse is discovered in a ditch. The landscape is frozen, the people who photograph, measure and remove the corpse work with an equally cold professionalism. But foul play is quickly ruled out, hypothermia ruled in, and the flashback remains in place.

David Marsh

exp lo ration of this em otional exchange and barter is the only them e in ve stig a te d with any passion.

The predominating colours of Vagabond are cold, the pace of editing slow and the tracking shots always begin at the point where the last one left off. To this extent the film’s strict, formal aesthetic reflects the single-minded loneliness of Mona’s independence. However, despite its central characters being nearly all young and on the road, this is no youth movie: Varda is on the outside looking in — not dealing with the cult of youth but rather, In the tradition of European art cinema,

Vagabond: Directed by Agnes Varda.

Screenplay: Agnes Varda. Director,of photography: Patrick Blossier. Music: Joanna Druzdowicz. Editors: Agnes Varda and Patricia Mazuy. Sound: Jean-Paul Mugel. Cast: Sandrine Bonnaire (Mona), Macha Meril (Madame Landier), Stéphane Freiss (Jean-Pierre), Laurence Cortadellas (Eliane), Marthe Jarnias (Aunt Lydie), Yolande Moreau (Yolande), Joel Fosse (Paulo), Patrick Lepczynski (David), Yahiaoui Assouna (Assoun). Produc­ tion company: Ciné-Tamaris/Films A2/ French Ministry for Culture/Channel 4.

35mm. 105 minutes. France. 1985.

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DOUBLE SCULLS

Double or nothing The telemovie Double Sculls proves that bigger is not necessarily better.

After the recent wave of big-budget miniseries, this PBL Production seemed to slip in quietly, creating few ripples in the pool of Australian drama.

It is not bland 'family' entertain­ ment, but rather takes an intelligent and critical look at the pressures placed on a middle-class couple when the husband, Sam Larkin (John Hargreaves), renews a friend­ ship with an old schoolmate, Paul Weber (Chris Haywood).

When they meet, Sam is leading a comfortable life as a psychiatrist — or 'super chemist’ — in his father-inlaw’s clinic. Despite the swish consulting rooms and other slick trappings of ‘success’, he looks more like a boring local GP. However, what we’re meant to read is 'in control’ and 'happily married’.

Paul, the macho larrikin of the two,

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has become an alcoholic, and Sam sets out to ‘help’ him. Both rowing champions when they were at school, they decide to train together for the ‘double sculls’ title.

It doesn’t work. Paul refuses the role of patient, and starts drinking again. For him, Sam has 'copped out’: he hasn’t lived. Sam, though, has become addicted to this new­ found escape and con tinu es training, pushing aside his work and his family. The roles are reversed — Sam is working for the title as much for himself as Paul. His marriage is on the rocks when they decide to try again — but this time it is on equal terms.

In the intense, fast-paced opening of the film (a sequence set six years before these events), there are suggestions of an affair between Paul and Sam’s wife, Edwina (Angela Punch McGregor). The race thus becomes a symbolic means of resolving the tensions in the triangle.

The other strand in the narrative is the relationship between the coach, Curly (Bill Kerr, replaying his Galli­ poli role as the stern trainer with a

Putting her oar in: Edwina (Angela Punch-McGregor) visits Paul (Chris Haywood) in D ou b le Sculls. heart of gold), and the team’s other aide, Ellen Bayliss (Judi Farr), a psychobiologist who is researching indigenous opiates. Their relation­ ship appears corny, though, against the more complex workings of the main characters.

Director Ian Gilmour resists the temptation to tie up too many loose ends, and the final scene of Double Sculls in fact contains more twists than answers. The scenes between Hargreaves and Haywood work well, with Haywood, complete with shorts and singlet, giving to the bronzed Aussie male stereotype an edge that is rarely shown. Punch McGregor is well-suited to her role, though the depiction of Edwina and Sam’s marriage is often clumsy — the scripting could have been tighter here.

Vince Monton’s clean camera­ work captures the brilliant light of a Sydney summer day and misty

mornings on the harbour, as well as close, intimate scenes, with original­ ity. The sport of rowing (sculling) is unusual subject matter for aesthetes — but some of the rowing scenes do look beautiful and are quite hypnotic. The music is flat and monotonous, however, letting down what is otherwise a sensitive and accomplished film.

Kathy Bail

Sculls: Directed by Ian Gilmour. Producer: Richard Brennan.

Associate producer: Michael Midlam.

Screenplay: Chris Peacock. Director of p h o to g ra p h y : V ince M o n to n .

Production designer: Ross Major.

Music: Chris Neal. Editor: Marc van Buuren. Cast: John Hargreaves (Sam Larkin), Chris Haywood (Paul Weber), Angela Punch McGregor (Edwina Larkin), Bill Kerr (Curly Pilsudki), Judi Farr (Ellen Bayliss), Mercia DeaneJohns (Melanie Atkins). Production company: PBL Productions. First b ro a d c a s t: TCN9, Sydney, 7 February 1986. 16mm. 2 television hours. Australia. 1985.

Double

Star-cross’d

by Stalin In the Yugoslavia of 1950, if we are to believe Emir Kusturica’s 1985 Cannes Golden Palm winner, When Father Was Away On Business (Otac na sluzbenom putu), the menace of oppression had familiar, slightly comical overtones.

Kusturica’s non-hero is a blackmoustached, third-division Lothario called Mesha (Miki Manojlovic), a factory manager who has oppor­ tunity for travel, and for frequent hanky-panky with Ankica (Mira Furlan), a strapping specialist in the sports culture that is being ener­ getically promoted by the State.

Mesha's frequent promises to divorce his wife begin to wear thin, and Ankica's revenge comes when he makes a casual remark about a cartoon in a Yugoslav Communist newspaper. “ They’re really over­ doing it,” he scoffs as he glances at a cartoon showing Karl Marx in his 1study, with a picture of Stalin on the wall.

Ankica reports the comment to Zijo (Mustafa Nadarevic), a party hack in Sarajevo, where they all live.

Zijo is balding, mournful, weighed down by a nameless depression or guilt which he tries to assuage by a constant drip-feed of slivovitz. He is Mesha’s brother-in-law, but that doesn’t prevent him from recom­ mending a two-year spell of ’resocialization’ for the backslider.

Business is business, after all; and besides, he has long had his eye on Ankica’s hour-glass figure.

As Mesha goes off on his long ‘business trip’, first to a forcedlabour mining camp, then to a dreary province where the rain streams incessantly, much of the story is conveyed through the eyes and ears of his small, chubby, soccer-mad son, Malik (Moreno de Bartolli). This engaging, gap-toothed urchin is used by Kusturica as a sort of Puck figure, who witnesses some of his father's worst excesses, and sleep-walks on roofs and over bridges by way of compensation.

In a late scene, Mesha, restored to the bosom of his family, joins in a bucolic but tension-ridden wedding party at which all the dramatis personae are present. While Zijo, now married to Ankica, drinks him­ self into a stupor, Mesha rapes Ankica in a basement a few metres away from the wedding table, observed by the grave Malik. And, in the last shot, Malik, again sleep­ walking, looks back at the camera with a grin that is part knowing, part beatific. “ What fools these mortals be,” he seems to be saying, or the Yugoslav equivalent.

There are a thousand sharply ob­ served oddities and eccentricities in this gently ironic film, but none is supererogatory, none subordinated to a thesis, and all contribute to the rounding-out of real, exuberant, pleasure-loving people. A janitor sings Spanish love songs with all the finesse of a demented newspaper seller; a barber steadily, method­ ically, strops his razor as he pre­ pares to circumcize Mesha’s sons in front of a circle of admiring neigh­ bours; Mesha plays footsy with an

amateur whore in a shabby cafe, while Malik slips under the table and sets the girl’s dress on fire; the pro­ vincial security officer, a gun strapped to his shirt, will drop any­ thing for a game of chess.

Kusturica is looking back in tran­ quillity on a strange political vacuum caused by Josip Broz Tito’s break with Stalin: the party faithful were hovering on a tight-rope, debating, in effect, how many apparatchiks could dance on the point of a needle. There is only one piece of barbed political satire in the film: as Mesha’s social rehabilitation is almost complete, the question arises whether he believes that Tito leads

the party, or the party Tito. “ The party is Tito,” says Mesha, remem­ bering his lines. Then he goes back to his family, his long-suffering wife, and his whoring.

When Father Was Away On Business is the work of a poetic realist, a visionary. But every foot of its 144 minutes is planted firmly on the soil of common humanity, it is intelligent, perceptive, robust and funny — the sort of film that makes a strong, immediate impression and

Father and son: Miki Manojlovic and Moreno de Bartolli in W hen

then matures in the memory.

Harvey Mitchell

When Father Was Away On Busi­ ness: Directed by Emir Kusturica.

Executive producer: Mirza Pasic.

Screenplay: Abdulah Sidran. Director of photography: Vilko Filac. Music: Zoran Simjanovic. Editor: Andrija Zafranovic. Cast: Moreno de Bartolli (Malik), Miki Manojlovic (Mesha), Mirjana Karanovic (Senija), Mustafa Nadarevic (Zijo), Mira Furlan (Ankica), Davor Dujmovic (Mirza). Production company: Forum Film, Sarajevo.

Distributor: Hoyts. 35mm. 144 minutes.

Yugoslavia. 1985.

Father was A w ay on Business.

WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS

CINEMA PAPERS July — 49

Stone boy: Robert Culp as Mclnally with the eponymous stone in The Blue Lightning.

Rubbishing the stone Like the real thing, the aptly-titled The Blue Lightning looks pretty, engenders much accompanying noise and amounts to little more than hot air.

It is a romantic thriller. Fine. So was North by Northwest. And Romancing the Stone. Great. The collective heart of Roadshow, Coote and Carroll was no doubt in the right place during the consultative preproduction period, with good intentions in abundance. Yet good in te n tio n s have an a la rm in g tendency to fall by the wayside in the mad scramble for the elusive — in this case, the Yankee — dollar.

Anyway, there’s this opal, the ’Blue Lightning’, and everybody (as usual) wants it. Wingate (Sam Elliot), a Californian detective, is hired to retrieve the stone from Australia, where it resides in the evil hands of Mclnally (Robert Culp), the Mister

50 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Big of fly-blown Opal Ridge.

Wingate travels to Oz, purchases a gun (under the Sydney Harbour Bridge — where else?), makes the acquaintance of the glamorous Kate McQueen (Rebecca Gilling), eludes various baddies, mobilizes the militant Aboriginals of Opal Ridge, and despatches Mclnally, winning the girl as an added bonus to his original fee.

Thought-provoking it definitely is not, but it could have worked quite nicely as tongue-in-cheek escapism.

Unfortunately, however, we have the silliest dialogue being intoned with the most fervent intensity by most of the cast. As early as the film’s prologue, the arch-villain Mclnally has the local missionary strung up on a ghost-gum, from where the unfortunate victim screams out the im m ortal line: "T h e dam ned dingos’ll eat me alive!” At this crucial point, one knows — unshakeably, irrefutably — that The Blue Lightning is in deep trouble.

The writer is William Kelley. Is this the same William Kelley who part-

wrote the screenplay for the hugely successful Witness? Unless there Is another William Kelley who hails from Balmain, the answer must be a crushing, expectation-shattering yes.

Whatever grand concept Kelley envisaged in his initial draft is nowhere visible in what we see on the tube. Sam Elliot and Robert Culp struggle to wring some life out of their respective good guy/bad guy roles. At least they try to inject some humour into the script.

What characterization exists is cliched and superficial. Wingate is an American, therefore he’s pushy; Mclnally is ex-IRA, so naturally he’s an unscrupulous, unrepentant killer.

The town doctor is (you've guessed it) a drunk.

None of the characters has any inner life — none of the quirks or idiosyncracies which make even archetypal cut-outs like Indiana Jones and Superman recognisably human. All we are told about Wingate, for example, is (a) he’s a Yank; (b) he has a yacht; (c) he’s been married; (d) he has Apache blood.

Mclnally’s background is even more ectoplasmic: he’s Irish, he’s IRA and he’s killed 56 men. Motiva­ tion? There is none. Saving graces?

Who knows. That’s not the concern of the film, anyway. The rule of thumb appears to be: shoot plenty of scenic footage and keep things moving. If it makes no sense just keep blowing things up and no one will notice.

Thus, we have an endless succes­ sion of explosions, gunfights, fistfights, car chases, plane crashes, not forgetting that hardy old peren­ nial, the Snake in the Cupboard. All this sound and fury might have been acceptable if it had been staged with flair and imagination. Director Lee Phillips, however, manages to fill the film with almost non-stop action without creating any real suspense.

And credibility gaps abound. At one stage, for instance, Wingate and Kate run up and down an airfield looking for a spare plane to escape in — assuming, no doubt, that they’ll eventually come across one with the keys still in it. But then, Blue Light­ ning exists in a world where such goings-on appear to be the norm.

Tony Drouyn

The Blue Lightning: Directed by Lee Philips. Producer: Ross Matthews.

Executive producers: Alan Sloan, Greg Coote and Matt Carroll. Screenplay: W illia m K e lle y . D ir e c t o r o f p h o to g ra p h y : G eo ff Sim pson.

Production designer: Chris Breckwoldt.

Sound recordist: Tim Lloyd. Editor: Ted Otton. Stunt co-ordinator: Glen Boswell. Cast: Sam Elliot (Harry Wingate), Rebecca Gilling (Kate McQueen), Robert Culp (Mclnally), John Meillon (Dr Giles), Robert Coleby (Trowbridge), Max Phipps (Cathcart).

Production company: Roadshow, Coote and Carroll, for CBS and Seven Network. First broadcast in Australia: Seven Network, 2 June 1986. 35mm. 2 television hours. Australia. 1986.

A corner in wheat Australian history has often been marked by the gap between the restrictions of the suburbs and the endless vistas of the bush. The dis­ junction between these two aspects of Australian life, however, has rarely been adequately dealt with on tele­ vision or film.

Part of the explanation is that no resolution of the problem has been produced. Certainly, books and articles have considered it in detail.

But films, it seems, have not bothered to work through the same process, and Australian film has suffered as a result.

In a sense, the urban and rural aspects of Australia are like magnets. At one end, they are attracted to each other, while at the other they are opposed. The same could be said for the representation and fictionalization of the bush-andcity relationship on the Australian screen.

Ian Pringle’s The Plains of Heaven (1982) incorporated some excellent camerawork, in the scenes where Richard Moir came to Melbourne from his haven in the Victorian Alps.

The distortion experienced by Moir as he looked out across Mel­ bourne's wet streets, said more about the city/bush conflict than The Man from Snowy River ever did.

While Stock Squad may not deal fully enough with the city/bush con­ flict, it is nevertheless inherent in its structure. The story starts with the discovery, in a field near the small New South Wales town of Mirabee of a body. The dead man is farmer and property-owner, Jim Marshall, father o' Caroline and Andy Marshall (Kris McQuade and Jay Hacked), whose neighbour and close family friend is a man whose interests have turned from growing grain to the futures market. So. too. have those of his friends, whose hands move as auickly over computer keyboards as they once did over a tractor’s engine. . ' Just as the investigations into the murder begin, a member of the citybased Stock Squad arrives in the quiet town. Detective Ric Santana (Martin Sacks) wants to know what has happened to 2,000 tonnes of sorghum. It has disappeared from a government silo somewhere, and the government and the police want to know why.

The death of Jim Marshall is, of course, linked to the shortage of sorghum. Finding out why, and who is involved, is another story how­ ever, and Santana, the young, university-educated detective, will not give up.

In contrast, the senior local police­ man, Ken Ritchie (Gerard Kennedy), is an ineffectual uniformed copper who, it appears, has made a mess of his life by receiving bribes in the past. Detective Santana is part of that past.

But Santana is also part of the new breed of city cop. Them ethos is not one of passivity, as ‘the boys’ get on with life and a bit of fun. Rather, the new breed of copper intervenes.

This intervention does not suit the bush, being part of the larger conflict

between it and the city — except, in this case, Santana was raised in the bush, himself,;' and knows4the clues which will allow him to feel at home in Mirabee and get the local people o ffs id e . The two dogs that travel with him are one clue to his past The ease with which he befriends and understands the country people is another, * 'Wheffljthe Marshall's’ "neighbour arrives at,The scene of the' final 'shoot-out; he still appears to be the rich landowner dabbling on the, & " stock-and-crop futures market. But ,-his interest in the^market has, in fact, kled/Jtirfi to be the organizer of the -5 group stealing and selling the grain.

It was to be- a special consignment, l i r ' ( bound for Saudi Arabia.

All. this is revealed in the closing j|? K stages of the .-film. Up until then,- it has .beeEa well-kept secret, and its revelation helps' to reinforce the | § | t , . point that the bush can no longer be Ifv seen as removed from the concerns f-:iio i^ e itv - life:" city'business now runs ¡IP codptry life, and the m ythology,of |[? * the innocence of the Australian bush isJbeing left behind. m?

Perhaps the best -aspect of Stdck ■Bfr* ' 'Squad is.thaf it does not rely totally On' ‘thriller5" approach to story||if telijogdfistead, .it attempts to identify W-some of the larger issues involved inA modern Australian society, using the * city/bush conflict as a base And / director Howard Ruble exercises ' sound control, not overdramatizing The ’materidlfto the detriment of the issues.

Not all reviewers seem to have respected this approach however Jane Sullivan writing in the Age Green Guide on 15 May, thought that the film needed a bit more sex and violence Stock Squad is as , y flat as the wheat country landscape feft and --is m um *u i i .* lirn in u ' i i li d city

Dot Dot Dot

Beating about the bush: Martin Sacks as Detective Ric Santana in Stock Squad. streets any'iday. ” The ignoraric'e implicit in these comments is disturbing, but.'also ’ (jeyealing: the mythology of the sinful city and the pure bush, with 'its second-class citizenship, are,fall apparent.

Stock Squad is* a lot better than 'Sullivan implies- (it heralds new possibilities for Australian teledrama, in the way in which it deals with some of the bigger issues in Austra­ lian' society and still comes out spoiling.

It could, however, have benefited from a better visual ’look’ and have made more dramatic use of-the out­ back landscape, since it is here that some of-the secrets of the city/bush conflict are to be,found. (The city person’s deepest fear's may be of .the great ’dead heart’ of this island continent. But a .mature' Australian film industry could take us to the heart-of this fear- and reveal a living world.

If it is fair to judge a film made for children on its ability to draw an adult into its fantasy world, Dot and Keeto is not a success. The plot’s allusion to Alice in Wonderland — Dot eats a red root, momentarily increases in size, and then shrinks — only serves to remind this reviewer of what a great story Lewis Carroll’s was. Nor does Dot and Keeto live up to memories of my grandmother reading Ethel Pedley’s classic, Dot and the Kangaroo.

However, the fact that this is the seventh Dot film, and that this is the tenth year of their production at the Yoram Gross studio, suggests children do enjoy these films. It could be, then, that Dot and Keeto is not the most enchanting example of the series.

The film’s device of overlaying animation on photography is tech­ nically impressive, but not par­ ticularly effective in creating a believ­ able fantasy world. It does, however, allow superb wildlife footage to be included, in which the activities of insects and microscopic water creatures are documented.

The plot is an episodic account of Dot’s experiences when she shrinks and becomes part of the insect world. First of all, cockroaches threaten to eat her. Then, she. meets Keeto the mosquito and Butterwalk the caterpillar (“ We caterpillars have really small brains and can only do one thing at a time’’).

The action steps up when Dot is

kidnapped by some ants and made a prisoner of war. After Butterwalk and Keeto save her, she meets a d ra g o n fly , R e ve re n d A tla n tis Pedantis the praying mantis (my favourite), and a Scottish bagworm.

An evil mother wasp tries to feed Dot to her babies. Finally, a cicada and several spiders later, Kangaroo finds Dot and gives her some restorative green root.

Veiled gestures toward contem­ porary issues are made. The most obvious is when Keeto and Dot first meet. Dot squirms uncomfortably as he hugs her, and says: “ Would you please not do that?” “ Why not,” queries Keeto, “ I’m loveable.” “ It worries me,” asserts Dot, perhaps alluding to the campaign in comic strips and on television to make children feel more comfortable about rejecting physical contact which makes them uncomfortable.

Later, however, Keeto and Dot become great mates, so thé point is lost. In another amusing moment, a minor contribution is made to the Blainey debate, when a grasshopper with an Asian accent calls Dot “ a weirdo moving into the neighbour­ hood” .

The best things in Dot and Keeto are the characters Dot meets along the way. Different insects come to represent different human qualities, with varying success. The cock­ roaches croon “ We have feelings, too” , before beating each other up;

A Sting of a different colour: Dot shies away from the embrace of the loveable mosquito in Yoram Gross’s Dot and Keeto. p

Maircus Breen

Stock Squad. Directed by Howard Ruble. Producer,: Torn Jeffrey. Execu­ tive producer Gene Scott Asspciate producer, Brian Chirlian ScreenplayHugh ‘Stuckey, based on an original id,ea by John Shaw. Director of photo­ graphy Ross Berryman. Art director Ian'Alien. Editor: Bob Cogger. Soundrecordist. Lloyd Coleman. Cast: Martin Sacks (Rie Santana),.Gerard,Kennedy, (ken Ritcliief Kris' McQuade (Caroline Marshall) Richard Meikle (McCabe) c/a.y Hackett (Andy Marshall), * Michael ■p’Neill >(Mclntyre) Production com­ pany: «Independent Productions. 'First,, broadcast TCN9 Sydney 30 April 1986 16mm 2 television hours Australia 1986

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Keeto buzzes along in flamboyant, high-camp style; the ants are soldiers; and the queen ant sings the blues. A dragonfly is likewise an aeroplane pilot, and the praying mantis a Southern preacher who keeps giving in to the temptation to eat all who cross his path.

In fact, most of the insects want to eat Dot (could this be a Freudian exploration of infantile sexuality?).

The cockroaches want to “ nibble her ear” , Butterwalk thinks she looks “ delicious” and the wasp tries to feed Dot live to her babies.

There is also an obsession with mothers and babies throughout the film. Dot’s mother nearly vacuums her up, and the mother wasp sings “ Breakfast for my babies!” as she seals Dot into her nest. Dot and Keeto even ride a slug to the nursery patch where the caterpillars lay their eggs.

Underlying all this is a fairly conventional emphasis on the split between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mothers, common in fairytales. The kangaroo is a warm and loving maternal figure, while the wasp is a kind of evil stepmother. On an aesthetic level, however, this thematic concern allows producer/director Yoram Gross to use some fascinating footage of caterpillars, ants and spiders laying their eggs.

It is not always clear what agegroup Dot and Keeto Is aiming at.

The simplified animation and the episodic narrative structure, which allows a lot of entertaining snippets to be joined loosely together by Dot’s quest for the green root, suggest the film is for three- to sixyear-olds. However, characters in the story rely on a range of complex associations for their humour, like the overworked ant who dances and sings about joining the private sector. Children who enjoy these sorts of references will probably be bored by other aspects of the film.

K eith S co tt c o m m a n d s an impressive variety of voices and accents. Robyn Moore also has a fairly wide range, though she relies too often on sounding like an upperclass Dame. Her voice is fine as Dot, but sits uneasily on the young actress who plays Dot before she shrinks into animation.

To an adult viewer, at least, Dot and Keeto moves uneasily between fantasy and nature documentary, film and animation; and it has a few unsettling and confused sexual and political undertones. The assump­ tions the film seems to make about viewers’ concentration spans and cultural awareness also fluctuate.

Presumably, though, the thousands of kids throughout the world who have enjoyed the Dot films will rem ain u n p e rtu rb e d by such criticisms.

Sophie Cunningham

and Keeto: Produced and directed by Yoram Gross. Associate producer: Sandra Gross. Director of animation: Ray Nowland. Screenplay: John Palmer. Director of photography: Graham Sharp. Voices: Keith Scott, Robyn Moore. Production company: Yoram Gross Film Studio. Distributor: Hoyts. 35mm. 75 minutes. Australia.

1986.

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The parakeet connection Filmed in Nhulunbuy in Arnhem Land, Banduk approaches child­ ren’s filmmaking in a way that is both logical and courageous. In the medium of film, every picture tells a story; but it takes real courage to make a film in which all the dialogue is abandoned in favour of the imagery (calling Garry McDonald an idiot is irresistible in any language, and doesn’t count).

The result is a story which should be available to all children, whatever their native language or linguistic skills: Australian children of all back­ grounds, as well as children throughout the world, can get a lesson in how others live, while watching a simple adventure movie.

The villains, played by McDonald and Jone Winchester, are the only members of the cast to come from the South.

The local cast gives us glimpses of the lives of hunters and gatherers in paradise. But, in case we should be left with the impression so frequently given by the wide-eyed makers of documentaries, the incursions of the modern world are never denied — and never cease to jar.

The story, written by Jim Badger,

involves an Aboriginal girl and boy who realise that the ‘friendly’ pro­ prietors of the local ice-cream truck are in fact smuggling native animals out of the country, including the redcollared parakeet, which is sacred to the local people. The sub-plot involves the children’s love of music, and their attempts to raise money to finance musical instruments for their band.

But does it work? The answer has to be: not quite. The story is compre­ hensible, but lacks tension and cohesion. The sequence of events is strongly episodic, leaving the im­ pression that the director, Di Drew, while giving us some shots of life in Arnhem Land, is frightened of leaving the story line for fear of losing the story altogether. The result is a staccato production, lacking in both pace and variety of pace.

The Aboriginal children give occa­ sional evidence of charm, but for the most part drift through the story with the air of those willing to play the white man’s games but not about to waste enthusiasm on them. The chase (all the best children’s films have a chase) is a sad flop: Garry McDonald is sent trotting into the sea, there is no slapstick, and not a single skidding car or truck.

So, when the end comes and the liberated birds fly triumphantly up into the sky, there is no sense of the

Happy tunes: the Marika kids with their improvised instruments in Di Drew’s ‘silent movie’, Banduk. satisfying exhaustion which results from fast-paced near misses — just a rather limp feeling that justice has prevailed, so we can all go home.

B a n d u k ’ s p ro d u c e r, P enny Spence, has already taken the prestigious ‘Prix Jeunesse’ for Danny’s Egg, her last production.

Maybe this one will be successful, too. It is certainly a courageous effort, and one worthy of examina­ tion by all those who think you cannot tell a story without words.

Sarah Guest

Banduk: Directed by Di Drew. Pro­ ducer: Penelope Spence. Screenplay: James Badger. Director of photo­ graphy: Stephen Dobson. Art director: Andrew Blaxland. Musical director: Geoff Harvey. Editor: Don Saunders.

Sound recordist: Ken Hammond.

Aboriginal consultant: Banduk Marika.

Cast: Bayulma Marika (Banduk), Garry McDonald (Mr Kool), Jone Winchester (Mrs Kool), Yalumul Marika (Yalumul), Roy Marika (Grandad), Gurumin Marika (Father), Banduk Marika (Aunt), Tommy Munyurran (Police aide). Pro­ duction company: Nine Network.

16mm. Australia. 1985. fa

Julien Temple’s Absolute Begin­ ners (Roadshow) is a grandiose, almost non-narrative recreation of London In 1958, when teenage power purportedly hit England.

Colin (Eddie O’Connell) photo­ graphs the beginnings of Swinging London and the discovery of his teenage, fashion-designer girlfriend, Suzette (Patsy Kensit). Suzette — Suze — falls into the clutches of a couturier called Henley (James Fox).

And David Bowie is a speculator with a sinister plan to redevelop W.11 — Notting Hill — using thugs to relocate the black residents.

A long opening take follows Colin through the streets of a splendid studio Soho, vibrant with dance, characters and colours: and the film progresses in slabs of dazzlingly conceived musical sequences.

A cafe scene in which Suze tells Colin her plans for success becomes a finger-snapping, Peggy Lee-ish number, ’Having it AH’, lit in vivid yellow. Ray Davies's song, ‘Quiet Life’, is staged in a two-storey cut­ away house set, which the camera probes, filling each corner of the scope frame.

It could, in fact, have been a masterpiece, if its effort and imagina­ tion had been welded, not neces­ sarily to more narrative, but perhaps to a more charismatic pair of central performers. And the theme of racial violence seems grafted on, almost irrelevantly, to dominate the finale of what began as a celebration of youthful confidence.

Dissatisfactions aside, though, an ambitious failure — like Absolute Beginners — is usually worth more than a dozen dull successes.

Sleeping Beauty in 1959), Dolby sound and an ‘Animation Photo­ graphic Transfer’ system.

All this, it seems, to scare the hell out of children.

Narrowly confined within the endemic Disney boundaries of extreme good and extreme evil, The Black Cauldron unfolds the plight of a daydreaming farmboy trying to prevent the Horned King from spreading darkness throughout the land.

Winking incessantly in the direc­ tion of fantasies like Star Wars and the sword-and-sorcery genre, it almost succeeds in making us forget the spirit and charm of the Disney of yesteryear.

Teeming with gross violence and often vulgar stereotypes, The Black Cauldron rarely entertains and never enchants. And, in spite of amusing characters like a psychic pig and assorted faerie folk, it manages mostly to create a sinister atmo­ sphere where everything is gloomy, lugubrious and reeking of death.

Norbert Noyaux

Mark Spratt

Strung out: Gurgi and the minstrel Fflewddur Flam in The Black Cauldron.

There are times in George Lautner’s

La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding (Fox-Columbia) when we

Teeth o f crime: Patsy Kensit and David Bowie in Absolute Beginners.

The

Black

Cauldron

(Greater Union), the eighteenth Disney ani­ mated feature, is the latest effort by the studio to revitalize the tradition of the great animation films, via supposedly ‘appropriate’ modifica­ tions to bring them into line with the tastes of a more sophisticated audi­ ence' brought up on intergalactic wars.

Adapted from the five books of Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain) a n d sketchily directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich, it has involved four years’ work by ove r 200 ^ p e o p le , 2 ,5 1 9 ,2 0 0 drawings, the latest video and com­ puter equipment, the 70mm format (used for the first „time since The

tend to forget that its main charac­ ters once belonged to Jean Poiret’s highly diverting and touching play.

In this third rehash of a well and truly exhausted idea, all wit and energy have disappeared, with the characters showing heavy signs of fatigue. This time, the story revolves around a huge fortune left to Zaza (Michel Serrault) by his recently defunct aunt. However, in order to inherit the money, Zaza needs to get married and produce a child within eighteen months.

The story thus starts rather well, and the first few minutes are not without humour (Zaza obliged to wear a three-piece suit, explaining the use of lipstick and mascara to a dumbfounded policeman).

But, once the plot is established, the film quickly runs out of breath, revealing the flatness of Lautner’s direction and a pervasive lack of motivation and ingenuity.

Despite the immense talent of Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi, who really have to display all their resources as comedians to save it, La Cage aux Folles 3 succeeds in. sustaining only a minimum of interest.

Hopefully, the mediocrity of the film will m ^ e it sufficiently, un­

popular for the producers to be dis­ couraged from developing further episodes.

Norbert Noyaux

Skirting the issue: Michel Serrault (besuited) in La Cage aux Folles 3 .

You can’t help wondering whether such well known names as Peter O’Toole, Mariel Hemingway, Vincent Spano and David Ogden Stiers would have agreed to act in Creator (CEL) if Reuben, Reuben hadn’t been so successful.

Adapted from a book of the same name, Creator (creator, creator!) is a pretty picture about personal crises in New England academia. Like its prototype, this film imbues all human pain and failing with a handsome nobility — and is less credible for it.

O’Toole plays Harry Wolper, an eccentric Nobel Laureate biologist who has saved some of the tissue of his dead wife and is determined to bring her back to life. He takes an eager freshman named Boris (Vin­ cent Spano) as his assistant, and they become like father and son.

Harry falls in love with a beautiful young woman (Mariel Hemingway), Boris in turn falls in love with another student, and an unbelievably happy ending ensues. Although the script­ writers are partly to blame, director Ivan Passer (Cutter’s Way, 1981) must share the responsibility for leaving these relationships halfbaked.

He is not helped by the perform­ ances. Apart from Spano, who makes an a p p e a lin g co lle g e romantic, there is not much vitality in Creator. O’Toole’s wistful wisdom is transparent. He inspires little affec­ tion, as does Hemingway, who is just too nubile to be true.

As a couple they are inauthentic, and so is the film.

Michael Visontay

Age shall not wither: Peter O'Toole and Mariel Hemingway in Creator.

Vaguely inspired by events on the 1982 French political scene, La Crime (Cover-Up, New Vision) is a disappointing reworking of the policier genre, with its corrupt high society, implicated government officials, petty criminals, and a cormplexed and bitter cop who will bring out truth and justice in the end.

Moreover, to see Philippe Labro’s signature firmly implanted on such a pale imitation makes La Crime a double disappointment.

The plot concerns the investiga­ tion oil a prominent attorney’s murder by police chief Griffon (Claude Brasseur,cruelly grimed a la Columbo). The brave commissioner eventually realises that everyone, from respected political figures to naughty call-girls, is involved in a major cover-up that he, in what seems to take an eternity, will unmask.

In a film where the characters are all but non-existent, the real victims of La Crime are its two female leads: Dayle Haddon (playing an American call-girl) and Gabrielle Lazure (a trendy reporter from Libération).

Both are reduced to wallpaper status, with total disregard for their talent.

The one with the heart of gold but a reproachable past is sadistically burned to death, while the petitebourgeoise journalist is taught the realities of life (and seduced) by the man she loves.

Riddled with these kinds of stereo­ types, La Crime makes the unforgiv­ able mistake of never for a moment believing in its fiction and thus ends up convincing no one.

Norbert Noyaux

Partially sighted: Claude Brasseur as the determined cop in La Crime.

Grunt — The Wrestling Movie (Roadshow) is as painful an ordealby-celluloid as its title suggests: a bizarre and pointless parody-of-aparody, destined for some cinema Hall of Infamy.

The opening sequence — a mock newsreel detailing the film’s raison d'etre — is grotesquely amusing, suggesting a surreal send-up of commercial wrestling’s abundant excesses. W hen S ku llcru sh e r Johnson has his head (literally) kicked off by Mad Dog Joe di Curso, one can't help smiling at the absurdity of the notion. Alas, what follows is a picaresque Cook’s Tour of sideshow alley, with heavy emphasis on the freak display.

A plot of sorts (as a Z-grade Laurei and Hardy strive to uncover the ►

CINEMA PARERS July — 53

identity of a masked newcomer to the circuit, who may or may not be the one-time decapitator) serves as little more than breathing space between prolonged bouts of Tomand-Jerry thuggery.

Grunt is an ill-conceived patchwork of unfunny humour, un­ pleasant action and unendurable boredom — a brainless Franken­ stein’s monster into which director Alan Holzman can’t or won’t breathe sense or life.

Tony Drouyn

One of the less demanding intellec­ tual exercises of late has been reading the ideological tea-leaves left behind by American action movies (though I can’t see why it should come as such a constant sur­ prise to reviewers that the answer turns out to be right-wing).

Iron Eagle (Fox-Columbia) is a cinch in this respect. The father (Tim Thomerson)ofitsteenagehero(Jason Gedrick) is shot down while on a ‘free­ dom’ flight over a disputed stretch of territorial water. Young Doug, despairing of official attempts to rescue his dad or even negotiate his release, ‘borrows’ a long-range jet, flies in, finds dad, and flies out again.

The place he rescues dad from is not, of course, named — it is merely described, with that cosmopolitan generosity for which middle America is famous, as a "shitty little country” — but there is the odd clue: it is on the Mediterranean, due south of Italy; a lot of it is desert; and it is run by a crazed fundamentalist Muslim with the rank of colonel.

Iron Eagle uses politics the way Woody Allen uses sex: as a source of reliable one-liners. Example: the parallel with the Iranian hostage rescue fiasco is dismissed with the line: "M r Peanut was in charge then.

Now we got this guy in the Oval Office who don’t take no shit.”

Iron Eagle, directed by Sidney J. Furie with lots of close-ups of pilots’ helmets, don’t take no shit either.

But, beneath it all, it’s just an average, rather traditional, strongly sentimental military hardware movie with a rock score. Deep down, it really wants to be liked.

Tough.

Nick Roddick

Giving skin for Uncle Sam: Jason Ged­ rick and Louis Gossett Jr. in Iron Eagle.

Uncharacteristically strong subject material for Walt Disney Productions (as opposed to the company’s som ewhat m ore adult-oriented

54 — July CINEMA PAPERS

subsidiary, Touchstone Films), The Journey of Natty Gann (FoxColumbia) uses the Depression as a backdrop for what might otherwise have been a standard girl-andanimal-in-the-wilds adventure.

Period detail is painstakingly re­ created, to the extent that the film visually resembles a big-budget ver­ sion of Strikebound or Emperor of the North, with unforgettable images of labour riots — in Chicago in 1935 — and of hobos riding the rails.

The break with the standard Disney formula extends to a scene incorporating a violent dogfight between a dog and a wolf, with the latter emerging a murderous victor.

Director Jeremy Kagan (The Big Fix, The Chosen) soft-pedals the romanticism, with the help of James Horner’s unobtrusive score and Paul Sylbert’s exemplary production design.

The Journey of Natty Gann is also a film of unusually strong perform­ ances, in which special mention should be made of the leads, Mere­ dith Salenger in the title role and John Cusack (The Sure Thing) as Harvey Slade, who joins up with her and the wolf on what becomes an odyssey, before Natty is finally reunited with her father (Ray Wise), now working as a lumberjack in Washington.

love with one of her fellow students (Clayton Rohner), a real man who fights for her and drives her away into the sunset at the end. While waiting for the obvious conclusion, we have to undergo innumerable sexist jokes and a considerable amount of ’hum our’ revolving around locker rooms and male toilets.

All possible undertones of homo­ sexuality are carefully avoided and, at the end, sexual stereotypes are conventionally re-established and reinforced, so that the audience can go safely home.

Norbert Noyaux

Paul Harris

Girl talk: Sherilyn Fenn comes on to Joyce Hyser in Just One o f the Guys.

Journey’s end: Ray Wise and Meredith Salenger in The Journey o f Natty Gann.

Poor Youth! How many crimes are yet to be committed in your name?

Standing trial this time is Just One of the Guys (Fox-Columbia), the latest teenage sex flick thrown to sexually starved adolescents during the holiday break.

Directed by Lisa Gottlieb, it is mostly noticeable for its lack of direc­ tion, and for almost destroying our hope that a teenage film not directed by one of the guys could at least prove interesting and different.

Thank heavens for Martha Coolidge and Amy Heckerling!

The screenplay (by Dennis Feld­ man and Jeff Franklin) is a poor excuse for celebrating male sexual behaviour and glorifying machismo.

In a travesty of Yentl, a female high school student (Joyce Hyser) denies gender and long hair to become one of the guys. Her point: becoming a man will help her to be respected as a woman.

But (surprise, surprise), she falls in

If newspapers have their ‘silly seasons’, then cinemas experience something very similar round about holiday time. The result is films like King Solomon’s Mines (Hoyts).

It is hard to believe that anyone is going to be either convinced or entertained by J. Lee Thompson’s version of the Rider Haggard story, which muffs its frequent attempts to go over the top, a la Raiders or Romancing the Stone, because of a fatal uncertainty as to precisely where the top lies.

Richard Chamberlain water-skiing on the rails after being kicked off the back of a train is a promising try, ruined only by poor blue-screen work; but Herbert Lorn mowing down half a dozen of his soldiers to provide himself with stepping stones through quicksand rather strains the bounds of acceptable villainy.

One’s objections to King Solo­ mon's Mines cannot really be moral,

Into Africa: Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone in King Solom on’s Mines.

though, since the film defies normal moral criteria (as it does, moreover, those of racism, sexism or environ­ mental concern).

It is an inept, non-stop action movie, with stunts, thousands of (black) extras and a very Jerry Gold­ smith score. It stars Richard Chamberlain (who, at 50, is begin­ ning to take on something of a Dorian Gray aura), and Sharon Stone, whose skill at speaking while constantly grinning should not be underestimated, and whose shorts grow shorter and shorter as the movie progresses.

Nick Roddick

Proposing the bargain of the century, a real estate agent in The Money Pit (UIP) glosses over the question of the house’s previous occupant. "You get to capitalize on a fellow human being’s misfortune,” he says. "That’s the basis of real estate.”

That line has an edge disastrously missing from the rest of The Money Pit, which is (one hopes) the worst major American comedy of the year.

It is the story of a young couple (Tom Hanks and Shelley Long), who buy a rickety colonial mansion and undergo a year of misery as they try to have it restored, repaired or just stopped from collapsing.

The idea, which plays on the fundamental middle-class fear of being fooled by a tradesperson (in The Money Pit, the carpenter drives a Ferrari, the plumber a Cadillac) is reasonably promising. But the execution is woeful: the film is bereft

House hunted: Shelley Long and Tom Hanks in T he M on ey Pit. of character development, devoid of dramatic interest and almost entirely lacking in timing.

Joke after joke fails for want of the simplest attention to pacing, and an almost incredible failure to realise that slapstick is the hardest, not the simplest, form of screen humour.

Inevitably, The Money Pit recalls its producer, Steven Spielberg’s, only other foray into comedy, 1941, which displayed a similar belief that comic effect was a matter of accumulation. But at least some of 1941 worked. The Money Pit, with somnambulist performances by the leads under Richard Benjamin’s leaden direction, is one of those wastes of money and talent that the 'new Hollywood’ was supposed to have superseded.

Nick Roddick

Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (7 Keys) picks up from the original movie, which had a dead child murderer, Freddy Krueger, enter the dreams of suburban American teenagers.

The sequel takes the theme one step further. Freddy Krueger — played with sinister malice by Robert Englund, giving us one of the great cinema villains — actually takes over the body of teenage hero Jesse, and, in doing so, uses him to start killing again.

The sequel achieves its aim in scaring teenage audiences, but there are no surprises: director Jack Sholder is not yet in the same league as Wes Craven, director of the original. The narrative lapses into repetition and contrivance, the camera-work is adequate only and the performances are dull.

Lead actor Mark Patton has a fine body (like so many American teen­ age m ales, his c h a ra c te r is delineated through sport, sex and the inability to communicate with his parents), but spends too much time looking sullen, and finally fails to convince with his growing terror at the incredible situation.

In its Australian release version, the film is heavily and very clumsily censored (in one scene, three separate reaction shots have been simply tacked on to each other) to get its M certificate.

ordinary punks: they are the ‘Nomads’ of the title — evil, wander­ ing spirits who exact a terrible revenge on any human being crossing their path. Like vampires, they can’t be photographed, but can assume a variety of human forms.

One of the film’s most startling moments comes when one of them suddenly appears as an elderly nun.

As a horror film, Nomads under­ plays the shocks to good effect: Mc­ Tiernan knows what to reveal and what not to reveal; and, as a result, this first feature is perhaps the most in te restin g de b u t since John Carpenter.

The only real flaw is the somewhat wooden performance by Pierce Brosnan as the Frenchman. The two women, on the other hand, are excellent. And there’s also an aptly chilling cameo from none other than Adam Ant as one of the evil nomads.

The fact that the female is the predator is the key to the limited charm of Once Bitten, which scores mainly by its knowing nods in the direction of both genres, and the relative complexity of its male central character. Director Howard Storm also makes the most, with a good sense of timing, of the comic possi­ bilities of the screenplay (lines like “ Did you get up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning?’’ are mercifully few).

Footnote for local audiences: in a bookshop Robin visits for a book on vampirism, the relevant section has two clearly displayed signs. One says ’O ccult’; the other says ‘Australia’.

David Stratton

(Roadshow) is that it has no preten­ sions: it knows exactly what it wants to be.

Ongoing producer Paul Maslansky forge ts storyline , forge ts comedic conflict/tension, forgets wit, style and intelligence, trades in characterization for caricature, and crams as much episodic zaniness and slapstick sight-gags into as short a time (barely 80 minutes) as he can get away with.

Funnily enough, it almost works, though what could have been a big hoot has ended up being merely a little hoot. The eclectic bunch of mostly one-dimensional clowns assembled in the movie do have a certain flagrant charm and there are some nicely crass moments. There is even an occasional heart-warming absurdity that brings spontaneous

Tony Cavanaugh

Tracked by time bandits: Lesley-Anne Down in Nomads.

Losingface: Robert Englund as Freddy in Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2.

A psychic thriller written and directed by John McTiernan with a pleasingly ironic sense of humour and some genuinely offbeat ideas, Nomads (Roadshow) is several cuts above the average.

Set in a mysteriously photograph­ ed L.A., the film stars Lesley-Anne Down as a nurse placed in charge of a seriously disturbed patient, a Frenchman, who, just before he dies, unexpectedly bites her on the neck.

Before long, Down starts hallu­ cinating: she has been vampirized in a uniquely different way, and now starts to see life through the eyes of the dead man.

He was, we discover, an anthro­ pologist who, with his wife (played

by Australian actress Anna-Maria Monticelli), has been terrorized by leather-jacketed punks living in the neighbourhood.

These punks, however, are no

It’s hard to spoof a vampire movie, if only because the genre nearly always spoofs itself. Once Bitten (7 Keys) works by taking the subtext in horror movies about transformation — that the changes that take place in the body are a metaphor for puberty and sexual awakening — and placing it in the foreground.

Lauren Hutton plays a 390-yearold Countess — “ 400 if you’re a day,’’ bitches her camp follower, Sebastian (Cleavon Little) — in desperate need of three infusions of virgin blood. She finds two of them in Mark (Jim Carrey), a high school student with an ice-cream van.

At this point, vampire movie crosses w ith tee n a g e sexual initiation flick: Mark is still a virgin, but would prefer not to be. In the end, the Countess is frustrated from getting her third booster when Mark’s girlfriend, Robin (Karen Kopins), greedily robs him of his main attraction.

Jim CarreyandLauren Hutton as the (very much) older woman in Once Bitten.

Yet another teenage movie from Am erica, Real Genius (FoxColumbia) is refreshingly good. Skil­ fully written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Peter Torokve, and well directed by Martha Coolidge, it tells the story of Mitch (Gabe Jarret), a fifteen-year-old scientific genius chosen by TV personality Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton), to join him at the university where he lectures and is conducting a series of laser experiments.

There, Mitch meets up with Chris (Val Kilmer), another (though some­ what less stuffy) scientific genius, aged eighteen.

Nick Roddick

The best thing about Police Academy 3: Back in Training

llfiira;« Ifllp P te »

%.

-

Steve Guttenberg, Georgina Spelvin and Shawn Weatherly in Police Academy 3. audience applause.

The ‘plot’ is, as usual, nice and un­ complicated. Suddenly, there are in­ adequate funds to support the two state-run police academies. One must go. The nice Governor must appoint a jury of elderly arch-con­ servatives of almost sinisterly serious mien to decide which one!

Will it be the dotty (but also nice) Commandant Lassard’s academy, with its recent intake of kooks, weirdos, maniacs and craven wimps? Or that of the sleazy, scheming sycophant, Commandant Mouser, and his platoon of un­ equivocally boring normals?

Police Academy 4 goes into pro­ duction this year.

Brian Jones

Science minors: Gabe Jarrett and Val Kilmer (centre) in Real Genius.

Verbal humour is strong through­ out the film, but equally satisfying are the frequent visual gags. In one p a rtic u la rly g o o d s e q u e n c e , students are gradually replaced by their tape-recorders in a lecture theatre.

Perhaps the most welcome aspects of Real Genius, however, are the gentle anti-authoritarianism and the anti-militaristic themes: Hathaway has been hired to come up with an explosive laser device which can destroy humans from space.

Realising that they have been un­ witting partners In this development of military hardware, Mitch and Chris work to destroy the weapon. Thus its ultimate use in the movie is not for death, but for the enjoyment of child­ ren in the community — and to get back at Hathaway.

In these days of flambo-inspired teenage films, Real Genius gives us all some hope.

Tony Cavanaugh

Rouge Baiser (Red Kiss, Sharmill) invigorates a conventional tale of adolescent turmoil by exploring a girl’s political awakening as well as her sexual development. The film then proceeds, however, to make politics and love irreconcilable opposites, demoting the political theme to the status of means to a predictably romantic end.

The fifteen-year-old Charlotte Valandrey is excellent as Nadia, a precociously political and lusty teen­ ager. Lambert Wilson is appro­ priately sultry as her photographer lover, Stephan.

Stephan meets Nadia when he photographs her as she is being beaten by the police; then he" rescues her. Taking her home, he

CINEMA PAPERS July — 55

sex just do not mix, especially if you meet a sexy right-winger.

Sophie Cunningham

Frame lines: Charlotte Valandrey and Lambert Wilson in R ouge baiser. lays out her unconscious and blood­ stained body for some photos, and only then tends to her injuries. By highlighting the fact that Stephan falls in love through the camera lens, the film seems to be raising some interesting points about the objecti­ fication and idealization of women, within both cinematic and cultural codes. But, by the end of the film, such issues have been subsumed in romance.

The depiction of family life is engaging, and the mother/daughter relationship takes on special interest, since the film is supposedly based on producer/director Vera Belmont’s early experiences, and is dedicated to her mother.

Rouge Baiser would have been far more engaging if it had avoided a predictable conclusion and explored its themes with greater complexity.

As it is, we are left with little more than the conclusion that Stalin and

The sad thing about The Silent One (The Gibson Group) Is that it could have been more than a children’s movie. Based on Joy Cowley’s story of the South Seas, Yvonne Mackay’s film (with a script by Ian Mune) tells of a deaf-mute child, Jonasi (Telo Malase), living on a Polynesian island.

Jonasi is a foundling, mysteriously linked with a great white turtle, a beast of awe and evil portent that swims beyond the reef.

When d r o u g h t and other problems beset the village, the shifty priest (George Henare) drums up superstitious fear, laying the blame on Jonasi. In the end, Jonasi (appar­ ently) returns to the sea, leaving his adoptive mother (Pat Evison) staring fondly in the direction of the reef.

This ending, of course, also vali­ dates the priest’s claims, but he has since been demoted by the village chief and eaten by a shark. The notion that Jonasi is a spirit rather than an innocent victim is never more than hinted at, however.

With this and other more complex issues skated over, the result is a passable action-adventure film, with high production values, good special effects and stunning under­ water photography (by Ron and Valerie Taylor).

The acting is rather uneven (par­ ticularly so in the case of Anzac Wallace, who was so impressive as the vengeful Maori in Utu) and,

though Jonasi’s relationship with the great white turtle is both beautiful and strange, the rest of the film pre­ fers the safer waters of charm and the more familiar emotions.

Nick Roddick

Stake out: John Candy at bay in Volunteers.

Water babies: Telo Malase and the white turtle in The Silent One. Director Nicholas Meyer likes to take on big issues. His answer to Reagan’s Star Wars was Star Trek II (1982), and to the nuclear issue, the melodramatic TV movie, The Day After (1983). With the comedy, Volunteers (Greater Union), it’s American imperialism, but the film backfires as badly as the US space programme.

Rich kid Lawrence Bourne III (Tom Hanks) trades his girlfriend and his Corvette for a friend’s position in the Peace Corps. While the rest of the bunch are intent on demonstrating their altruism to the farthest corners, he simply wants to escape his gambling debts.

He is stationed in a Thai village, where he and the do-gooders of the group get into strife with drug kings, the CIA and communists out to 'brainwash' anything that crosses their path. Everybody, it seems, is on a misguided mission, except the Thais, who smile innocently and come through mysteriously un­ harmed.

From writers Ken Levine and David Isaacs of M *A *S *H , one would expect sharp political satire.

Instead, we get a bland and tedious plot, actors who waste the comic potential of stereotypical roles, and sloppy editing (particularly in the ‘romantic’ scenes with Lawrence and his hard-won girlfriend, Beth Wexler [Rita Wilson]).

Volunteers makes you laugh at the tackiness of the production — it was filmed in Mexico and looks like it — and cringe at the jokes.

Kathy Bail if-

The hook and the film !

Win a free pass to one of the most talked-about films of 1986, Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple . . . and a copy of the novel by Alice Walker on which it is based.

Cinema Papers, in association with Village Roadshow and the Australasian Publishing Company is giving away ten copies of the book and ten double passes to the film.

Just answer these three simple questions: (1) How many Oscar nominations did The Color Purple receive? {¿j now many Oscars did it win?

(3) Who was the first black actor (or actress) to win an Oscar, for what film and in what year?

Send your answers to: Cinema Papers, 644 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, Vic. 3051.

Entries close on 18 July, so get your answers in quickly. The first ten correct answers to be drawn out of the fabled Cinema Papers hat (actually, it’s an old TDK tape box!) will each be sent a copy of the book and a double pass to the film, Priority Paid, on 21 July.

56 — July CINEMA PAPERS

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Republican tendencies LIBERATED CINEMA: THE YUGOSLAV EXPERIENCE by Daniel J. Goulding (Indiana University Press, 1985, ISBN 0-253-14790-5, US$25.00).

THE HISTORY OF YUGOSLAV FILM, 1896-1982 by Petar Volk (Institut za Film, Beograd, 1986).

These two major studies deftly avoid the m onotonous p re d ic ta b ility usually inherent in histories of national cinemas. But then, there is no national cinema in Yugoslavia: it is an amalgam of the film industries of six republics and two autonomous provinces, which reflect the needs of 20 or more minorities speaking almost as many different languages.

A classic o f the Yugoslav ’new cinema’: Dragan Nikolic in Zivojin Pavlovic’s W hen I am D ead and W hite.

The structure of Petar Volk’s The History of Yugoslav Film, 1896-1982 reflects this, dealing with film activity in all the territories that ultimately, in 1945, became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Volk’s goal is to present an encyclopaedic history of cinema of the Yugoslav peoples (in Serbo-Croat). Daniel J. Goulding’s Liberated Cinema: The Yugoslav Experience sets things up quite differently. His breadth and scope is nowhere near as great — he only deals with Yugoslav film since the war of liberation — yet his intensity more than makes up for it.

He analyses his subject in terms of genre and auteur, placing both in a sharp political, sociological and legislative context, though one sometimes wonders whether film is actually the focus of his research.

This is Volk’s twelfth book on the

58 — July CINEMA PAPERS

E

V subject and, though flawed in parts, it will remain what G oulding’s publicists claim his book is: the standard work on Yugoslav film for many years to come. Volk thought­ fully provides a 100-page English synopsis, plus the most exhaustive bibliography ever compiled on the subject.

In their useful analysis of Soviet and Eastern European film, The Most Important Art (University of California Press, 1977), Mira and Antonin Liehm make the outrageous claim that, All efforts at making motion pictures in Yugoslavia before World War Two were purely com­ mercial and of no cultural interest . . . the industry was practically non-existent.

Goulding jumps on their band­ wagon, quoting them verbatim, adding his enthusiastic agreement.

But what Goulding and the Liehms write off, Volk, professor of film history at the University of Bel­ grade, former director of the festival of Yugoslav films and founder of the Belgrade International Film Festival, devotes twelve of his 20-chapter book to covering, from the projec­ tion of the inevitable programme of

Lumière shorts to the inception of the first socialist feature, Slavica, in 1947.

Assem bling the highly frag­ mentary evidence available, The History of Yugoslav Film, 1896-1982 is the culmination of a life’s work in cinema research, and it reconstitutes a vivid, dazzling, and often black picture of Yugoslavia’s cinematic past, throwing light on such master­ pieces as the all-but forgotten Serbian feature debut, Zivot i delo besmrtnog vozda Karadjordje (The Life and Death of the Immortal Karadjordje), directed in 1911 by llija Stanojevic, as well as the more recent but equally obscure work of the film section of the partisan supreme command founded in 1944.

Liberated Cinema: The Yugoslav Experience is certainly the first com­ prehensive analysis of Yugoslav feature films to be produced in English. With academic inscruta­ bility, it provides cogent descriptions and analyses of the most important

! SBÊÊÊË films produced in the last 40 years, taking into account the establish­ ment of a national industry, postwar ‘Zhdanovism’, the ‘new film’ (open cinema), and the ‘black film’ move­ ments of the sixties and early seventies, culminating in a rather skimpy analysis of the newest major force in Yugoslav cinema, the Prague School directors, including Rajko Grlic, Goran Markovic, Goran Paskaljevic, Lordan Zafranovic, Emir Kusturica, and Srdjan Karanovic.

Where Volk rather fails to provide a picture of the vast political and social upheavals going on after World War II, Goulding excels at placing film in the context of debates and struggles that have shaped this small country of 22 million people, throwing light on the masses of contradictions that are presented by the socialist-determined ‘market incentives’, plus the multi-tiered self­ management structures.

By contrast, where Goulding fails to grasp the importance of the actor in Yugoslav film — he doesn’t even name them in his illustrations —Volk’s intimate acquaintance with the major performers of this century affords a broad understanding of Yugoslavia’s repertory company of film actors (who are usually per­ manent theatre employees). The faces of Bata^ Zivojinovic, DaniloBata Stojkovic, Miki Manojlovic, Dragan Nikolic, Zoran Radmilovic, and Milena Dravic have entered into contemporary Yugoslav mythology as icons. But they are also a homo­ geneous group who work for, with, and often because of, each other.

The film industry in Yugoslavia grew out of a theatrical tradition, though neither Goulding nor Volk picks up on this. Vjekoslav Afric, director of the first socialist feature, Slavica, was a theatre director, and had- quite possibly never even laid eyes on a camera before the Russian crews joined the partisans.

S/avfca and the next few films pro­ duced — Na svojoj zemlji (On Their Own Ground, 1948) and Prica o fab­ rici (Story of a Factory, 1949) — are the direct descendants of the scripts used in the partisan theatre units.

And it is no coincidence that Yugo­ slavia’s two leading playwrights of today, Dusan K ovacevic and Gordan Mihic, are also highly successful and respected screen­ writers.

These two ably composed books show how cinema in a small Balkan backwater has been forged into a unique, indigenous artistic force, capable of expressing the disparate cultural and linguistic diversity through films which are founded on profound social, political and artistic commitment.

Goulding sums his book up by saying that Yugoslavia has managed to build a system which suffers from the worst as well as the best features of cinema systems in both east and west.

Volk, on the other hand, makes no bones about the ‘value’ of Yugoslav film. Yet both complement each other nicely, one papering over the cracks that the other leaves behind.

One thing is sure: both have their hearts in the right place.

Mike Downey

The real tinsel THE MOVIE LOVER’S GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD by Richard Alleman (Harper & Row, 1985, ISBN 06-0912840, $21.95).

Richard Alleman has quite an eye.

An experienced travel writer (for American Vogue), Alleman has, in The Movie Lover's Guide to Holly­ wood, put together an affectionate and original book on Los Angeles by sifting through the archaeology and the architecture of the film industry.

Not only does he lead you to ‘must sees’ like the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Bowl: he also func­ tions as a detective, discovering many important historical links to the ghost of motion pictures past.

The book is organized by neigh­ bourhood, with simple maps at the beginning of each chapter to assist the intrepid wanderer in finding the places discussed, a good number of surprisingly clear photographs and, miracle of miracles, walking tours in a city where walking tends to be reserved for the very young (who haven’t yet got a driver's licence) or the very old (who have had it revoked). One can walk in Los Angeles, though: there are paved sidewalks there, just like in other cities. Unlike Alleman, most writers don’t take the trouble to find out where.

About half of the book is devoted to the different sections of Holly­ wood itself, since what may be a state of mind is also an actual place, and movies were once made there.

Its two great boulevards, Hollywood and Sunset, contain fascinating monuments to a town that was built on dreams — though, unfortunately, today’s Hollywood is decidedly down-at-the-heels and most of its dreams are drug induced.

But what former grandeur there was, Alleman finds, as he points out the elegant apartment house where F. Scott Fitzgerald spent his last days; or the Granville, where Marilyn Monroe, Ann Sothern and Janet Gaynor were tenants. He knows which houses were built by Frank Lloyd Wright and his son, the lesserknown Lloyd Wright. At the other end of the scale, he shows us the former buildings of the ‘poverty row’ studios, all located in a section of Hollywood affectionately known as ‘Gower Gulch', because of its loca­ tion on Gower Street, and because of the groups of cowboy-dress extras who used to hang out there.

Alleman describes the lavish picture palaces of Hollywood Boule­ vard: the garish Egyptian Theater, Grauman’s Chinese (now re-named Mann’s Chinese), and that outstand­ ing example of art deco, the Pantages, recently renovated for live theatre. His style is witty, informative and usually accurate, although he does misname a few streets and occasionally stumbles over his facts — for instance, Alice, the popular television sitcom which stars Linda

Lavin, was never taped at CBS City on Beverly Boulevard, but in Burbank.

The other half of the book is devoted to the rest of Los Angeles; and, for this, you do need a car.

Alleman tours the beach towns, the San Fernando Valley, downtown L.A. and the golden ghetto of Beverly Hills. In the latter, one can still see the former homes of Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Greta Garbo, as well as the grandest of all, Pickfair, where Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford reigned as king and queen of Hollywood from 1920 until their divorce in 1936. But, as the workers in the film industry became more affluent, they moved further and further west, until they hit Malibu and had to stop. Out by the ocean, Alleman spots the mansions along the Pacific Coast Highway, once belonging to such Hollywood legends as Louis B. Mayer and Marion Davies.

Alleman also ventures outside of Los Angeles proper and features some of the outdoor sites that were used to make Western films — the Paramount Ranch in Agoura, the Bronson caves in Bronson Park where Tom Mix shot it out with the bad guys. Then there is Will Rogers State Park, where Spencer Tracy and Darryl Zanuck once played polo. Heady stuff? Well, movies are about fantasy and that Alleman supplies in large doses.

If you are planning a trip to Los Angeles and can take only one guide book, don’t take The Movie L o v e r’s G uide to H o lly w o o d , because it won’t tell you where to stay, where to do your laundry or where to get a good cup of coffee.

But if you already know all of this or plan to wing it when you arrive, don’t leave home without it: seeing Los Angeles through Richard Alleman’s eyes will give it, in the words of James Mason (from the 1954 A Star is Born), “ that something extra” .

Joan L. Cohen

Heading for the coast THE MOVING IMAGE: THE HISTORY OF FILM AND TELEVISION IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1896-1985 edited by Tom O ’Regan and Brian Shoesmith (History and Film Association of Australia [WA], 1985, available from Brian Shoesmith, Dept, of Media Studies, WACAE, PO Box 217, Doubleview, WA 6018, ISBN 0-7298-0033-3, $13.00 incl. postage).

The subject of the first film produc­ tion in Western Australia was the 1905 Perth Cup — a horse race, which undoubtedly lacked the intense nationalistic fervour and enormous financial backing integral

to the build-up of the 1987 America’s Cup (needless to say, a yacht race). Already, the miniseries, The Challenge, a dramatized story of the 1983 event, has been produced, and rights to coverage of the next 'challenge' are being eagerly fought over. Film, sport and capital are as intermeshed today as they were, albeit on a different scale, in 1905.

It is surprising to note that, even in 1905, the producers of the film were thinking of the international stage, of marketing it “ for presentation in England and America” . It signifies a confidence in local product that Western Australians don’t appear to have lost.

That, at least, is the impression one gets from reading The Moving Image: The History of Film and Tele­ vision in Western Australia — 1896 to 1985. “ In exploring a regional screen culture . . . we are not being parochial . . .,” the editors insist. “ On the contrary, we believe that, by putting a very small component of an international complex under the microscope, more sense can be made of that complex.”

The text is an attempt to document a region that has been relatively neglected in Australian film writing.

Described as a 'dossier', it is the result of a collective group effort, and was put together rather hurriedly to coincide with an exhibi­ tion and the 3rd History and Film Conference (see Cinema Papers 56, March 1986). It comprises fifteen articles, with an introduction and an afterword. The bibliography is very slim — perhaps another indication of uncharted territory.

Eric Fisher’s account of the intro­ duction of television into Western Australia is a valuable contribution.

His analysis of the manoeuvrings of the executives who controlled the two commercial television stations, TVW-7 and STW-9, contextualizes the more recent struggle for a third commercial TV licence in Perth.

Fisher’s is a thoroughly researched piece that provides Important back­ ground to any discussion about the content of Australian programmes, as well as ownership structures.

Tom O’Regan and Ulla Hiltula take up these strands in ‘Perth's Commercial Television After 1965’.

They give a clear exposition of the strategies Robert Holmes a Court (especially) is using in his home play­ ground to gain control of the third commercial station. It is a pity, how­ ever, that the writers did not expand the last section of the article which looks at the implications of the launching of the domestic satellite, AUSSAT. Surely any argument about geographical location or regionalism would alter in the face of dramatic changes in programme distribution? As it is, the article only hints at future possibilities.

O’Regan also provides a detailed survey of film festivals and societies.

It is disheartening to read of the failure of the Indian Ocean Film Festival — an event which, by recog­ nizing Perth’s (and Australia’s) position in the Asian region, pro­ vided a very constructive way of tackling questions of regional history and identity.

These articles fit into a broader cultural network, unlike more reduc­ tive histories, of interest only to those

commodities — like the ‘Tele-vue’ chair, advertised in 1959. Another article, addressed to ‘TV Hostesses’, even told women what to wear! This historical narrative is certainly not specific to WA, but it is well worth reading.

Interviews with Paul Barron (Barron Films) and Ann Macbeth, departing director of the Film and Television Institute, give a fair idea of the (mainstream) state of the art, and Macbeth touches on the position of independent filmmakers and the difficulty of operating outside an industry based mainly on institution­ alized jobs.

However, in a text concerned with questions of geographical marginality, it is unforgivable to find such a b r i e f i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e independent film sector, and little mention of experimental film and videomaking. It is important to docu­ ment the movements of corporations — Perth is, after all, home to two of A u stra lia ’s main m edia entre­ preneurs — but what about the alternatives? What is being dis­ placed? Is there no political dissent?

In this context, Phillip Adams’s comment in a sketchy piece, ‘Why Make Films in Western Australia?’, that it is “ a pretty good time to be alive . . . the monoliths and mono­ polies are shaking” , simply looks ridiculous. The monopolies are more entrenched than ever.

Moving Images was intended to be provisional. It’s now time to start filling in the gaps in this ‘new’ terri­ tory — and telling other stories.

immediately involved. ‘Cinemas: 1896-1985’ by Jack Honniball doesn’t quite achieve this balance. It is full of facts and figures, though much of the geographical detail gets lost on readers from the east. Honni­ ball looks at early picture palaces like the A m ba ssad ors (which featured a Wurlitzer organist on a rising platform), newsreel houses like the Savoy, and the modern ‘supermarket’ cinema complexes, that employ very few attendants, let alone a corps-de-ballet.

One of the most fascinating and challenging cultural analyses in Moving Images is ‘Cuoting not Science but Sideboards: Television in a New Way of Life’ by John Hartley and Tom O ’Regan. They suggest that “ the arrival of television . . . can be looked at physically . . . and its subsequent changes and developments can be traced in the ways that people consumed space and time; how they learnt, or were encouraged, to accommodate their bodies to the TV and the TV to their physical environment.”

In the fifties, for example, tele­ visions were designed like elaborate sideboards and placed in the loungeroom; in the sixties, the look was less formal (often moulded plastic), and the TV was watched in the more relaxed family room. The placement of the television deter­ mined the arrangement of furniture in the room and often called for other

Living with the box: a page from the W est Australian in 1959.

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Britain by Sheila Johnston Bond’s view to a killing at Thorn EMI

So the Brits finally took the biscuit at Cannes, where Roland Joffe’s The Mission scooped the Golden Palm, capping all the jingoistic hype centred on the National Pavillion and the end of British Film Year. Never mind the doubters who thought the prize belonged to Andrei Tarkov­ sky's mysterious Sacrifice, and carped that expediency had won out over art in the jury’s decision to reward a more 'commercial' picture.

Let us pass instead to the story which has dominated this small corner of Cinema Papers for the last few months, namely the continuing saga of Thorn EMI Screen Entertain­ ment.

Oz media tycoon Alan Bond seems to have been the baddie in the affair after all. Only a week after the sale of the package had been approved and Bond was effusing about his pleasure in investing in the British film industry, TESE was flogged off, lock, stock and barrel, to the Cannon Group at the less-thanknockdown price of £175 million ($365 million), Bond strolls to the bank with a cool £50 million ($104 million) profit (on paper at least), and retains the Australian rights to films from the TESE library to boot.

Too soon to gauge the effect.

Dissenting voices have been tinged by a note of xenophobia (some might even say: anti-semitism), though the Go-Go Boys do appear to be gobbling up Britpix with slightly alarming speed. Indeed, when

Cannon first tendered for TESE last winter, their offer was withdrawn under the threat of reprisals from the Monopolies Commission.

However, nobody can gainsay their track record for putting hard cash into new movies; as Menahem Golan remarks, with some justifica­ tion, “ Cannon’s policy has always been to invest in British productions rather than put a lot of money into American productions like Screen Entertainment.” Rumour presently has it that Rank (owner of the other major cinema circuit, now dwarfed

by Cannon) could be up for grabs.

Bond stoutly denies interest. Watch this space, folks; here is a story that will run and run.

The Cannon incentive could be a real shot in the arm for the current ailing state of the British cinema, hit by the government’s laissez-faire policy, the withdrawal of the Eady levy (a tax on cinema tickets which was ploughed back into new pro­ ductions) and the weakness of the US dollar against the pound. Screen International's recent leader pro­ claimed “ Slum p!” which is, I suppose, one way of turning no news into bad news.

Still, there is some news of note to report, Personal Services, directed by ex-Python Terry Jones and described as ‘one woman’s story of sex, perversion and a nice cup of tea', is a comedy loosely based on the life of ‘England's favourite Madame’, Cynthia Payne (Julie

Walters), and her friendly neighbour­ hood brothel in South London, which catered to every taste and, what’s more, welcomed luncheon vouchers.

Sydney-born Don Sharp directs Hold the Dream, a follow-up to the internationally successful TV mini­ series, A Woman of Substance. A starry cast includes Deborah Kerr, Claire Bloom and Jenny Seagrove.

84 Charing Cross Road concerns the famous, 20-year pen-friendship between a London bookshop owner (Anthony Hopkins) and American bibliophile Helene Hanff (Anne Ban­ croft), while the tireless Michael Caine is busy with The Fourth Proto­ col, as co-star (with Pierce Brosnan) and executive producer (with Frederick Forsyth, who also wrote the script, based on his own Cold War thriller). The director, John MacKenzie, is best known for The Long Good Friday and The Honorary Consul. And Nic Roeg finally started shooting the long-delayed Cast­ away, based on Lucy Irvine’s best­ seller and starring Amanda Donahoe and Oliver Reed.

Release-wise, the big hits have been Jagged Edge, Jewel of the Nile and (yawn) Out of Africa, backed by some gratifying British successes. A Room With a View, the latest Merchant-Ivory venture (yes, I know they’re not British, but the cast, and E.M. Forster's source novel cer­ tainly are) has reaped a bumper harvest, both here and in America.

“Sex, perversion and a nice cup o f tea”: Julie Walters in Terry Jones’s Personal Services.

Absolute Beginners redeemed itself honourably, but the most pleasing box office bulls-eyes have come from long shots like the zany John Cleese vehicle, Clockwise, Derek Jarman’s microbudget Cara­ vaggio and Eat the Peach, not yet released in the UK, which has outgrossed the monster Rambo in its native Ireland. ^

Profit-taker: Alan Bond.

CINEMA PAPERS July — 61

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France by Belinda Meares A

bitof

aboost at the box office, a spot of bother on the box

New Zealand

by Mike Nicolaidi All Black black-out causes ructions at TVNZ

A wet spring and the daunting series of crises that have hit Europe con­ spired to dampen France’s Cannes fever in 1986. The French cinema community is nevertheless in a more optimistic frame of mind than it has been for a long time — and with good reason: there were four local features in the official competition this year, with a fifth film selected out of competition, Claude Lelouch's Un Homme et une femme: vingt ans déjà (A Man and a Woman: Twenty Years On), the chastening sequel to Lelouch’s classic, which won France her last Cannes Palme d ’or, exactly twenty years ago.

When it came to prizes, though (see page 66), France had to make do with consolations, albeit fairly major consolations: the Special Jury Prize to Alain Cavalier’s Thérèse, and a shared Best Actor award to Michel Blanc for Bertrand Blier’s Tenue de soirée (Evening Dress).

Of more significance than the Cannes line-up, however, has been the commercial success of two recent local releases: the aforemen­ tioned Tenue de soirée, and Jacques Beneix’s unconvincing 37.2° le matin (Betty Blue). At the same time, the indefatigable Trois hommes et un couffin (Three Men and a Cradle) has clocked up a record 2 million admissions in Paris alone, and Coline Serreau is scheduled to direct a Walt Disney remake of her film.

Other French films having reason­ able runs on the local circuit are Taxi Boy, directed by Alain Page (who scripted Tchao Pantin), and a refreshing comedy about African immigrants, Thomas Gilou's Black mie mac. Inevitably, there have been the less successful outings, notably Roberto Enrico’s Zone rouge, Claude Chabrol’s Inspecteur Lavardin and Costa G avras’s Conseil de famille. The latter has

62 — July CINEMA PAPERS

failed to do well, despite the pres­ ence in its cast of the perennial Johnny Halliday (whom a popular review, with no intended sarcasm, recently dubbed the “ jeune espoir du cinema francais” ).

The popularity of star Christophe Lambert is reaching veritable cult proportions, to the point where French audiences have ignored the lukewarm reviews meted out, in France as elsewhere, to Russell Mulcahy’s Highlander, and have sent the film's box-office receipts soaring.

Other foreign productions acquitting themselves admirably at the French box office have been the predictable Out of Africa and Jewel of the Nile, and the less predictable British pair, A b s o lu te B e g in n e rs and the majestically decadent Peter Green­ away comedy, A Zed and Two Noughts.

Back from Australia via a stopover in the States, Isabelle Huppert is next to star with Alain Delon in a new Chabrol film. Zulawski’s Maladie d'amour, which was to have fea­ tured the other Isabelle (Adjani), will now star Beatrice Dalle, hopefully recovered from her self-mutilatory urges in the Beneix film.

Going from strength to strength, Michel Boujenah, star of Trois hommes et un couffin, has. opted next for a sleazy, sentimental love story, Prunelle Blues, a first film by Jacques Otmezguine. The one and only Jean-Luc G. will be taking time out from the cinema to shoot twohour-long programmes for ‘La Cinq’, France’s new independent TV channel, on the French Tennis Open at Paris’s Roland Garros stadium.

Also for TV, Godard has just finished filming a version of a novel by James Hadley Chase, starring maverick director Jean-Pierre Mocky and equally maverick actor Jean-Pierre Leaud. “ We are the last of the Mohicans,’’ says Mocky of their

Trintignant, Aimée and Lelouch during the filming o f Un homme et une femme — Vingt ans déjà.

unholy trinity, “ freer than ever because there is nothing more to lose.’’

Following on the success of April’s MIP-TV market in Cannes — which, in this era of independent television in Europe and the expansion of global communications technology, saw 1,449 companiesfrom 107 differ­ ent countries — matters audio-visual represent one of the many points of divergence between the present government and the last.

The new Minister for Culture, Fran­ cois Leotard, has announced the privatization of two of the three public channels, triggering a partial stop-work which, the day after the Cannes festival, reduced French TV to a few hours a day.

The European Consortium, made up of Berlusconi/Seydoux, owners of ‘La Cinq’, Robert Maxwell and Leon Kirsch, is likely to lose the two channels on the TDF1 satellite signed over to them by the socialists.

‘La Cinq’ has also hit another major snag: it has lost its right to repeat films! The Conseil d ’Etat, given the job of reviewing the con­ troversially lenient regulations im­ posed on the channel, actually upheld the legality of the con­ cession, but baulked at a textual oversight in the contract, which could cost Berlusconi and co. dearly.

While the clause in question states that the channel’s annual film allow­ ance is not to exceed 250 titles, it is not clear whether repeats are in­ cluded in this total. This news can hardly be expected to overjoy the channel’s embryonic public nor its advertising clients.

Julian Mounter, the Englishman who took over as director general of Tele­ vision New Zealand earlier this year (see my March column), hasn’t taken long to make waves in his new job.

In April, he announced a clampdown on television violence on TVNZ’s two nationwide channels — something for which he was largely applauded by Kiwi viewers. He then diced rather more dangerously with public opinon over coverage of the rebel tour of South Africa by indivi­ dual New Zealand rugby players, most of whom are ‘official’ All Blacks.

Mounter was on reasonably safe ground in issuing instructions to TVNZ executives to avoid ‘hard action’ violence and aggression in programmes for the next .television season, which begins in October.

While he has declined to be specific about which programmes should be kept off the small screen, he has been quoted as mentioning The ATeam and Dempsey and Make­ peace, and credited with shunting Miami Vice into a latenight slot.

Mounter defines ‘hard actio n’ violence as crashing cars, buildings being blown up and the like.

Predictable statements have been forthcoming from leading pressure groups. Patricia Bartlett, secretary of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards, has wel­ comed the approach, while Larry Timberlake, spokesman for an anti­ censorship group, the Society for the P ro m o tio n of In d iv id u a l Responsibility, says he is disturbed at the “ paternalistic attitude” of TVNZ in deciding what is good viewing for New Zealanders.

On the question of rugby cover­ age of the South African tour, Mounter has had his initiation into the highly partisan nature of New Zealand politics. His declaration that there would be no television cover­ age of the ‘unofficial’ games was deemed in conflict with the Broad­ casting Act’s requirement for a balanced and impartial coverage to meet the varied interests of the NZ community by John Banks, sports spokesman for the opposition National Party.

All the ructions resulted in some refining of the original Mounter in­ structions, particularly in their poss­ ible application to straight news coverage of the tour.

Meanwhile, an Auckland video company, with exclusive rights to the rugby tour, believes final sales of videotapes of the matches will be “ bigger than Rambo". Claiming five-figure sales for cassettes of the rebels’ early games, Russell Clarke, managing director of Video Cor­ poration, says orders for each of the

unofficial tests against the Spring­ boks exceeded 2,500.

In other moves, Mounter has set about reorganizing TVNZ’s senior management structure, in obvious preparation for the day when the state-owned two-channel system will face its first competition from a privately-owned network.

This has resulted in TVNZ's con­ tro lle r of p ro g ra m m in g , Des Monaghan, being appointed to a new position as director of pro­ grammes and production. In this new job, he will be responsible to Mounter for programme production and programme content on both channels. He will be supported by the new positions of controller of TV1 and controller of TV2, which have been advertised, along with the posi­ tion of director of finance.

At the Wellington headquarters of the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand, which is the overall governing body for state-owned television and radio operations, fo rm e r to p -ra tin g bro a d ca ste r Sharon Crosbie has been appointed special assistant to BCNZ chief executive Nigel Dick.

Dick, like Mounter a new appoint­ ment (but from Australia rather than the UK), has also been active in his first months. Dr Ruth Harley, form­ erly senior advisory officer with the Queen Elizabeth 2 Arts Council, has been appointed commissioning editor for independent production; and a five-year target of 400 hours of programming from independent film and television sources has been set, although no overall budget has been disclosed. Agreements have been reached with CBS and the BBC for first (New Zealand) option on new programmes.

Not so successful was a plan to extend viewing hours on TV1 that would have resulted, from 4 April, in 24-hours-a-day TV at weekends.

The proposal has been shelved in­

definitely, following a breakdown in negotiations over staff rosters.

Phonographic Performance (NZ) Limited, on behalf of the recording companies, also recently withdrew rights for video music to be played free of cost on the two networks. As a consequence of these stymied negotiations, two popular rock pro­ grammes, Ready to Roll and Radio With Pictures, have been cancelled.

As for the public hearings aimed at bringing the country’s first private television channel into being, origi­ nal predictions that the licences for the four regions could be decided by late 1985, and trans­ mission begin in late 1986, have had to be revised. Evidence is still being heard in Auckland, and most applicants now believe that whoever gets the nod — eventually — will not be able to start operations until early 1988.

With all the goings-on in TV, the film world has been relatively quiet.

Came a Hot Friday, produced by Larry Parr and directed by Ian Mune, has notched up eleven nominations for film awards in the combined annual National Mutual GOFTA (Guild of Film and Television Arts) awards. These include Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor (the two leads, Peter Bland and Philip Gordon, are both named).

Vincent W ard’s Vigil and Gaylene Preston’s Mr Wrong also score highly in the number of nominations.

Larry Parr is also a finalist as Best Director in the television category, for his short film, The Maketu on Mrs Jones. Front-runner for best drama award is the Hanlon series, dis­ cussed in Cinema Papers 53 (September 1985).

Hanlon, most-nominated TV drama in the GOFTA A wards. Here Robyn Nevin goes to the gallows, in the only case Hanlon ever lost.

Japan

by Georgina Pope and Naoko Abe Gearing up for the year of the kitten The circus has left town, the summit is over, Charles and Diana have headed home, the radical left-wing groups have stopped throwing fire­ crackers and the rainy season has set in with a Thanks to Fans’ day, on which admission prices to all cinemas are halved. Zenkoren, the Japanese federation of exhibitors, has designated the first Mondays in March, June, Septem ber and December as Fan Days, with 1 December the annual ‘Movie Day’.

Around 20 pictures were released over the week-long 'Golden Week’ holidays at the beginning of May. These included biggies such as Spies Like Us, The Jewel of the Nile and 9V2 Weeks, as well as an interesting selection of 'art-house’ films, including Picnic at Hanging Rock, Local Hero and Stranger than Paradise. There has also been Kimi wa hadashi no kami o mitaka (Have You Seen the Barefoot God?), a co­ production between the Art Theatre Guild and Nippon Eiga Gakko, the Japanese film school (run by noted director Shohei Imamura); the film’s director is a recent graduate, the Korean-born Kim Sugiru.

This spring, a new concept in m o tio n -p ic tu re e x h ib itio n has become a reality, with Tohokushinsha opening its new Seiseki ‘cinemax’ complex in a suburban department store. It consists of two 99-seat mini-theatres, using the new Sony Cinematic Video system with a Dolby surround decoder, and it is aimed at attracting new audiences from those who live outside the central entertainment areas. The complex will be showing mainly UIP product, including new releases and established box-office hits. It opened with Young Sherlock Holmes and Out of Africa, to be followed by Back to the Future and Falling in Love.

On a sadder note, Daiei’s Kyoto studio, originally constructed by Nikkatsu in 1929, is about to close its doors. In its heyday, the historic studio was home to some classic productions by Kinugasa, Mizoguchi and Kurosawa. The Daiei company will, however, continue production in its Tokyo studios, which were completely renovated last year to mark their 40th anni­ versary of operation.

Meanwhile, even in a metropolis the size of Tokyo, it is hard to walk more than a few blocks without coming across a film crew. It is a hectic and exciting production period, with directors like Morita, Negishi, Ishii and Somai (respec­ tively responsible for Family Game, Enrai, Crazy Family and Typhoon Club) all having productions under way.

Toei’s Michi (Road) is shooting at the company’s Kyoto studio and variou s cities around Japan.

Budgeted at $8.1 million, it is a

Left to right: Yoriko Doguchi, Tamotsu Ishibashi and Gen Kodama in Have You Seen the Barefoot God? remake of the 1956 French film, Des gens sans importance. The original picture starred Jean Gabin, and was directed by Henri Verneuil; it told the story of a middle-aged truck-driver and his romance with a waitress at a roadside cafe. The director of the Japanese remake is Koreyoshi Kurahara, who made Antarctica.

And, on the northern island of Hokkaido, Schochiku-Fuji is shoot­ ing Winter Lull, based on the novel

by Mikihiko Renjo, directed by TaL sumi Kumashiro, with Mitsuko Baisho and Kenichi Hagiwara in the lead roles. The same team also worked on Koibumi (Love Letter), also based on a Renjo novel, which was recently seen at Cannes.

On the exhibition front, cult movies are pretty much the flavour of the month, with a number of small distri­ butors and video labels planning to release several titles this summer.

The annual PIA film festival’s usual retrospective section is being replaced by screenings of early films

by John Waters, John Sayles, Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch. Australia is being represented in the inter­ national new directors section by Nadia Tass with Malcolm. Tass, with the assistance of Film Victoria, will be visiting Tokyo for the occasion.

PIA screening cult movies and Shochiku opening a new, small, downtown art cinema are further indications of a strong distribution trend toward small cinema releases of art-house movies in anticipation of a later, larger-scale release on video.

Currently in Japan, films are either getting major releases with huge publicity budgets, or tiny releases as a shop-window for video; there is no middle ground. 1986 will also see a dramatic cut in the number of films released in Japan, particularly by the American majors.

On the subject of big releases, the Fuji Sankei group which includes the Fuji National Network, Japan’s biggest and most powerful TV net­ work, and whose recent cinema suc­ cesses include Antarctica and The Burmese Harp, have a new picture which is to be released this summer in no less than 400 cinemas across the country.

It is called Koneko monogatari {Kitten Story), with a cast of animals only, and it tells of the adventures of a cute kitten and her furry friends.

The dear little things have already started purring their way into living rooms across the country on Fuji's Channel 8, in a series of relentless TV commercials. But the corporation is not relying on this alone: all staff of the Fuji Sankei group and affiliated companies (which, at a conservative estimate, run into hundreds of thou­ sands) must purchase a designated. number of tickets, depending on their salaries. . . ►

CINEMA PAPERS July — 63

United States

by Pat H. Broeske A rocky critical reception, but boxoffice first blood for Stallone’s latest Grauman’s Chinese Theater, one of Hollywood’s last great picture palaces, opened its doors in 1928 with the premiere of the silent biblical epic, The King of Kings. 58 years later, the Chinese has been touting another kind of king.

Famed for its footprint forecourt, the Chinese was the site of the West Coast ‘Cobrathon’, which gave Sylvester Stallone fans an early look at his latest film, Cobra.

The event kicked off at 10 o’clock on the Thursday evening preceding the Memorial Day weekend. Then, it was Cobra every two hours until noon Friday, when the film officially opened at a record 2,131 theatres nationwide.

The ‘Cobrathon’ (also held at cinemas in New York and Chicago) came complete with lights, cameras (clutched by hopeful fans and roam­ ing press photographers) and even a bit of action. The latter occurred in the forecourt when the man himself, flanked by his bodyguards, made a rush for a waiting limousine.

Stallone and his entourage, in­ cluding wife and co-star Brigitte Nielsen and Cobra's executive pro­ ducer, James D. Brubaker, watched the opening screening from the private box of Sid Grauman, the showman who built the theatre. “ Stallone came to measure the audi­ ence’s response," said a Warner Bros representative.

The cinema was decked out for the event. Fake bullet holes were stuck on the ticket booth; the customized 1950 Mercury (licence plate: AWSOM 50), driven by Stallone in the film, stood at the kerb; and the film’s logo — a portrait of the gun-toting Stallone against a bloodred background — was everywhere.

H oisted a b o ve the th e a tre entrance was a 32-foot-high portrait of Stallone as Cobra. It will go to Stallone after the film closes. “ He asked for it,” said a studio adver­ tising executive, “ so we’re giving it to him.”

Reaction to the film? Well, neither death nor Stallone fans nor the critics took a holiday. Cobra had the year’s biggest opening to date, bringing in $15.6 million in three days. Still, a year ago (again over the three-day Memorial Day weekend), Rambo: First Blood Part 2 proved much more formidable, with grosses of over $25 million.

As for the reviews . . . a sampling: “ The foulest, greediest, most antiAmerican movie in ages . . . Were Stallone not the star, Cobra would be opening at grind-houses” (John Powers, L.A. Weekly). “ If this guy tripped over a print of Citizen Kane, he not only wouldn’t know what it was, he’d hit some­ body over the head with it” (Paul Attanasia, Washington Post).

"Since the first Rocky, innocent eons ago, Stallone has been paring

64 — July CINEMA PAPERS

down each of his scripts, whittling at them like soap bars. He’s already done away with characterization, logic, coherent story, motivation, background and more than six speaking parts. Now he’s zeroing in on dialogue” (Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times).

There were also, however, a smattering of admirers: “ Cobra is a very good bad movie,” wrote Peter Stack in the San Francisco Chron­ icle. “ A sleek, extremely violent and exciting police thriller,” said Law­ rence Cohen in Daily Variety. And, according to the aptly named Catherine Rambeau, writing in the Detroit Free Press, “ it’s scummy excuses for patriotic violence may stick in the craw and its political dice are loaded, but the bad guys are sooooo bad most people will forgive themselves for getting caught up in this mindless entertaining violence.”

Meanwhile, from the canine world comes the word that Benji is not going to lie down and play dead like Mike, the four-legged scene stealer of Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

The senior mutt has gone back in front of the cameras in Texas in Benji the Hunted. Supervising producer Caroline Camp is calling the role “ Benji’s greatest acting challenge yet” . The plot is a secret, but Camp revealed that “ after the first few minutes, there won’t be any human dialogue” . Shocking footnote: Benji is actually to be played by the daughter of the original Benji.

Susan Seidelman is also keeping busy, directing Making Mr Right for Orion in Miami. John Malkovich and Ann Magnuson star in a romantic comedy about a woman who finally finds the perfect man, only to dis­ cover that he is an android.

In Black Widow, Bob Rafelson’s first film since his 1981 remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice, Theresa Russell plays an evil woman who has a habit of knocking off her husbands; she is tracked down by investigator Debra Winger. The film is shooting in Seattle and Hawaii.

And L.A. locales are playing them­ selves in Hollywood Babylon, a semi-documentary, co-scripted by Kenneth Anger, based on his lurid expose of the grit beneath Tinsel­ town.

Finally, a box-office expose: Cobra may have been hot,' but Poltergeist II: The Other Side proved hotter, on a per-screen average, over the Memorial Day weekend.

Ticket sales materialized at $12.3 million, with the film playing 1,596 screens (635 fewer than Cobra).

Top Gun also had a hot holiday weekend, outgrossing its opening week receipts by 15%, for grosses totalling $21.6 million. Short Circuit, with which Village will be opening its new Melbourne complex, also con­ tinued to win fans and influence the box office, for a total Of $17.4 million.

Taking aim at dialogue: Sylvester Stallone in Cobra.

Schlock horror: Kenneth Anger is now making a movie o f his classic, Hollywood Babylon.

Germany by Dieter

Osswald

Full steam ahead for the (new) new German cinema After the recent surprise successes

by German comedies like Otto and Doris Dorrie’s Manner, political films seem to be becoming all the rage at the German box office. Not only did Stammheim win the Golden Bear in Berlin, but it has been doing excep­ tionally well with audiences. And Margarethe von Trotta’s Rosa Luxemburg, whose lead actress, Barbara Sukowa, shared Best Actress at Cannes this year, has also been doing good business, despite a very mixed reception in the press.

Currently eagerly awaited by German moviegoers is the second film from Hans-Christoph Blumenberg, former film critic for the Ham­ burg weekly, Die Zeit. Five years ago, Blumenberg gave up his job as critic and took off for Australia.

Back in Germany, his first film, Tausend Augen, with a cast that in­ cluded pop stars from the sixties, didn’t live up to expectations. Sadly, the same thing seems likely to hap­ pen to his second film, Der Sommer des Samurai, which has a Samurai

from the middle ages tracking down the top people of Hamburg.

From an opening helicopter shot, panning from one penthouse roof right through the city to another, the film has very little to offer, either visually or dramatically. The plot also comes across as very ordinary.

Der Sommer des Samurai will be premiered at the Munich film festival, which runs from 21 to 28 June. 150 films are scheduled this year. There will be a programme called ‘Per­ spectives of the Young European Cinema’, and festival director Eberhard H auff will be sho w in g independent films from the USA, C a na da, A u s tra lia and New Zealand. The 1986 retrospective will be on Sergio Leone.

Already in the past is the Westdeutsche Kurzfilmtage, now in its 32nd year in Oberhausen. With the motto ‘Weg zum Nachbarn’ (see Cinema Papers 52, July 1985, for a report on last year’s Oberhausen), the festival’s focus is on films from the socialist countries, and from

Italy by Lorenzo Codelli O nce more unto the beach

The Italian summer, once the Cannes Film Festival is over, is a time for the cinema business to close down in Italy. Just before that, how­ ever, the bosses of Italy’s tottering film industry made the predictable noises about Italy being ‘underrepresented’ at Cannes, then went ahead yet again and rented the appallingly-equipped Gare Maritime for the erratic and mostly un­ announced screenings of national product.

Forgettable efforts by new direc­ tors were shown in both the Critics’

You think you’ve got problems . . .

Christophe Lambert as the fetishist hero o f Ferreri’s I Love You. Week (La donne del traghetto, cheaply produced and directed by Amedeo Fago) and the Directors’ Fortnight (Giovanni Sensapensieri, a typically bloodless RAI filler, directed

by Marco Colli).

Meanwhile, none of the promised scandal was caused by Maruschka Detmers’s blow-job in Marco Bellochio’s II diavolo in corpo, screened after midnight in the Directors’ Fort­

Africa, Latin America and Asia.

The main prize this year went to a Chilean film about the efforts of women demonstrating against the power of the state. The 70 or so films in competition were backed up by a retrospective entitled ‘Peace’, and there was a special event on ‘Black Film’, with particular reference to South Africa.

Dedicated to everything except such non-mainstream films is the new large-scale commitment to the cinema in Germany being made by the hamburger chain, McDonalds.

McDonalds Kino News is a fourpage monthly tabloid, with a print run of 1.2 million. It is also being s p o n s o re d by th e G e rm a n subsidiaries of the American distri­ butors, Warner-Columbia, UIP and 20th Century-Fox, and it is getting a lot of support from the Kinoverband.

Doing well on German screens at the moment, in addition to Stamm­ heim and Rosa Luxemburg, is Kuro­ sawa’s Ran. But the charts are still being topped by Manner, Police Academy 3 and Out of Africa. Two Australian films, The Coca-Cola Kid and Sky Pirates (known here as D akota Harris), have flopped heavily, as has the French Subway.

Low-budget German productions, Operation Dead End and Schokoladeschnuffler, have also been bitter

disappointments.

A top ten from May 1985 to March 1986, compiled by the German trade paper, Filmecho, puts Otto — der Film at the top, followed by Back to the Future, A View to a Kill and Rambo.

Places five and six go to German productions, however — Manner and Schimanski — which means there are three German films in the first six, something that has never happened before. This has inevit­ ably sparked off widespread media euphoria about the birth of the (new) new German cinema.

night, probably because it looked like an attempt to save a hollow picture — which is, however, doing fair business on the Italian voyeur market.

Leaving aside Zeffirelli’s Otello, lavishly produced for the inter­ national market by Cannon, the only Italian feature in competition — Marco Ferreri’s totally Frenchbacked / Love You — was a sad reminder of the Italian cinema’s past — for its several references to (and self-reflexive quotes from) Ferreri’s masterful Dillinger e morto (Dillinger is Dead, 1969); for the sincere sense of lost identity afflicting the director and his main character; and for its metaphor about impotent love with an inanimate object (a Best Actress award should have gone to the talking key-ring, which is the object of the hero’s affections).

Italians working abroad did rather better. Fernando Ghia was co­ producer (with David Puttnam) of the Palme d ’or winner, The Mission, and Roberto Benigni got the best laughs in Cannes, thanks to his playing of the free-wheeling misfit in Jim Jar­ musch’s Down By Law. The ever-growing platoons of young Italian fans who invade the Croisette each year as an active pro­ test against Italy’s very poor distribu­ tion system, will now be taking ex­ tended holidays through the oh-somany summer festivals scattered around the peninsula. They are also likely to buy more pirated cassettes of (un)forthcoming films, and will watch TV late shows of classics and oddities which, in the absence of a real one, constitute a kind of impromptu Italian cinematheque.

A new law relating to the private TV networks should soon give them the right to broadcast live and, in particular, to have their own news programmes. This will be a tre­ mendous challenge to RAI’s three

daily party-dominated news pro­ grammes, which are going to have to drop the propaganda and go after some hard news. This season again, it has only been Enzo Biagi’s top programme, Spot, on RAI 1, which has had the guts to report the sort of behind-the-scenes information that the politicians don’t like.

Even if it could not come up with anything new, Giuseppe Fina's mini­ series, Attentato al Papa, on RAI 1, was a well-researched and serious reconstruction of the attempt to kill the Pope by the Turkish terrorist, Ali Agca. This mysterious character, manipulated by many governments, was convincingly played by Christo­ pher Buchholz, son of Horst.

Looking to the autumn, what will Italy be offering at the upcoming Venice Mostra? Very promising advance rumours surround Luigi Comencini’s La Storia, the epic tale of a schoolteacher during the war years; Claudia Cardinale plays the lead. Pupi Avati’s poker drama, Regalo di Natale, is also worthy of honours on the Lido.

Over and above its value as a film, Giuseppe Ferrara’s / giorni dell'ira, inspired by Robert Katz’s book, will almost certainly cause a stir, with its personal vision of the terrorist killing of Aldo Moro.

Come autumn, Peter Del Monte will direct the first high-definition video feature, with photography by Peppino Rotunno. It will be a fantasy called Giulia e Giulia. And Federico Fellini, too, is going into television, with a miniseries of sketchbooks and personal notes. In the meantime, he has published six instalments in Corriere della Sera of ‘Viaggio a Tulun’, a fascinating treatment for a film set in the eerie dreamland of Aztec myths.

Elsewhere, however, the Italian film industry, like everything else, is closing down for the sum m er. . .

Critic’s choice: Conny Froboess and Peter Krauss in Der Sommer des Samurai.

CINEMA PAPERS July — 65

Golden Palms and politics Cannes 1986: Tarkovsky towers over the competition There can't be much doubt that politics was the dominant mode at Cannes this year — not on the screen, where even such reliable 'political' filmmakers as Margarethe von Trotta seemed to be doing their best to avoid the subject, but out­ side, on the Croisette.

The political climate in Europe, at any rate as perceived from the United States (and, to judge by some notable absences, from Aus­ tralia), was responsible for a lot of no-shows, including Steven Spiel­ berg, Sylvester Stallone, Martin Scorsese and the bulk of the Ameri­ can majors. It’s difficult to tell whether it was the threat of terrorism that kept them away, or fear of the fall-out cloud from Chernobyl.

As it was, there was a lot of extra security, but no terrorism. And the most striking thing about Chernobyl was the fact that what, a week previ­ ously, would have sounded like the material for a melodramatic six-hour miniseries, quickly became the sub­ ject of endless nuclear jokes.

Variety, as usual, took the narrow view, with its headline “ Chernobyl Nuke Fire Stokes Sales Action on Atlas’ 'Nuke Conspiracy’ ” , On a lighter note, Polish colleagues arrived bearing reports of an un­ accustomed glut of fresh vegetables back home, now that Western Europe was refusing to accept agri­ cultural exports from Poland.

With all this going on, the films could easily have been over­ whelmed. But 1986 was, if not a vintage, at any rate an exceptionally good year. Sad to report, then, that the festival’s one towering master­ piece, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Offret (The Sacrifice) was pushed into the background at the prizegiving by Roland Joffé’s excellent but in no way comparable The Mission.

That, of course, was politics, too: after awarding the prize to ‘art’ films over the past three years (The Ballad of Narayama in 1983, Paris, Texas in 1984 and When Father was Away on Business in 1985), the festival needed to tell big-budget produc­ tions it still loved them.

The Sacrifice, though, was some­ thing else. After the relative dis­ appointment of Nostalghia (1982), it rejoins Andrei Rublev (1966) and The Mirror (1975-8), as a film that majestically balances apparently irredeemable pessimism against a sense of life-enhancement. Set in Sweden during what one assumes to be the final conflict, The Sacrifice has a group of people coming to terms with the failed aspirations of their lives.

Watching it, one realises that the glib label so often applied to Tarkovsky — a ‘poet of the cinema’ — fits perfectly. Tarkovsky is not a storyteller, nor a chronicler of emotional change: he is a director who deals in images. Thus, from his films, one takes away, not scenes or sequences, but single moments of

66 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Cannes awards, 1986 Golden Palm: The Mission (Roland Joffé, UK).

Special Jury Prize: Offret (The Sacrifice) (Andrei Tarkov­

Best A ctress: B arbara Sukowa (Rosa Luxemburg, West Germany) and Fernanda Torres (Eu sei que vou te amarILove Me Forever Never, Brazil).

...

or

sky, Sweden/France).

Best Artistic Contribution:

Jury Prize: Thérèse (Alain Cavalier, France).

Sven Nykvist for his cinemato­ graphy on Offret (The Sacrifice).

Best Director: Martin Scor­ sese (After Hours, USA).

Golden Camera (best first feature): Claire Devers (Noir et

Best Actor:

Bob

Hoskins

bland Black and White, France).

(Mona Lisa, UK) and Michel Blanc (Tenue de soirée/Evening Dress, France).

Golden Palm for Best Short Film: Jane Campion

transcendant beauty. In Andrei Rublev, it was the raising of the bell and the final, affirmatory colour sequences. In The Mirror, it was (among others) the tiny detail of the condensation from a hot tea-cup evaporating on a polished table-top, which no one who has seen the film will forget.

Between these moments come stretches of virtual cinematic silence — the poet’s syntax. Running for 145 minutes, The Sacrifice has its share of silence, but the film is more than redeemed by the closing shots: a twelve-minute take of the destruc­ tion of the family home by fire, and the final scene where the child (Tommy Kjellqvist) returns to water a dead tree planted in a cairn of stones in the belief that, as his father has told him, if such a tree is watered daily, year after year, something in the world will change.

In three paragraphs which have taken, perhaps, five minutes to read, the impact of that scene cannot be accounted for. So, should The Sacri­ fice ever reach Australia — and we shall all be the poorer if it doesn’t — suffice it to say that it repays tenfold the (not inconsiderable) effort required to watch it.

Inevitably, nothing else quite measured up to Tarkovsky’s film, though in other company several of the films in competition might have seemed even better than they did.

Some of these have already been reviewed in Cinema Papers: Run­ away Train in the last issue, After Hours in this one. Others — The Mis­ sion, Altman’s Fool for Love, Zeffir­ elli’s Otello, Neil Jordan’s Mona Lisa — soon will be. Elsewhere, faced with such a plethora of films, the m ost one can do is record enthusiasms and disappointments.

Chief among the latter was Mar­ garethe von Trotta’s Rosa Luxem­ burg, a boring biopic that does to the political beliefs and commitment of its eponymous heroine what von Trotta’s husband, Volker Schlon-

dorff, did to Proust in Swann in Love.

Disappointing in a different way was Jim Jarmusch’s Down By Law, which those not familiar with Stranger Than Paradise seem to have loved. A sort of folie a trois with a highly promising cast made up of John Lurie (star of Stranger), singer Tom Waits and Italian comedian Roberto Benigni, it seemed to me simply to reprise the zany minimal­ ism of Jarmusch’s earlier film, with greater means but less originality.

Somehow; one expected more.

South America was disappoint­ ingly represented, too, by Raul de la T orre’s Pobre mariposa (Poor Butterfly), from Argentina, which seemed to echo last year’s Official Story with its tale of a settled bourgeoise (in this case, a radio announcer) thrust into the undertow of history (here, postwar Nazi power in Buenos Aires). Less ‘safe’ but not a great deal better was Brazil’s Eu sei que vou te amar (variously trans­ lated as Tell Me You Love Me and Love Me Forever . . . or Never).

Directed by Arnaldo Jabor, it was an overheated exercise de style in which a young couple reassess their relationship some three months after it has broken down. In it, the surface gloss of a soap opera is coupled with the aspirations of mid-period Rivette. The two do not mesh, although Fernanda Torres richly deserved her shared Best Actress award.

Selected, but out of competition, Carlos Saura’s L ’amor brujo was a more than worthy successor to Blood Wedding and Carmen, as Saura moves closer to his dream of a Hollywood musical, Spanish-style.

And the climax to the film contains a sequence of close-ups which is the most breathtakingly beautiful thing I have seen on any screen.

Also out of competition, Roman Polanski’s Pirates, which he has been telling everyone for years would be an adventure movie, turned out to be just that. And, of

(Peel, Australia).

course, everyone — or, at any rate, the critics — professed amazement.

The film is a highly — if sporadically — entertaining romp, giving Walter Matthau the opportunity for the kind of sustained, over-the-top perform­ ance that other directors have long frustrated.

Bertrand Blier’s Tenue de soirée (Evening Dress), for which Michel Blanc richly deserved his shared Best Actor award, was one of the oddest in the festival: a tale in which sex, violence and slapstick jostle for the viewer’s attention. Like many of Blier’s films, it combines a strange conservatism of form with an out­ rageous anarchy of content. Blanc’s co-laureate, the magnificent Bob Hoskins, also richly deserved his award for his sentimental crook in Mona Lisa, to my mind Neil Jordan’s best film by far.

In the Director's Fortnight, Denys Arcand's Le. déclin de Tempire américain (The Decline of the Ameri­ can Empire) looked at a group of well-off French Canadian intellec­ tuals who before, during and after a dinner party, discuss relationships, sex and the unravelling of the North American social fabric. Serious enough to be fascinating, funny enough to be disconcerting, it was a kind of post-modernist Rohmer comedy, with all the same delights of structure and nuance.

For me, though, the one ‘great’ film in the Director’s Fortnight was Alex Cox’s Sid and Nancy. Repo Man, Cox’s, debut feature, was a very clever film. Sid and Nancy, about the overpowering, destructive relationship between Sex Pistol Sid Vicious and his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, is in a different class — a doomed romance, told with a sty­ listic assurance and a sense of where to intensify reality that marks Cox off as a filmmaker of vision and power. To this, we shall return.

What one might have expected from Sid and Nancy was gritty realism; what we got was visionary fantasy. Reality, however, returned to Cannes the moment the festival was over. Throughout the ten days, the bay had been dominated by the full-scale pirate galleon from Polan­ ski’s movie, now donated to the municipality as a tourist attraction.

As the first post-festival day dawned, however, a rather larger piece of naval hardware appeared off the beaches: the USS ‘United States’, the floating island of an aircraft carrier which co-ordinated the raid on Tripoli. Having withdrawn dis­ creetly up the coast for the duration of the festival, the carrier now resumed its cautionary presence.

The real world was back.

Nick Roddick

NB: For details of how Australia’s movies fared at Cannes see the news story on page 6. This year’s Australian films will be reviewed as and when they open in Australia.

|j§ !

ï w

r

Best Director: Griffin Dunne and Rosanna Arquette in Martin Scor­ sese’s After. Hours.

Best Actor: Bob Hoskins (with Cathy Tyson) in Mona Lisa. (The prize was shared by Michel Blanc in Tenue de soirée/

Seven days in May The best of Russian cinema in this year’s Soviet Film Week The thirteenth Soviet Film Festival completed its local seasons in Sydney and Melbourne in early May, to generally favo urab le response. Opened this year by actress Lyudmila Gurchenko, whose se m i-a u to b io g ra p h ic a l O vation started things rolling, the event was again organized by Sovexportfilm and Eddie Allison and Rob Gowland’s Quality Films, who first initiated it in 1967.

Hell revisited: Elem K lim ov’s Come and See.

“ The public in Australia gets very little opportunity to see Russian films these days, apart from on SBS,” explains Allison, “ so the festival pro­ vides a sampling of the best products from the last two years."

The outstanding film of the eight on show this year was Elem Klimov’s Come and See, a powerful war epic, depicting the destruction of a Byelo­ russian village (one of 628) by the Nazis. It is told from the perspective of a boy partisan recreating his loss of innocence, his journey and his pri­ vate hell in a visually and emotionally harrowing way.

Highly impressive also, Ruthless Romance, based on Ostrovsky’s play, The Dowerless Bride, probably has the greatest potential for a com­ mercial release here, with its popular ingredients of drama, humour and tragedy, and with its superb per­ formances, especially from new­ comer Larissa Guseyeva. Director Eldar Ryazanov (Station for Two) presents a beautifully crafted story, set in the provincial town of Brakhilov on the Volga (the backdrop for the climactic scenes and horrifying finale). R yazanov im p e c c a b ly evokes the seasons, the period and the values of a town blinded by mercantilism, where women are re­ garded in purely commercial terms.

Performances also provide the essence of Success, a contem­ porary drama directed by Kon­ stantin Khudyakov, which takes the theatre and stage politics as its focus. Leonid Filatov is brilliant as the tough, ambitious director who comes to the provinces to stage Chekhov's The Seagull, with a fanatical devotion to his art in the face of mediocrity, apathy, vanity and intrigue. He successfully attains his vision, but at considerable cost to others.

On a lig h te r note, several comedies successfully transcended cultural barriers (often an obstacle in

68 — July CINEMA PAPERS

this area), especially Eldar Shengelaya's Blue Mountains, a clever Georgian satire on bureaucracy at a publishing house. The focus is on the futile efforts of a writer to get his manuscript published; but, despite constant efforts, his work remains unread: copies are lost, misplaced or returned.

Other comedies revolved around relationships, especially the love tri­ angle, with the male as the target for considerable manipulation by two women — something which looks as though it may be becoming a Soviet social phenomenon.

Tango of our Childhood, from Armenia, directed by Albert Mkrtchyan, displays the talents of Galya Novents as the deserted wife whose husband returns home from the war to set up house with the nurse who saved his life, and who is also her form er friend. Her desperate attempts to win him back, the com­ petitive hostility between the rivals and the temporary truce established while he ‘escapes’ to prison, provide some hilarious situation comedy.

Love and Doves, directed by Vladimir Menshov and with Lyud­ mila Gurchenko as ‘the other woman’, adopts a similar theme, but with a very different outcome. A peasant farmer (Alexander Mik­ hailov), after a brief diversion, returns to his home nest and his doves. Though the performances are very impressive, the film met, both here and in the USSR, with a mixed reception, audiences appar­ ently finding the farcical provincial elements too alienating.

The most unusual of the films — and one which evoked extreme responses — was Sergei Paradjanov and Dodo Abashidze’s The Legend of Surnam Fortress, a ritual­ istic pageant of medieval mythology, superstition and symbolism, choreo­ graphed and orchestrated along Greek dramatic lines in episodic sequences, for which film may not be the most appropriate vehicle.

Aesthetically, it is a visual treat; but its length, failure to engage the emotions and constant use of front angles, make its transition from stage to film rather awkward.

The surprising disappointment, though, was Ovation, a showcase for the singing and dancing talents of Lyudmila Gurchenko — ironically, for a film in which she plays an actress who tries to break out of that mould! But it lacked a strong script and assured direction, especially in the latter half, when the storyline and some of the minor characters become rather unconvincing.

Still, it is Viktor Buturlin’s first film as director, and its lack of appeal may well be due to a theme — the desperate attempts by an actress to ‘get the part’ — which has been done so often in the west that the approach here seems dated and bland by comparison. It lacks the Russian ambience which forms the essential flavour of an event like this.

Mary Colbert

Asian cinema has come a long way internationally during the Hong Kong International Film Festival’s first ten years. When the Urban Council launched the event back in 1977 with a couple of dozen new international films, most Asian industries — apart from India and Japan, which are still laws unto themselves — were mere dots on the map.

Ten years on, with the festival calmly fielding some 150 films (60 of them in the international section), all the talk is of Chinese, Korean and Indonesian new waves. Even dis­ counting Hong Kong's valuable ethnic sidebars — this year, retro­ spectives on Heinosuke Gosho, the late Li Chenfeng, Cantonese Melo­ drama, and Hong Kong Cinema, 1976-85 — Asian cinema is no longer a rare, exotic bloom.

In many respects, the biggest sur­ prises have come from mainland China. Following the international

minority in southern China, and learning some indelible lessons from their lack of social and sexual inhibitions.

Similarly strong on character observation and the subtleties of social behaviour was Yan Xueshu’s Ye shan (Wild Mountains), a gently s a tiric a l co m e d y of p a rtn e r­ swapping set in a small Shaanxi community. Forthright in its sexual politics and almost entirely free of didacticism, it was the major Chinese revelation of the festival.

Of the five Hong Kong films, only two were of any interest in a year of cinematic drought. Lu Chien-ming’s Cuodian yuanyang (Love with the Perfect Stranger) gets by on its witty script and two lively leads. More adventurous and with an appeal­ ingly fragile charm, is Louis Tan's first feature, V2 -duan qing (Infatua­ tion), a light, on-and-off romantic comedy played with laid-back ease by singer Lowell Lo and the gamine

Waves across the harbour Tenth Hong Kong festival is a window on Asian cinema success of Chen Kaige's Huang tudi (Yellow Earth) last year, and much talk of a new wave to parallel those in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Peking’s bureaucrats seem to have had second thoughts and either banned for export, or simply banned out­ right, many of the works of the socalled ‘Fifth Generation’ of directors.

Eagerly awaited titles like Chen Kaige’s Da yuebing (The Big Parade), Tian Zhuangzhuang’s Lie chang zha (On the Hunting Ground) and Daomazei (The Horse Thief), Zhang Junzhao’s Yige he bage (One and Eight) and Huang Jianxin’s Heipao shijian (The Black Cannon Incident) were all missing. But the surprise was that the ‘safer’ works on display still provided some eyeopeners.

The minor frisson surrounding the screenings of Zhang Qi and Li Valin’s Bei aiqing yiwangde jiaoluo (The Corner Forsaken by Love), shelved since 1981, vanished soon after the lights went down. This mish­ mash of sex and politics in a Sichuan village during the Cultural Revolution re e k s o f p o s t-G a n g -o f-F o u r righteousness and would be best put back on the shelf whence it came. As the three more recent works showed, mainland Chinese cinema has come of age since 1981.

All three reflected the current interest in regional and minoritybased themes. The weakest, Zhang Zeming’s Jue xiang (Swan Song), centres on a passed-over Canton­ ese composer’s relationship with his son, spread over some 20 years.

The film is spoiled by a final section which ditches the central character and most of the atmospheric portrait of backstreet Canton life, but it is still an interesting first work.

Zhang Nuanxin’s Qingchun ji (Sacrifice of Youth) also stumbles slightly at the winning-post, but is a far more cohesive portrait of Cultural Revolution traumas, here seen through the story of a young Peking woman sent to live among the Dai

Cecilia Yip.

Hong Kong cute: Lowell Lo and Cecilia Yip in the Hong Kong feature, Infatuation.

Despite the absence of anything from the Philippines, both Indonesia and Thailand (as last year) kept Southeast Asia’s end up, with two striking works that arrived garnished with local awards. Teguh Karya’s Doea tanda mata (Mementos) is his most substantial film since his debut, Ballad of a Man, back in 1971.

Tracing the divisions and betrayals (both emotional and political) among a group of anti-colonial fighters during the final years of Dutch rule, Mementos has a wild beauty and bitter-sweet power long absent from Teguh’s work.

Less overtly ambitious, but making much of simple character observa­ tion and rural ingenuousness, Euthana Mukdasnit’s Peesua lae dokmai (Butterfly and Flower) rightly deserved the seven Academy Awards heaped on it back in Thai­ land. Ah almost plotless portrait of young adolescents smuggling rice across the Malaysian border, it manages the difficult task of being sensitive rather than saccharine, and charming rather than cute, with a likeable child cast and memorable integration of landscape and nature.

Derek Elley

HOW TO LEARN TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE TELECINE At April’s Cinema PaperslAgfaGevaert seminar in Sydney (reported on in our last issue), -it became, obvious that the whole business of transferring film onto videotape was one which camera people tended to view with a distrust bordering on hostility. So we have asked Chris H utson from Melbourne’s AA V to talk through the workings of the mysterious machine at the very heart of the film-to-tape transfer process — the telecine.

Chris Hutson at the grading console o f one o f AA V’s two Rank Cinte/s.

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waveform

monitor,

showing standard colour bars.

The vectorscope. Clockwise from the top are magenta, blue, cyan, green, yellow and red.

Telecine, the process of transferring film to videotape, can make a major creative contribution to film produc­ tion, whether the film Is a commer­ cial, a documentary, a music clip or a television miniseries. Above all, the telecine is one of the chief trans­ formations through which the wide range of natural brightness and colours that we see in front of the camera will go before they reach the viewer’s television set, which has a far more limited range of resolu­ tion, contrast and colour.

On film, the natural scene will be represented by three layers of colour dyes on a transparent base.

In a telecine, these will be scanned and converted to an electronic representation which will finally ‘excite’ the red, green and blue phosphors on a television screen, in an attempt to recreate the original scene. The telecine process is con­ cerned with making the final ‘re­ creation’ as acceptable as possible — or, if desired, with distorting It for special effect.

Understanding the fllm-to-tape process is essential to the filmmaker whose work will or may end up on the small screen for the following reasons: • Before shooting starts, a deci­ sion needs to be made as to what combination of film format, stock, telecine process and individual grader will achieve the desired result or ‘look’. The decision Is important, as the quality of the transfer will carry through the remaining stages of post-production. Time and money will have been budgeted for tele­ cine; and, since any re-grading will also mean re-editing, there may not be enough time or money for this to be done. The pressure Is, therefore, on to get it right first time.

• Broadcasters expect video material to meet certain technical standards. They can and do reject programmes because of the telecine grading. This is probably the area that causes filmmakers the most concern, since it is here that the final compromise between aesthetic and technical is reached.

Telecine and television

The primary colour-grading joystick controls on the Rank Cintel.

Telecine can transform several film gauges and formats: 35mm motion pictures, 35mm slides, 16mm and Super-8 in various stocks — nega­ tive, reversal, CRI, etc. It can also handle different aspect ratios — academy, widescreen, anamorphic — which are turned into a common video format for broadcast or dupli­ cation. Some telecine machines are able to handle all these formats by utilizing different film gates.

In the telecine, the film is scanned in one of three ways: • by a flying spot on a cathode ray tube, in conjunction with Red, Green and Blue (RGB) photo-electric cells, as on the Rank Cintel Mk Ilie; • by light passed through the film onto RGB charge-coupled devices, as on the Bosch FDL60 and the Marconi B3410; • by light and RGB tubes in a video camera, as in the RCA photo- ►

CINEMA PAPERS July — 69

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conductive chain.

Each system has its own charac­ teristics and produces differentlooking images.

Colour and image correction Most of these co lou r-g rad ing systems allow correction to be applied to three zones of the image: the highlight or white areas; the mid­ range tones; and the shadow or black areas. Extreme correction applied to one of these zones will affect the others.

In the television system, colour is represented by a 360-degree circle going continuously from red to yellow to green to cyan to blue to magenta and back to red. The centre of the circle represents the neutrals, black through grey to white. Movement away from the centre indicates an increasing level of saturation. This principle is echoed by the joysticks that are usually used for grading control, each joystick controlling its own zone. The Vectorscope display is an electronic representation of this.

The waveform monitor is the other display used by the grader: it shows the levels of the three other controls which vary the brightness (lumin­ ance), the darkness (black-level) and the contrast (gamma) of the scene.

The joysticks and level-controls give what is known as ‘primary’ correction. Some telecine systems also have ‘secondary’ colour correc­ tion, which allows the six major colour sectors of the circle to be individually controlled by hue and saturation. For example, a red car could be made to look more orange (y e llo w /re d ) or m ore p u rp le (magenta/red), by moving the red hue control. The degree of red saturation could also be varied. The other colours in the scene, such as blue sky and green grass, would remain unaffected.

There may also be a saturation control that allows all the colours to have their saturation increased and decreased to a totally monochro­ matic image.

Additional features In addition to colour, level and gamma controls, the following features may also be available: • Variable film running speeds. On the Rank Clntel Digiscan, running speed can be varied between 16fps and 30fps in discrete steps that in­ clude 18fps and 24fps. The Bosch FDL60 covers a range from 6fps to 50fps, with variable speeds between 16 and 30 frames, and the Marconi B3410 with the Varispeed option covers the range 14-33fps. Because the telecine has mathematically to. create frames that were not filmed, the movement generated with these options may not be smooth.

• X, Y and Z axis control. On the Rank Cintel Mklll with this option fitted, the film frame may be moved horizontally or vertically and en­ larged or reduced. This can be used to improve or create new visual framings, and is also the method used to change aspect ratios and to ‘pan and scan’ anamorphic prints.

70 — July CINEMA PAPERS

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• Freeze frames. Telecines that use digital frame stores in their signal processing allow for freeze frames that are of the same quality as the picture when running. This is not the case when a freeze is done during the video editing stage, when some loss of quality is generally involved.

• Horizontal and vertical aperture correction. This is an artificial way of ‘sharpening’ the picture to compen­ sate for resolution losses in the system. Excessive use of this correc­ tion creates visible ‘noise’.

• Digital noise and grain reduction.

This works by eliminating small random changes from frame to frame, such as the pattern of film grain. This generally produces a ‘softer’ looking picture.

• Electronic scratch-detection and concealment. This uses a similar technique to the above.

• Pin-registered 35mm gates.

These are starting to appear on tele­ cines, and are a new development designed to overcome the problems of 'float and weave’ in the image that is inherent in the normal telecine systems.

All of the above give the telecine grader complex control over the film image and, although some aspects of this control are objective (pro­ ducing neutral blacks, greys and whites, and setting the required absolute-black and peak-white levels), grading remains essentially a subjective activity.

Thus, the same piece of film can end up looking mediocre or brilliant, depending on the person who grades it, the type of telecine used, and the state of repair it is in. Under­ standing the process is thus crucial to the filmmaker.

Basic methods Each shot is not graded in isolation: it will be viewed in the context of the preceding and succeeding shots.

Two basic grading methods are used.

The first is ‘On-the-run’. Here, the film is graded as it is being trans­ ferred to videotape. A basic grade is set at the beginning, and may be modified, if necessary, as the film is running. This method can be used for transferring graded prints, rushes and double-heads. A variation is the ‘run-stop-run’ technique: if the running grade is not good, then the recording is stopped, the grade is modified, a pick-up edit is made and the process continued. The major saving is in time.

The second and more critical method is ‘Shot-by-shot’. Here, each shot is graded and the colour and other panel settings are stored in a computer memory, along with the shot start and finish times. Gradual changes can also be programmed within the scene. The film is then cleaned ultrasonically and trans­ ferred to videotape, with the com­ puter making the grading changes automatically.

The second method allows more time to be spent on grading each shot, to ensure colour continuity throughout the whole reel. Previous grades can be called up from memory and tried on the new shot; an individual frame can be blown up or repositioned; and, using a split screen, it can be compared to a

grade already recorded on tapes.

This method can be used when complex mattes are produced for special effects. A variation on the shot-by-shot method is the 'auto­ shot detector’, which senses the end of a shot and automatically enters the desired grade.

The first method can produce good results if the film’s colour and exposure variations are not too great, and if the grader is skilled and understands what the filmmaker wants. It takes a lot less time, since it basically consists of set-up, reel change and set-down time, plus the actual film’s running time.

The shot-by-shot method usually ensures the very best result, but may take anywhere from three to ten times the film's running time, with a corresponding increase in cost. But it is the method preferred by most clients.

Organizing the telecine session Telecine graders are part of an organization separate from the pro­ duction com pany. Within that organization, they will be carrying out other work, and will almost cer­ tainly not be working exclusively on a single production. There are various ways of approaching the grader and determining how your interests will be handled. My recom­ mendations are as follows: Firstly, arrange for the telecine grader’s involvement in pre-produc­ tion meetings with the post-produc­ tion company. Here, the grader should be involved in discussing the production values that you are trying to achieve, and the likely telecine budget. Suggestions at this stage may lead to tests, where the DOP will shoot representative scenes from the script and bring them to the telecine to look at the grading options. The various possible paths through the telecine process are displayed on the flow chart.

The discussion with the DOP will also cover some of the subjective aspects, i.e. what is warm, what is cold, and so on. This is important, because the schedule of the shoot will obviously mean that the DOP will not be able to attend all the grading sessions if they are carried out during production. This should ensure that, during the shoot, the telecine operator can obtain feed­ back from the DOP — which may be just a note on the camera sheets, saying “ Nighttime, so grade it cold” or “ This should match the interior in the first episode” .

The pre-production meeting also determines how the shots will be logged and cross-referenced to pre­ vious material, so that the grader can ensure that scenes which will be cut together but have been shot on totally different days will eventually match. This will ensure that the final master will not have, for example, intercuts that stand out.

It is not easy to achieve this final technical and colour continuity, par­ ticularly if the grading takes place over a long period of time. There usually has to be some re-grading and re-insertion of shots into the master tape, which is the major dis­ advantage of this method of parallel

post-production.

As the flow-chart diagram shows, there are other paths that end with one intensive telecine grading session. Here, the advantage is that everyone who needs to be involved can attend the session, and it should be possible to achieve a graded result pleasing to all. This method also reduces emphasis on judging the results of the grading on poor-quality monitors and off lowband VCRs, which is what occurs when you watch rushes that are being graded as you shoot.

To sum up, the process of getting film to videotape is a complex one, despite the apparent ease of the technology. And it is a process where personal judgement still plays a large part — something rarely recognized on the end credits. It is also, of course — though not all tele­ cine operators may like to admit it — a process which can have problems.

Here are some of them: Bad telecine grading may result in: • poor shot-for-shot- colour and vision-level continuity (“ Sorry, but it’s the best I can do with what you’ve shot, mate!” ); • over- and u n d e r-sa tu ra te d images (“ Blow it out? Well, OK” ); • unw anted discolo ura tion in shadow or highlight areas (“ There’s green in the blacks . . .” ); • misuse of the secondary colour corrector, producing selective dis­ tortions in hue and saturation (“ That’s good, but aren’t the faces a bit magenta?” ).

Bad telecine operational and engineering procedures may result in: • in c o rre c tly se t-u p g ra d in g monitors (“ Don’t worry: what you see is not what you’re getting!” ); • a telecine incorrectly aligned, so that the full range is not available (“ Sorry, that’s as much yellow as I can get out of it” ); • shading errors in the telecine (which can normally be corrected), resulting in uneven vision levels across the screen and/or discoloura­ tion and, in jump-scan telecines, the dreaded ‘flicker’ effect; • g e o m e tric d isto rtio n s (oval circles); • field-interlace errors, producing an image ‘jitter’ in one or more areas of the picture; • poor picture resolution: as tele­ cine tubes age, the system’s resolu­ tion is reduced (“ For some reason, that picture doesn’t look very sharp” ); • tube burns, producing flicker or discolouration; • dirt on the tube face, producing spots with little shadows on the image; • poor alignment, causing exces­ sive electronic noise in the picture; • too much light falling on the device which, in CCD telecines, causes the highlights to ‘bloom’.

Correction: On the first page of Technicalities’ in the last issue (Cinema Papers 57, May 1986), a photograph of the author of this article, Chris Hutson, was wrongly captioned as Brad Christiansen. Our apologies to both of them.

Technicalities’ is edited by Fred Harden.

If.

TELECINE A SUGGESTED FLOWCHART Preparation

CINEMA PAPERS July â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 71

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A vigorous film and television industry is of considerable importance to this state. Film Victoria is proud to be part of this industry, one which is an integral part of Victoria’s culture and which makes a significant contribution to the state’s economy During 1985/86 Film Victoria was involved as an investor in well over $50 million worth of production. The following are just a sample of the exciting projects which made up this investment: THE LANCASTER MILLER AFFAIR-SWORD OF HONOUR-KANG AROOMALCOLM-IN BETWEEN-POP MOVIE-WILLS AND BURKE THE UNTOLD STORY-CACTUS-DOGS IN SPACE-TALE OF RUBY ROSE. By virtue of its unique position in the industry and the skilled professionals who make up the Corporation, Film Victoria is able to provide an invaluable source of information for potential film investors, film makers, networks and others with a vital interest in the film and television industry.

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Out of Australia Jenny Trustrum

reports from the Alice Springs location of The Last Frontier The old house glows In the dark of the outback night. On the verandah, a woman sits, alone. From an out­ house, a man emerges, clutching a blanket. He tosses it, and a few casual words, across the stillness of the desert, and disappears into the darkness.

An unlikely start, perhaps, to the romantic climax of the TV miniseries, The Last Frontier. But it looks good, and the actors are American tele­ vision star, Linda Evans, and Aus­ tralia’s Jack Thompson. The setting is a specially constructed 'outback homestead’, built at a location 70 kilometres outside Alice Springs.

For five weeks in May and June, the cast and crew of The Last Frontier descended on Alice, setting the town agog with reports of whosaw-what-star-where. Numerous locations around the town itself were used as settings for the story of an American woman and her two child­ ren, struggling for survival in the harsh Australian outback.

The Last Frontier is an $11-million production from McElroy & McElroy.

Also In the cast are Jason Robards, Judy Morris, Tony Bonner, John Ewart and Toni Lamond. The direc­ tor is Simon Wincer (who did Phar Lap), and the writer is Michael Laurence, whose credits include the McElroy’s Return to Eden. As direc­ tor of photography, Ian Baker makes a welcome return to Australian pro­ duction, after working on overseas projects for the past four years.

According to executive producer Hal McElroy, The Last Frontier has been on the drawing board for three years, but the final piece in the jig­ saw — a sale to the American TV network, CBS — was not made until ten days before the shoot was due to begin (though the Ten Network here in Australia bought it a year ago). It was knife-edge timing, but McElroy maintains that sealing the American deal was crucial to the success of

the project: pending it, Linda Evans would take the lead role, guarantee­ ing huge American audiences.

Says McElroy: “ We’ve come to believe that the cost of Australian production has risen so dramatic­ ally, you have got to sell to the American market. Now, the Ameri­ can market is very parochial; so we thought: Why not put an American woman in jeopardy in the Australian outback? “ The Last Frontier is a very big and very ambitious project,’’ says McElroy. “ It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done: every step along the way has been fraught with problems and huge risks.” Of the twelve-week shoot, five were spent in Los Angeles, and most of the rest in Alice Springs. A cast and crew of over a hundred have been shuttled across the world — the international airfare bill alone comes to over $200,000 — and a caravan ofx 50 cars and semi-trailers had to make its way from Sydney to the red centre, carrying props, wardrobe, special effects and sophisticated computer editing and accounting equipment.

But both McElroy and Wincer agree that the discipline involved in getting the series done on the tight schedule available (partly dictated by the fact that Linda Evans has to get back to the US to resume work on Dynasty) has actually enhanced the creative process. “ Quite often,” says McElroy, “ the best creative work is done under very difficult circumstances.” ►

Where’s the star? From left, director Simon Wincer, Meredith Salinger and Beth Buchanan on the set o f The Last Frontier.

Enough is enough: Linda Evans and crew on the set o f The Last Frontier.

P R O D U C T I O N It i s t he tim e of th e y e a r w h e n p ro d u c e rs a re m o re lik e ly to b e ta lk in g to th e ir a c c o u n ta n ts th a n g e ttin g th e c a m e ra s ro llin g . T h e re a re a fe w , h o w e v e r, b ra v in g th e w in te r s k ie s . . .

R 0

U N D U P

A round-up of what is shooting, shot or about to film across Australia 74 — July CINEMA PAPERS

The feature, The Tale of Ruby Rose began production in the icy Walls of Jerusalem area near the Cradle Mountain National Park in Tas­ mania. Directed by Roger Scholes, the film is set in the thirties and traces the journey of a woman who has an intense fear of the darkness.

In w a r m e r c l i ma t e s , Ben Gannon’s Travelling North got underway on 30 June in Cairns. It stars Graham Kennedy (in another of David Williamson’s plays) and Leo McKern (best known as Rumpole).

Shooting began on Jane Ballantyne's next feature, Initiation, on 5 June in South Australia. This $3-million adventure story is directed

by Michael Pearce. Colin Friels plays the lead, Harvey Denton, in Michael Pattinson’s Ground Zero (part of the Burrowes Film Group package).

Shooting is scheduled to begin on 28 July in Coober Pedy, followed by a six-week shoot in Melbourne.

The docudrama Witch Hunt, pro­ duced and directed by Barbara Chobocky, is due to commence pro­ duction on 14 July. It investigates the so-called ‘Greek conspiracy’, which involved accusations of social security fraud, compensation for which was offered in June of this year.

Due for release early in 1987, the Burrowes Dixon production, Backstage (starring needless to say, Laura Brannigan), wrapped on 3 May. The $4.8-million croc film, Dark Age, finished an eight-week shoot in June.

The murder mystery, French­ man's Farm, directed by Ron Way, is nearing the end of post-produc­ tion. The production company, Mavis Bramston Productions, plans to release the feature in America this year.

Australians were once welcomed

in Bali, but now the Indonesian government is even turning away film crews. Producer of Promises to Keep, Jane Scott, was forced to shift the location of the film from Bali to the island of Phuket, in Thailand (where the miniseries, Vietnam, was shot in April). Production began there in late May. The other film from Laughing Kookaburra Productions, now titled Peter Kenna's The Good Wife, goes into post-production in June.

The latest movie to come from the Western Australian Barron Films, Shame, wrapped on 27 May and is scheduled for release in September.

Now in post-production, the pro­ ducers have decided on a relatively new editing technique. The film was shot on 16mm and transferred straight from the neg to threequarter-inch video. This is used as the work print, so the neg isn’t touched until the final cut. According to producer Damien Parer, "it really is going to be the way everyone goes” .

On the television front, there has been, not surprisingly, a little more activity. The Roadshow, Coote and Carroll telemovie, Army Wives, directed by Denny Lawrence, started a four-week shoot on 23 June. Based on a National Times article by Lyndall Crisp, it tells the story of two women married to army men and the restrictions it places upon them. The company’s other venture, The Challenge, wrapped at the end of May and is now in post­ production.

Seven Network’s series, Hey Day, will be shooting from 7 June to 23 August, and a second series of the ABC’s The Fast Lane, produced by Noel Price, will be In production until late September.

The Mediacast production, First

Take, also to be broadcast on the ABC, commenced in June. The series of 20 episodes brings together a range of independent films from Australia and New Zealand and will be hosted by film critic and writer, John Baxter. It follows Baxter’s other series of independent films for the ABC, The Cutting Room.

Shooting on the second series of the family adventure show, Butterfly Island, will finish at the end of July, th o u g h this time a ro un d Independent Productions is pro­ ducing the $3.2-million series for the Seven Network. It has the same cast, with the addition of the now obligatory import: Kerry Markwell plays the American.

Melba and Willing and Abel both began production in early June. The former miniseries looks at the ‘larger than life’ Nellie Melba, while the latter tells of the exploits of an odd business couple.

Three Crawford productions have now completed shooting: Alice to Nowhere, My Brother Tom, and the telemovie, A Place to Call Home.

The Fish are Safe and Joe Wilson both wrapped at the end of June.

Noni Hazlehurst has made her direc­ torial debut with the former, while the crew of Joe Wilson, after the depar­ ture of Jack Thompson, settled in with new director, Geoffrey Nottage.

Anthony Buckley’s first miniseries, The Harp in the South, will be in post-production until September.

After all the ‘boys’ shows, this one, we are told, brings women to the fore. ★

From left, Bill Hammond (focus puller), Geoffrey Nottage (director) and Matthew Fargher as Joe Wilson on the set o f Joe Wilson.

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Production Survey continued conscription hysteria and was resurrected as a hero, when he died in Memphis, lonely, bewildered and reviled at the age of 21.

Scriptwriter....................................................Tim Burstall Based on the original idea b y .............................................................. TimBurstall Sound recordist..........................................PeterBarber Editors..................................... Tony Kavanagh, Lyn Solly Prod, desianer......................... Laurie Johnson Composer.................................George Dreyfus Exec, producer.................... Antony I. Ginnane Associate producer..._Sigrid Thornton Prod, manager........................... DennisKiely Location manager.............. Val Windon ' , \ g m .

Prod, secretary....... Maureen Charlton y g j E p Prod, accountant............ Judy Murphy DOT IN CONCERT 1st asst director.............. Wayne Barry a a Prod, company.........................................YoramGross2nd asst director.......... Gary Stephens Unit manager.......................Don Page WMm%i Filmstudio Pty Ltd Producer..................................................YoramGrossContinuity....................... Sian Fatouros M M / ■ Director....................................................YoramGrossCasting................................Jenny Allen f j S g t Gauge...................................................... 35 mm Lighting cameraman...... Peter Hendry Scriptwriter................................................. JohnPalmer Synopsis: Dot and Old Tom, the violin-maker, Camera operator............ Roger Lanser W m M M Based on the original idea find the spread of a big city threatens their MM. b y ......................................................... YoramGrossFocus puller................. Paul Pandoulis lifestyles.

Assoc, producer..................................... SandraGrossClapper/loader................Robert Foster Key g rip ................................. Long John MM Length............................................................

75 minutes 8341: THE PYJAMA GIRL MURDER Asst grip.......................... GaryBurdett V Gauge...................................................... 35 mm (Working title) Gaffer.................................... Tim Jones M W m Cast: Dot goes to Hollywood to raise money for Electricians..................Ken Pettigrew, '. ¿ am Prod, company.......Ulladulla Picture Company sick koalas.

Robert Wickham ^ mm in association with FOOTROT FLATS — THE MOVIE Boom operator............. David Pearson Casablanca Film Works Designers............... John Pryce-Jones, Producers.................................... John Rogers, Prod, company............Magpie Productions Ltd AVENGERS OF THE CHINA SEAS Ken Muggleston John Wall Producers.................................................. JohnBarnett, Asst designer..................... Col Rudder Director.........................................John Rogers Prod, company........................ Nilsen Premiere Pat Cox Costume designer.......... Quentin Hole M Director........................................... Murray Ball Producer............................... Tom Broadbridge Scriptwriters..................................Dee Brierley, Director......................... Brian Trenchard-Smith Screenplay.............................................. MurrayBall, Makeup........................ Christine Ehlert John Rogers 'J iri Pavlin Scriptwriter..............................................PatrickEdgeworth Tom Scott Based on the novel by............. Robert Coleman Wardrobe...........................Ron Dutton Based on the original idea Prod, designer......................................... DarrellLass Based on the characters Wardrobe asst................... Roily Cano by..........................................................PatrickEdgeworth created by....................................Murray Ball Exec, producer.......................... Russell Keddie -Editor..................................................Alan Lake Post-production.................................... WinningPost Animation director................................. RobbertSmitProps........................................................... ClintWhite, .......

Russell Burton, Script editor...............................Chris Hampson Producer’s assistant.............................AmandaHay Laboratory................................................. Atlab .......

Chris Ryman Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Production supervisor................................ MikeMidlam Budget.......................................... $2.75 million Props buyers........................Paddy McDonald, Budget......................................................... $4.6millionLength.......................................... 120 minutes Prod, managers..................Mark D'Arcy-Irvine, ......

Susan Glavich Gauge................................. 35 mm anamorphic Kate Robinson Gauge......................................................35 mm Special effects........................... Brian McClure Synopsis: A contemporary action-adventure Shooting stock...........................................9247,5294Production asst................................Tim Adlide Armourer......................................

Peter Leggett story set on the South China Sea. Prod, accountants...........................Androulla, Synopsis: The film is based on the true story of Set decorator......................Robert Hutchinson Moneypenny Services (Australia) the Pyjama Girl Murder. A girl’s body was Construction manager............................. LaurieDorn CANDY REGENTAG Producer’s assistant........................... Rose Lai found in Sydney in 1934 and kept in a formalin Asst editors............................................... SandiEyles, Backgrounds.........................Richard Zaloudek bath at Sydney University, on view to Prod, company......................Rainy Day Pty Ltd Wayne Pashley Lay-out artists.....................

BrucePederson, Producer............................................... GraemeIsaacthousands of people, until the murder was Neg. cu tte r.................................................. PamToose solved in 1944.

Steve Lumley, Director....................................................JamesRicketson Sound editors........................... Peter Townend Pere Van Reik, Based on the original screenplay Lawrie Silvestrin Deane Taylor, b y .............................................................. DonCatchlove LES PATTERSON SAVES Mixer............................................................MarkWalker THE WORLD Photography...........................................MichaelEdols Paul Styble, Stunts co-ordinator...............

Peter Armstrong Prod, designer............................................. RobRicketson James Baker, Prod, company............Humpstead Productions Still photography........................Gary Johnston Exec, producer.............................................DonCatchlove Pty Ltd Leanne Hughes, Horsemaster..........................................

GrahamWare Prod, supervisor......................................BrendaPam Producer...................................................... SueMilliken Jan D’Silva, Liberty horses........................... Evanne Brand Laboratory..................................................Atlab Director...................................................GeorgeMiller John Martin Publicity.....................................

Georgie Brown Budget.................................................$750,000 Sound recordist........................ Sid Butterworth Animators................................ Don Mackinnon, Catering.....................................A & B Catering Length.............................................................95minutes Prod, designer..........................................GraceWalker Jon McClenahan, Studios........................... ABC, French’s Forest Gauge........................................... Super 16 mm Exec, producer....................................... DianneMillstead Alistair Byrt, Mixed a t..............................ABC Forest Studios Cast: Patsy Stephen (Candy Regentag), Prod, co-ordinator............... Fiona McConaghy Gairden Cooke, Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Warwick Moss (Reg Regentag).

Prod, manager........................................... TonyWinley Chris Hauge, Length......................Miniseries 6 x 50 minutes, Synopsis: Candy works as a prostitute in Location manager.....................................DavidMalacari Bob Baxter, Feature film 2 hours Bambi’s Health Studio and Massage Parlour Unit manager................................................ TicCarroll Andrew Szemenyai, Gauge......................................................

35 mm with Lola, Veronica, Bibi, Gayle and Fleur. She Prod, secretary.........................................LesleyParker Jim Wylie, Cast: John Stanton (Magwitch), Sigrid meets Reg. A love story set in the unreal world Prod, accountant...........Moneypenny Services Simon O’Leary, Thornton (Bridget), Robert Coleby (Comof the brothel, where the emotional terrain is 1st asst director..........................................BrianGiddens Lianne Hughes, peyson), Noel Ferrier (Jaggers), Gerard Continuity..........................................JenniTosi readily identifiable.

Nick Harding, Kennedy (Tooth), Todd Boyce (Pip), Anne Casting............................... Liz Mullinar Casting John Burge, Louise Lambert (Estella), Bruce Spence Wardrobe................................................... AnnaSenior Henry Neville, THE CRICKETER (Gargery), Ron Haddrick (Tankerton), Jill Length.......................................................... 100minutes James Baker, (Working title) Forster (Miss Havisham).

Gauge......................................................35 mm Greg Ingram Synopsis: Great Expectations — The Untold Prod, company.......................................MonroeStahrSynopsis: Les Patterson saves the world from Assistants................................ Denise Kirkham, Story takes the character Abel Magwitch from Productions Ltd a shocking fate.

Murray Griffin, Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations, Producer......................................... ChristopherKiely Lucinda Clutterbuck, and builds a story around his life, from the time Director.......................................................BarryPeak PANDEMONIUM Wally Macarti, he was exiled in Australia as a convict, until he Scriptwriter.............................Michael Quinlan Darek Polkowski, Prod, company........................................ K.F.M.Pandemonium made his fortune and returned to England.

Based on the original idea Astrid Nordheim, Pty Ltd by............................................................ BarryPeak Barbara Coy, Producer.................................... Robert Francis Photography...............................................JohnOgden Paul Stibal, Director...................................... Haydn Keenan Sound recordist.......................................... John Rowley GROUND ZERO Victor Juy Scriptwriters...............................................PeterGailey, Editor........................................ -.Ralph Strasser In-betweeners.......................... Maxim Gunner, (Working title) Haydn Keenan Exec, producer.........................Phillip J. Dwyer RickTinschert, Prod, company................. Ground Zero Pty Ltd Assoc, producer........................................... RayPond Exec, producer.............................. Patric Juillet Barbara Coy, Assoc, producers..........................

Alex Cutler, Producer...............................

Michael Pattinson Prod, secretary....................................... JanetteDeason ■Gaillyn Gadston, Michael Wilcox Line producer............................Stuart Freeman Prod, accountant..................................... MareeMayall Paul Baker, Music................................................Greg Ham, Director................................. Michael Pattinson Focus puller................................................ RosyCass Liz Thomas, Colin Hay, Co-director................................................ BruceMyles Wardrobe................................................. RachelNott Robert Malherbe, James Reyne, Scriptwriters................................................. JanSardi, Budget ...............................................$690,000 Carol Seidl, Ross Wilson Mac Gudgeon Gauge........................................... Super 16 mm Ken Keys, Photography.......................... David Sanderson An original idea b y ....................................... JanSardi, Synopsis: The High Plains cricketer comes to Melanie Allen, Sound and music director.........Cameron Allan Mac Gudgeon, town.

Maria Haren, Editor............................................... Paul Healy Michael Pattinson Phillip Scarrold, Prod, designer.......................... Melody Cooper Photography...............................

Steve Dobson DEAR CARDHOLDER Chris Evans, Cast: Amanda Dole, Candy Raymond, Ian Sound recordist..........................Gary Wilkins Kathy O’Rourke, Nimmo, David Argue, Richard Moir, Mercia Prod, company........................Mermaid Beach Editor......................................... David Pulbrook Clare Lyonette, Productions Pty Ltd Deane-Johns, Henk Johannes, David Bracks, Prod, designer...........................Brian Thomson Wayne Kelly, Producer........................................................ BillBennett Ashley Grenville.

Exec, producer....Burrowes Film Group Pty Ltd Darek Polkowski, Synopsis: A pagan passion play set under and D i r e c t o r ....................................................BillBennett Prod, co-ordinator............................... ChristineHart Sarah Lawson, on the shores of Bondi beach, with bulk Scriptwriter..................................................... BillBennett Prod, m anager......................... Narelle Barsby Victor Juy ratbaggery and meaning.

Photography.............................................. GeoffBurton Unit manager..........................................MichaelBatchelor Animation checkers...................... Kim Craste, Editor.........................................Denise Hunter Unit runner................................ Douglas Green Liz Lane, Composer.............................. Michael Atkinson THE ROBOT STORY Prod, secretary....................................... MelissaWiltshire Kim Marden Assod. producer............................... Jenny Day Location manager............... ....... Stephen Saks Prod, company.........................................YoramGross Colour stylist...........................

Sharon Jackson Prod, manager.............................................SueSeeary Prod, accountant.........................Jim Hajicosta Film Studio Pty Ltd Location manager................. Debbie Samuels Ink and paint................................Jack Petruska Prod, assistant............................ Susan Benfer Producer................................................. YoramGross Sound dditor.............................Danny Cooper (Animation Aids) 1st asst director........................................ StuartFreeman Director....................................................YoramGross M ixer.........................................Brett Robinson Rendering...................................................Vicki Joyce 2nd asst director........................... Ian Freeman Scriptwriter.................................................GregFlynn Mixed a t.................................... Sound On Film 3rd asst director........................Michael Rumpf Assoc, producer......................................SandraGrossCamera.................................................... JennyOsche Laboratory................................................. Atlab Editor....................................................... DennisJones Producer’s secretary................................GillianCampbell Length.............................................................75minutes Length.............................................................92minutes Sound editor................................. John McKay Camera operator................................Ian Jones Gauge......................................................35 mm Gauge............. ........................................ 35 mm Publicity.........................................Rea Francis Focus pulle r.................................Mark Sullivan Synopsis: A boy and his robot pal are Cast: Robin Ramsay (Hec Harris);, Jennifer Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Key g rip ........................................Barry Hanson launched into space.

Cluff (Aggie), Marion Chirgwin (Jo).

Cast: Voices: John Clarke, Peter Hayden, Grip............................. ..............Darren Hanson Synopsis: This is a story about a man who Fiona Samuel, Dorothy McKegg, Billy T. Louma crane operator..................................JeffBrown SOMETHING GREAT exceeds his limit on his credit card, so he takes James.

Camera crane.............................. Brian Basisto out five more credit cards to pay off the first.

Prod, company.................................. BoulevardFilmsSynopsis: An aminated feature. The adven­ Gaffer........................................... Ian Dewhurst Producer ............................ Frank Howson tures of Dog and Wal, and the characters of 3rd electrics................................................. NickPayne DOT AND THE TREE Footrot Flats.

Scriptwriters............ ................ .Frank Howson, Boom operator........................................... MarkWasiutac Jonathan Hardy Art director.............................................. RobertDein Prod, company......................................... YoramGross GREAT EXPECTATIONS Exec, producer.......................................... PeterBoyle Make-up supervisor...................................FionaCampbell Film Studio Pty Ltd Prod, accountant........................... Newell Lock Special effects make-up.............Bob McCarron Prod, company........... Australian Broadcasting Producer.................................................. YoramGross Budget...................................................... $5.98 million Art director.............................................. RobertDein Corporation, International Film Director.................................................... YoramGross Co-ordinator/draftsman.................. Robert Leo Management Limited Scriptwriter................................................. GregFlynnLength...........................................................120minutes Standby props............................................HarryZettel Synopsis: The true story of the trials and Producers........................................Ray Alehin, Animation director...................................... AtholHenry Art dept runner....................................... AndreaJohnston triumphs of Australia's golden boy of boxing Tom Burstall Assoc, producer......................................SandraGross Special effects.................................. Alan Maxwell,► who fell from grace as a result of World War I ’s Director...........................................Tim Burstall Length............................................................. 75minutes

The Cinema Papers Production Survey

A full listing of the features, telemovies, documentaries and shorts now in preproduction, production or post-production in Australia.

FEATURES

PRODUCTION

FEATURES

PRE-PRODUCTION

CINEMA PAPERS July — 75

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Production Survey continued

Special effects..............................Peter Evans, Miles (Boy).

Sound editors.......................... Gary Woodyard, WITCH HUNT Brian Pearce Synopsis: After a savage hit and run the Tim Chau Prod, company............Documentary Films Ltd Construction manager............. Ken Hazelwood victims exact revenge upon their assailant.

Sound supervisor....................... Terry Rodman Producer.........................Barbara A. Chobocky Carpenter/fencer....................................... RobinHartley Revenge turns to bloodshed and terrifying Sound trainee...............................................TimStuart Co-producer.................................... Chris Oliver Carpenter/painter...................................... ColinBirgell relentless violence.

Sound assts..........................................JenniferHortin, Director...........................Barbara A. Chobocky Stunts co-ordinator..................................... GlenBoswell Sue Lamshed Photography...................................... Jeff Bruer Action vehicle mechanic.............David Thomas Editing assistant.......................................SimonJames THE TALE OF RUBY ROSE Scriptwriters.................. Barbara A. Chobocky, Nurse..........................................Megan Cooper Still photography........................................

GregNoakes Prod, company.................................. Seon Film Sue Castrique Storyboard artist..............................Alfred Borg Best boy............................................ Jack Wight Productions Pty Ltd Editor................................................. Liz Stroud Mechanic.................................... David Thomas Brannigan’s asst/driver..................

Ian (Jo) Jury Dist. company................................... Worldwide Exec, producer..............Anne Basser(SBSTV) Best bo y ........................................................ LexMartin Unit runner........................................ Rick Lewis excluding Australasia Production consultant................ Damien Parer Publicity.......................... Suzie Howie Publicity Publicity.....................................................

Suzie Howie Film and General Holdings, 1st asst director................................. Liz Stroud Mixed at............................................. Soundfirm Catering................ Richard and Jenny Roques Hemdale Length..............................................90 minutes Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Budget............................................................ $7 million Producers................................................. BryceMenzies, Gauge......................................................16 mm Lab. liaison.........................Richard Piorkowski Length...........................................................120minutes Andrew Wiseman Shooting stock............................................ECN Budget............................................. $7,000,000 Cast: Laura Brannigan (Jenny Anderson).

Director.....................................................Roger Scholes Cast: George Donikian.

Length........................................................... 105minutes Synopsis: A contemporary comedy/drama set Scriptwriter.................................

Roger Scholes Synopsis: Witch Hunt is a story of trial and Gauge.................................35 mm anamorphic in Melbourne and New York. It is the story of a Project development.............Katherine Scholes error, innocence and guilt. It was an attempt to Shooting stock......................................... Kodak female American singing star who has Based on the original idea find a crime — the’ so-called ‘Greek Con­ Cast: Colin Friels (Harvey Denton). achieved worldwide success in the rock music b y .......................................................... RogerScholes spiracy’ — but it turned into a massive error field, but now wants success as a dramatic Photography............................................. SteveMasonin judgement that was revealed as a INITIATION actress. She travels to Australia and struggles Sound recordist........................................... BobCutcher conspiracy of a far larger order. Elements of to rebuild her career and her life.

Prod, company........................... Filmbar Pty Ltd Composer.................................................... PaulSchutze this are still under investigation.

Dist. company....................................Worldwide Exec, producer.......................................... BasiaPuszka excluding Australasia Assoc, producer............................................ IanPringle THE BEE-EATER Prod, manager..................Christine Gallagher Goldfarb Distributors Inc. Prod, company....................................DaedalusFilms Producer.................................. Jane Ballantyne Prod, base supervisor..................................KenDawes Producer....................................................HilaryFurlong Director...................................................MichaelPearce Unit manager............................................ PhillipHealy Director................................................... GeorgeOgilvie Scriptwriter.............................................. JamesBarton Helicopter supervisor.................................RussJackson Scriptwriter................................................ HilaryFurlong Based on the original idea Prod, secretary........................................... TerriGoldsmith Based on a short story b y ................ Jane Hyde Prod, doctor.......................Jeannie Ledingham by........................................................ MichaelPearce Photography..................................................JeffDarling Photography........................ Geoffrey Simpson Prod, accountant..........................Jenny Davies Sound recordist............................................ PhilStirling Sound recordist......................... Toivo Lembner 1st asst director........................................ JamieLegge Editor...................................Nicholas Beauman Editor.......................................................DeniseHaratzis 2nd asst director................................. KatherineScholes Prod, designer...........................................Owen Paterson Prod, designer.... .........................Jon Dowding Continuity................................................ RobynCrawford Composer......................................... Chris Neal Exec, producer.................... Antony I. Ginnane Casting.............................. Liz Mullinar Casting Prod, supervisor..........................................Lynn Gaiiey BACKSTAGE Prod, co-ordinator....................................Jennie Crowley Focus puller................................................ John Platt Prod, manager.....................Fiona McConaghy Gaffers....................................................WarrenMearns, Prod, company....................... Backstaqe Films Prod, manager......................................... RobertKewley Unit manager..............................................HughJohnston Pty Ltd Alleyn Mearns Unit manager........................................... MasonCurtis Location m anager........................ Robin Clifton Producer..... ........................ Geoffrey Burrowes Boom operator...........................................CraigBeggs Prod, accountant.................. Christopher Hunn Prod, secretary........................ Vicki Popplewell Co-producer................................Frank Howson Art directors.............................................. BrycePerrin, Accounts assistant...................................... AlexWalker Base office liaison.................................. JaneneKnight Director................................... Jonathan Hardy Harold Riley 1st asst director..........................................EuanKeddie Prod, accountants........ Moneypenny Services, Make-up......................................................Jane ByrneScriptwriters.......................... Jonathan Hardy, 2nd asst director..........................................GusHoward Alan Marco, Frank Howson Wardrobe...................................................HelenPoynder 3rd asst director......................................... KevinTurner Michele Day Photography...............................Keith Wagstaff Wardrobe assistant............... Maryanne Whyte Continuity...........................Joanne McLennan 1st asst director..........................................Chris Webb Props buyer............................................... PeterWoofSound recordist....................John Schiefelbein Camera operator................................. GeoffreySimpson Standby props.......................................... AdeleFlere Editor............................................................ RayDaley2nd asst director.........Carolynne Cunningham Focus puller..............................................MartinTurner 3rd asst director........................................

Henry Osborne Set construction..................................... AshleyDuff, Prod, designer...........................................LeslieBinns Clapper/loader...................................Jo Murphy Continuity........................................ Jo Weeks Exec, producers.................................. GeoffreyBurrowes, Glen Marshall, Key grip........................................ Robin Morgan Casting consultants..................................

Hilary Linstead Dennis Wright, Geoff Fenton Grip............................................. John Goldney & Associates John Kearney, Still photography....................................... PeterWhyte, Gaffer.......................................... Trevor Toune Focus puller.............................................. GarryPhillips John Powditch Jan Dallas Electrician/generator Clapper/loader....................................

Susi Stitt Assoc, producer........................................

Peter Boyle Runner.............................................

Julian Ball operator.............................................. WernerGerlach Key grip...................................Brendan Shanley Prod, supervisor............................................ BillRegan Catering......................Rod Thorpe — Raffertys Boom operator...........................................ScottRawlins Asst grip s ..............................................Matthew Tindale, Mixed a t................................................... SoundFirm Prod, co-ordinator................................Jan Stott Art director............................................... PaddyReardon Rourke Crawford-Flett Unit manager............................................... DonKeyte Laboratory.............................................C inevex Costume designer.................Aphrodite Kondos Gaffer................................................

Simon Lee Asst unit manager........................................TomJannike Lab. liaison................................... Ian Anderson Hairdresser/make-up................. Kirsten Veysey Electrician................................................ShaunConway Prod, receptionist..................................... KarenMcKenna Budget.............................................$1,200,000 Standby wardrobe................. Ruth De La Land Boom operator........................................... MarkWasiutak Length............................................................ 95minutes Prod, accountant........... Managecomp Pty Ltd Props buyer...................... Christopher Webster Art dept co-ordinator................ Sue Pemberton Stan Seserko Gauge......................................................35 mm Standby props........................................... PeterDavies Asst art director.................................Phil Drake Shooting stock............... Kodak 5247 and 5294 Set construction..........................................John Moore Financial adviser..........................................KenLovell Cast: Melita Jurisic (Ruby Rose), Chris Hay­ Prod, assistant........................................... LydiaCoverCostume designer..................................... AnnaFrench Asst editor.................................................SimonJames Asst to 1st asst director........................................... BobDonaldson costume designer................ Fiona Reilly wood (Henry Rose), Rod Zuanic (Gem), Martyn Sound editor................................................GlenNewnham Make-up......................................................JoanHills, 2nd asst director............................................ IanKenny Sanderson (Bennett), Sheila Florance Mixer.........................................................JamesCurrie Johanne Santry 3rd asst director......................................... BrianGilmore (Grandma).

Stunts co-ordinator..................................... GlenBoswell Hairdressers.................................... Joan Hills, Location liaison........................................ StuartMenzies Synopsis: Located among the haunting peaks Still photography...................................... CorrieAncone Johanne Santry Continuity.................................. Christine Lipari and brooding mists of Tasmania’s Central Best boy................................................. GraemeShelton Producer’s secretary.................................... KimSnowStandby wardrobe..................... Fiona Nicholls Highlands, The Tale of Ruby Rose is the story Runner.......................................................DavidSorenson Ward, assistant........................Julie Frankham Casting............................................ Liz Mullinar of a woman overcoming an intense fear of the Catering....................................... Danny Popper Wardrobe van driver................ Simon Hawkins Camera operator...................................... DavidEggby dark.

Studios................................................... HendonStudios Props buyer...............................

Alethea Deane Focus puller...............................................DavidStevens Mixed a t................................................. HendonStudios Standby props............................................ ColinGibson Clapper/loader.......................................... LeighParker Laboratory............................... Colorfilm Pty Ltd TERRA AUSTRALIS Special effects..............................................RayFowler Key g rip ......................................................GregWallace Lab. liaison......................... Richard Piorkowski Prod, company.........................................YoramGrossAsst g rip s............................. Richard Allardice, Special effects a s s t............................ Colin Holt Budget............................................................ $3 million Film Studio Pty Ltd Set decorator................................................LeaHaig Adrian Kortus Length.............................................................97minutes Producer................................................. YoramGrossGaffer.........................................................ColinWilliams Set finisher................................... Sue Maybury Gauge......................................................35 mm Director....................................................YoramGrossElectrix 1......................................... Greg Wilson Draughtsman...............................................DaleDuguid Shooting stock............... Kodak Eastmancolour Scriptwriter.................................................GregFlynnGenerator operator....................................... JonLeaver Construction managers............................... PhilWorth, Cast: Bruno Lawrence (Nat), Rodney Harvey Based on the original Idea b y .........Greg Flynn, Wayne Allan Boom operator..........................................GrantStuart (Billy), Anna-Maria Winchester (Sal), Miranda Yoram Gross Art dept runner...................................Grant Lee Art dept co-ordinator............................. KrystinePorter Otto (Stevie).

Animation director..................Graham Sharpe 1st asst editor.................................... Rick Lisle Asst art director.........................................DavidO’Gradey Synopsis: A high adventure story of a boy’s Assoc, producer..................................... SandraGrossMake-up supervisor...................................FionaCampbell 2nd asst editor.............................................Nick Breslin initiation into manhood through trial and ordeal Length............................................................ 75minutes Dubbing editor..............................................TimJordan Make-up a rtist..............................................LoisHohenfels after a plane crash in the remote Australian Gauge......................................................35 mm Asst dubbing editors.................................

David Rae, Hair stylist.................................................. TerryWorth rainforest. It is a life or death journey that S yn o p sis: An A ustralian B icentennial Nick Breslin Hairdresser............................................. AndreaCadzow involves magic and ritual.

Authority endorsed animation feature set in Asst make-up..........................................AngelaConteMusical director.........................................ChrisNeal Australia about 40,000 years ago.

Sound editors.................................Tim Jordan, Wardrobe designer....................................JaneHyland MARAUDERS Anne Breslin, Standby wardrobe..................................MargotLindsay, Prod, company.......................The Magic Men TRAVELLING NORTH Karin Whittington Cathy Farr Producer.................................................... MarkSavage Sound editing assts...’............................... DavidRae, Wardrobe co-ordinator.................................PhilChambers Prod, company............... View Pictures Limited Director.......................................................MarkSavage Nick Breslin Producer........................................ Ben Gannon Wardrobe supervisor............... Sandra Cichello Scriptwriter................................................. MarkSavage Foley editor............................................ AndrewSteuart Props buyer..............................Barry Kennedy Director.........................................................CarlSchultz Photography...............................................MarkSavage Scriptwriter................................................ DavidWilliamson Set decorators........................................... PeterKendall, Mixer..........................................................PeterFenton Sound recordists.................... Paul Harrington, Based on the play b y.................................DavidWilliamson Viv Wilson Stunts co-ordinator...................................... GuyNorris Richard Wolstencroft Photography............................................ JulianPenney Painter......................................... Allan Simms Still photography...........................................JonLewis, Editors......................................... Mark Savage, Construction manager................ Bruce Michell Sound recordist.......................Syd Butterworth Jim Sheldon Paul Harrington Prod, designer.........................Owen Paterson Construction dept...............................CampbellBurdon, Dialogue coach........................................... GinaPioro Composers...........................John Merakovsky, Prod, supervisor................... Sandra McKenzie Best b o y ....................................................Jason Rogers Ron Michell, Mark Horpinitch Prod, co-ordinator.....................................CathyFlannery Runner.......................................................DarrylGrant Murray Wilson, Exec, producers.............Richard Wolstencroft, Prod, manager............................................ Julia Overton Chaperone....................................................Jan Reid Johnny Rodder Colin Savage Prod, accountant..........................Jill Coverdale Nurses..................................................MeredithClark, Prod, accountant................. David Wolstencroft Prod, assistant...........................Harriet McKern Maggie McKay Prod, assistants.......................... Colin Savage, 1st asst director......................................... ColinFletcher Unit publicist............................................. AnniePage Richard Wolstencroft, 2nd asst director..................................... MurrayRobertson Catering..................................................... KathyTrout Paul Harrington 3rd asst director.............................. Jane Griffin Mixed at.................................................... UnitedSound Casting.....................................The Magic Men Continuity............................................... PamelaWillis Laboratory............................................Colorfilm Lighting cameraman..................................MarkSavage Focus puller...................................................IanThorburn Lab. liaison......................... Richard Piorkowski Camera assistant.............Richard Wolstencroft Key g rip ....................................................... PaulThompson Budget......................................................... $2.4million Key grip...................................................Du Doo Gaffer........................................................... RegGarside Gauge......................................................35 mm Boom operator........................... Megan Napier Help us make this Production Boom operator..................................... Sue Kerr Shooting stock .......................................... Kodak Make-up..................................... Sonia Berton Survey as complete as poss­ Costume designer......................... Jennie Tate Cast: John Hargreaves (Neil McAdam), Special effects/make-up............................ ColinSavage Make-up.................................................. VioletteFontaine ible. If you have something Heather Mitchell (Margot Ryan), Tushka Hose Musical director.......................................... John Merakovsky Hairdresser.............................. Wendy De Waal (Ellie McAdam), Margo Lee (May Ryan), Willie which is about to go into preStunts co-ordinator....................Shaun Sullivan Set decorator..........................................Alethea Deane Fennell (Fred Ryan), Garry McDonald (Dan production, let us know and we Still photography............Richard Wolstencroft, Runner....................................................... DavidJoyce Burroughs), Julie Hamilton (Enid Burroughs), Colin Savage will make sure it is included.

Publicity.......................... Patti Mostyn Publicity Aileen Britton (Gran), Brendon Lunney Title designer................................................. MrKhyron Call Kathy Bail on (03) (Seymour).

Laboratory..................................................Atlab Length...............................................80 minutes Lab. liaison................................................. PeterWillard 329 5983, or write to her at Synopsis: A bitter-sweet comedy about love Gauge........................................ Highband BVU Length......................................

95minutes and sex and growing up in the sixties.

Cinema Papers, 644 Victoria Cast: Colin Savage (Emilio East), Zero Gauge..................................................... 35 mm S treet, North M elbourne, Montana (J.D. Kruger), Megan Napier Shooting stock......................................... Kodak Victoria 3051.

(Rebecca Howards), Paul Harrington (David Cast: Leo McKern(Frank), Graham Kennedy Please help us keep this survey Fraser), Janie Feuron (wronged daughter), (Freddy), Julia Blake(Frances),Henri Szeps accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on Sonia Berton (Penny East), Audrey Davies (Saul).

(Mother Kruger), Anna Hampsen (Jaime (03) 329 5983 with any errors or Synopsis: Based on David Williamson’s play, Winters), Nick Bradley (Craig Kruger), Craig omissions.

Travelling North.

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DOGS IN SPACE Length............................................................ 75minutes DARK AGE passes through a time warp taking her back Gauge.....................................................35 mm into the 1940s. A bizarre murder mystery Prod, company................Entertainment Media Prod, company................ FG Film Productions Cast: Keith Scott, Robyn Moore. unfolds.

Pty Ltd in association with (Australia) Pty Limited for Synopsis: Dot and her bushland friends try to the Burrowes Film Group International Film Management Limited stop wildlife smugglers from capturing a Producer...................................... Glenys Rowe JUST US Dist. company.........RKO Pictures Inc. through Bunyip.

Director.............................. Richard Lowenstein Embassy Home Entertainment Prod, company.................Entertainment Media Scriptwriter.........................Richard Lowenstein Producer..................................................... BasilAppleby Pty Ltd DOT AND THE WHALE Based on the original idea Director..................................... Arch Nicholson Producer......................................... Peter Beilby Written b y ..................................................SoniaBorg, b y ................................... Richard Lowenstein Prod, company........................................ YoramGrossDirector................................................... GordonGlenn Photography...........................Andrew de Groot from a screenplay by Filmstudio Pty Ltd Scriptwriter...................................................TedRoberts Sound recordist............................ Dean Gawen Sonia Borg, Producer......................................Yoram Gross Based on the novel by...............Gabrielle Carey Editor................................................ Jill Bilcock Tony Morphett, Director........................................Yoram Gross Photography.....................................Ellery Ryan Exec, producer........................................ RobertLeTet Stephen Cross Scriptwriter...................................John Palmer Sound recordist....................................Ian Ryan Prod, manager..........................................LyndaHouse Based on the novel, Numunwari, * Animaton director........................Ray Nowland Editor..........................................................

JohnDutton b y .....................................................GrahameWebbUnit manager....................................Kim Lewis Assoc, producer...........................Sandra Gross Exec, producer............................. Robert Le Tet Prod, secretaries......................................... SueStephens, Photography..........................................AndrewLesnie Prod, manager.......................... Narelle Hopley Prod, co-ordinator......................Christine Hart Jakki Mann Sound recordist..........................................GaryWilkins Length............................................................ 75minutes Prod, manager...............................John Jacob Editor........................................................AdrianCarr Prod, accountant............................. Anne Galt Gauge..................................................... 35 mm Unit manager................................. Tony Leach 1st asst director......................... Ross Hamilton Prod, designer.......................... David Copping Cast: Keith Scott, Robyn Moore.

Prod, secretary...........................................KerryStacey 2nd asst director..........................................PaulGrinder Composer...........................Danny Beckerman Synopsis: Dot and Neptune the dolphin battle Prod, accountant..............................Anne Galt 3rd asst director..................... Margot Salomon Prod, manager..........................Renate Wilson to save the life of a beached whale.

1st asst director......................... Robert Kewley Unit manager............................................. ChrisJonesContinuity.................................................. GaylePigalle Continuity............................................... JoanneMcLennan Casting consultants...............................Forcast Prod, secretary........................... Paula Bennett FRENCHMAN’S FARM Casting consultants...........Liz Mullinar Casting Camera operator.............................. Paul Elliot Prod, accountant.......................................... LeaCollins Camera operator............................. Ellery Ryan Prod, company....................... Mavis Bramston Accounts a ssts.........................................DebraCole, Focus puller............................ Steve McDonald Focus p ulle r...............................................LeighMcKenzie Productions Limited Clapper/loader.........................................MandyWalker Trish Griffith Key g rip ...................................... Barry Hansen Dist company.........................CEL in Australia, 1st asst director.........................................BarryHall Key g rip....................................................... NoelMcDonald Gaffer..........................................

Ted Nordsvan Goldfarb Distribution Inc in USA Asst g rip .................................................. WayneMarshall 2nd_asst director........................................ChrisOdgers Electrician...................................John Brennan Producer................................. James Fishburn Gaffer........................................................... PaulO’Neill 3rd asst director............................................KenMoffat Art director............................

Geoff Richardson Director................................................ Ron Way Boom operator..................... Stephen Vaughan Continuity...................................Kay Kennessy Asst art director.....................................Jill Eden Scriptwriter............................... William Russell Art director.................................... Jody Borland Casting................... Marlin Productions Pty Ltd Make-up/hair.....................Amanda Rowbottom Based on the screenplay Casting consultants................................... FaithMartinHair and make-up......................... Carolyn Nott, Wardrobe...............................Alexandra Tynan b y ..........................................William Russell Troy Davies Extras casting...........................Jan Kingsbury Ward, assistant.......................................Denise Braddon Photography..................... Malcolm McCulloch Wardrobe........................ Lynne Marie Milburn, Focus puller............................................... ColinDeane Props buyer/set dresser.... Keith Handscombe Sound recordist............................Max Bowring Karen Ansell 2nd focus puller.........................Felicity Surtees Standby props............................................ GregO’Connell Editor.......................................Pippa Anderson Props buyer.......................Steven Jones-Evans Clapper/loader........................................... PeterTerakes Runner/office............................................... KrisGintowt Composer..........................Tommy Tycho MBE Standby props........................ Macgregor Knox Key g rip.....................................Brett McDowell Laboratory........................................... Cinevex Exec, producer........................................ ColsonWorner Asst g rip......................................................John Tate Special effects........................................... PeterStubbs Length.............................................................95 minutes Assoc, producer..........................................Matt White Set construction............................................ IanMcLay Camera support system/ Gauge......................................................16 mm Prod, co-ordinator........................... Tina Butler Asst editor.................. Christina De Podolinsky armourer................................................. BrianBosislo Shooting stock....................................

Eastman Prod, manager................................

Penny Wall Music performed Assistant................................................GeorgioLiverio Cast: Scott Burgess (Terry), Catherine Location manager.................. David Adermann Gaffer.........................................................PeterO’Brienby.......................... Various Melbourne bands McClements (Gabby), Gina Riley ¡Jenny), Kym Prod, secretary..................... Margaret Garland Sound e dito r.................................Dean Gawen 2nd electrics..............................................SteveCarter Gyngell (Mouth).

Prod, accountant...................................

Belinda Williams Stunts co-ordinator.......................Glen Boswell 3rd electrics............................... Shaun Mackay 1st asst director.....................

Dorian Newstead Synopsis: A love story based on a book of the Still photography..............................Steve Pyke Boom operator......................... Mark Wasiutak 2nd asst director.........................................GaryWade same name by Gabrielle Carey.

Best b o y .......................................... Peter Scott Art director................................................... RonHighfield 3rd asst director...........................................Kurt Olsen Runner........................................... Jules Taylor Asst art director/ Continuity.....................................Anthea Dean Laboratory....................................................VFL scenic artist........................... Ro Bruen-Cook PETER KENNA’S THE GOOD WIFE C asting.................................................... JamesFishburn Length..............................................93 minutes Art dept runner/assistant.............Toby Copping Cinematographer..........................Henry Pierce Prod, company...............Laughing Kookaburra Gauge.....................Super 35 mm Techniscope Make-up supervisor.................. Bob McCarron Focus puller.....................................Brad Shield Productions Make-up.....................................................SonjaSmukShooting stock............................... Kodak 5294 Clapper/loader........................................... TontiConnolly Dist. company........................................AtlanticReleasing Cast: Michael Hutchence (Sam), Saskia Post Make-up assistant................................ AnnabelBarton Camera assistant...................................... GeoffOwen Corporation (Anna), Nique Needles (Tim), Andrew ClaytonHairdresser................................................. PaulWilliams Key grip............................................ Jack Lester Producer............................................Jan Sharp Jones (Nick), Tony Helou (Luchio), Martii Coles Wardrobe supervisor................................ AnnieBanjamin Asst grip.......................................Warren Grieef Director........................................................ KenCameron (Mark), Catherine Delaney (The girl), Peter Wardrobe assistant........... Lucinda McGuigan Scriptwriter................................................ PeterKenna Gaffer........................................... Tony Holtham Props m aker...............................................JohnMurchWalsh (Anthony), Caroline Lee (Jenny), Gary Based on the original idea b y ........Peter Kenna Electrician................................................. AdamWilliams Foley (Barry).

Props buyer............................................ DerrickChetwyn Photography............................................JamesBartle Boom operator............................................Mark Keating Standby props............................................ LiamLiddleSynopsis: A fast and furious love story set Sound recordist........................................... BenOsmo Art director............................................. RichardRooker amid the comedy, chaos and crazy con­ Special effects.......................... Brian Rollston, Editor..............................................John Scott Make-up/hairdresser............Margaret Lingham fusion of a typ ical inn e r-city shared Luke O’Halloran Prod, designer..........................Sally Campbell Wardrobe..............................................MaureenKlestov household as the indulgent years of the Model maker/speclal effects.... William Dennis Composer.................................Cameron Allan Ward, assistant..............................

Helen Mains seventies give way to the harsher realities of Assistant to Props b uyer................................................... JillLoof Assoc, producer...........................Helen Watts life in the eighties. model maker shop.................... Wayne Truce Prod, consultant.........................................GregRicketson Standby props............................................

John Watson Carpenter................Andrew Whitney-Gardiner Prod, co-ordinator.................. Elizabeth Symes Special effects........................Peter Shoesmith R igger................................................... BernardMartin DOT AND THE LAKE MONSTER Prod, manager..........................................HelenWatts Set construction........................................ DavidFranks Construction manager............................... JohnParker Prod, company.........................................YoramGross Unit manager............................................... LonLucini Asst editor....................................................

Ray Cooper Asst construction manager......................... PaulMartin Filmstudio Pty Ltd Prod, accountant..........Moneypenny Services, Assistant editor..........................................PhilipDixonProducer................................................. YoramGrossNeg. matching..........................................Atlab Gemma Rawsthorne Musical director.................

Tommy Tycho MBE Editing assistant......................................AntonyGray Director....................................................YoramGross Asst accountant.......................................... FranLanigan Sound editor............................................... GregBell Stunts co-ordinator....................................ChrisAnderson Scriptwriter.................................................GregFlynnEditing assistant.................. Danielle Weissner 1st asst director............................................ PhilRich Transport manager................................... RalphClarkBased on the original idea b y .........Greg Flynn, 2nd asst director........................................ CraigBolles Mixer.................................... Julian Ellingworth Assistant transport Yoram Gross Stunts co-ordinator.......................................PhilBrock3rd asst director........................................ GrantLee manager.........................Jeremy Hutchinson Animation director.....................Jacques Muller Continuity.............................................. ThereseO’Leary Still photography.................Richard Campion, Still photography.......................................... Jim Townley Assoc, producer..................................... SandraGross Casting...........................Liz Mullinar & Assoc., Gary Wade Boat master................................................ John BirrellProd, manager.................................... JeanetteToms Liz Mullinar Opticals..................................................... Atlab Best b o y .............................................. JonathanHughes Camera operator................ Peter Menzies Jnr Safety o fficer................................................Ken McLeod Runner/trainee............................................ FfionMurphy Focus p uller............................... Garry Phillips Unit nurse..................................................PaulaConnolly AFTVS attachment during Clapper/loader............................................ SusiStitt Best b o y ........................................................LesFrazier production.................................................. IvoBurum Key grip....................................Lester C. Bishop Runners........................................................LeeDunlop, Publicity................. The Rae Francis Company Asst g rip .......................................Terry C. Cook Marc Valinoti Unit publicist..............................Ronnie Gibson G affer............................................. Pav Govind Publicity....................................................... ReaFrancis Catering......................... MMK Services Pty Ltd Electrician.......................................Robert Burr Unit publicist...........................................RonnieGibson Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Boom operator............................... Geoff Krixs Catering..................................................... FrankManley Lab. liaison........................ Richard Piorkowski Costume designer........................ Jennie Tate Mixed a t......................................................Atlab Aust.

Length............................................................ 90minutes Help us make this Production Laboratory................................................. AtlabAust.Make-up........................................ Sally Gordon Gauge......................................................35 mm Survey as complete as poss­ Hairdresser................................... Willi Kenrick Lab. liaison.............................................GeorgeKenny Shooting stock......................................... Kodak ible. If you have something Wardrobe supervisor/stand-by...... Jenny Miles Budget.......................................................$2.47million Cast: John Jarratt (Steve Harris), Nikki Coghill Wardrobe assistant............................. Gabrielle Healy which is about to go into preLength...........................................................102minutes (Cathy Pope), Max Phipps (Besser), Burnham Gauge............................................................. 35mm Property master..........................David McKay production, let us know and we Burnham (Oondabund), David G u lp ilil Props buyer................................................. BiosFlint Shooting stock....................Kodak 5247 & 5294 will make sure it is included.

(Adjaral), Ray Meagher (Garret), Jeff Ashby Standby props..................... Karan Monkhouse Cast: Tracey Tainsh (Jackie Grenville), David Call Kathy Bail on (03) (Mac Wilson).

Scenic artist................................................. BillyMalcolm Reyne (Barry Norton), Norman Kaye (Rev. Synopsis: A huge rogue crocodile terrorises 329 5983, or write to her at Aldershot), John Meillon (Bill Dolan), Ray Asst scenic artist.......................................MartinBruveris the inhabitants of Darwin.

Cinema Papers, 644 Victoria Barrett (Benson), Andrew Blackman (Det. Set finisher................................................. BrianHammill Mainsbrldge), Phil Brock (John Hatcher), Kym Carpenters.................................... John Raun, S treet, North Melbourne, Lynch (George Slater), Andrew Johnston Andy Chauvell, Victoria 3051.

Please help us keep this survey (William Morris), Lynne Schofield (Madame Marcus Smith accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on Cheveraux).

Construction manager........................... DennisSmith Asst editor...................................

Pam Barnetta Synopsis: A university student is driving back (03) 329 5983 with any errors or to Brisbane in the summer of 1984 when she 2nd asst edito r............................Liz Goldsmith ►

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Production Survey continued

Bus hire.......................................... Kevin Bryant Still photography.......................Carolyn Johns, Oliver Strewe Best b o y .................................... Shaun Conway Catering........................................... Chris Smith Asst caterer........................................Billy Allen Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Lab. liaison......................... Richard Piorkowski Budget............................................. $3.5 million Length............................................. 90 minutes Gauge...................................................... 35 mm Shooting sto ck......................................... Kodak Cast: Rachel Ward (Marge Hills), Bryan Brown (Sonny Hills), Sam Neill (Neville Gifford), Steven Vidler (Sugar), Jennifer Claire (Daisy), Peter Cummins (Ned), Carole Skinner (Mrs Gibson), Clarissa Kaye-Mason (Mrs Jackson), Susan Lyons (Margaret Fielding), Barry Hill (Richard Fielding).

Synopsis: The film tells the story of a woman who breaks with convention and defies the taboos of an era in the pursuit of self knowledge and sexual fulfilment.

Asst grip......................................... David Cross Length.............................................. 60 minutes Exec, producers............................. MMA Films, 2nd camera operator............ Simon Akkerman AFC Gauge...................................................Betacam Gaffer.................................. Guy Bessell-Brown Synopsis: An unusual portrait of Alice Springs Prod, manager....................... Andrew McPhail Boom operator................................... Gary Carr and the red centre of Australia showing its Prod, accountants........................................ LynJones, Costume designer....................................... NoelHowell music, culture and striking rock features.

David Burns Make-up...................................................MarilynSmits Prod, assistant................................................ KitQuarry SPFX make-up......................... Liddy Reynolds 1st asst director...................... Andrew McPhail AUSTRALIAN WILDERNESS SERIES Wardrobe.................................. Denise Napier 2nd asst director............................................. KitQuarry Prod, com pany.............................. Kestrel Film Props buyer................................. Kelvin Sexton Casting consultants...............................Forcast Productions Pty Ltd Standby props..............................Kelvin Sexton Lighting cameraman....................David Knaus Dist. company.................................Kestrel Film Vehicle co-ordinator/ Camera operator.......................... David Knaus Productions Pty Ltd special effects........................................ PeterMarlow Focus puller................................. Lisa Sharkey Producer................................. John Richardson Set decorator..................................... JulieanneMillsClapper/loader.... Alison Maxwell (attachment) Directors.................................................... DavidGreig, Carpenters.......................................Alex Dixon, Key g rip ...........................................Steve Miller Danae Gunn, Tony Van Druska Special fx photography...................Alex Proyas Catherine Millar Construction manager.............. Peter Carman Gaffers......................................... Steve Miller, Scriptwriters..............................................David Greig, Asst editor..............................................ThereseO’Leary David Knaus John Richardson Neg. matching.................Neg Cutting Services Boom operator............................... Craig Wood Photography.............................

Kevin Anderson Post-production supervisor............Kerry Regan Art director..................................... Peter Miller Sound recordist.......................................... GregBurgma Editing assistant....................................ThereseO'Leary Costume designers.................... Angela Tonks, Editors........................................................DavidGreig, Stunts co-ordinator.......................... Peter West Mathu Anderson Rebecca Grubelich Stunts.............. Rob Greenough Stunt Agency, Make-up..................................Mathu Anderson Prod, m anager..........................................KarenAlexand John Clarson Hairdresser............................. Mathu Anderson Prod, secretary......................................

BabetteAngell Still photography.......................Colin Medlicott Standby props.................................Peter Miller Prod, accountant.......................................DavidButterfie Safety officer............................. Art Thompson PROMISES TO KEEP Special effects.......... Meaningful Eye Contact, Camera assistants....................Roman Baska, Unit nurse.......................... Johann Akkermann Lewis Morley (Working title) Elvira Piantoni Mechanic........................................... David Fry Scenic artist......................... Nick Stathopoulos Sound editor..............................Virginia Murray Prod, company............................... Great Scott Best boy................................. Phillip Golumbic Carpenters............................... Danny Herring, Mixed a t.................................Film Sound Track Productions Pty Ltd Runner........................................... Nic Sadler David Thompson Laboratory............. Victorian Film Laboratories Producer.....................................................JaneScottCatering.................................................... GriffinCaterers Set construction....Derek Wyness (Broken Hill), Budget................................................ $678,000 D irector......................................... Phillip Noyce Mixed a t .................................... Atlab Australia Peter Watson (Studio) Length.........................................3 x 50 minutes Scriptwriter........................................ Jan Sharp Laboratory................................. Atlab Australia Asst editors..................................... John Kubik, Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Additional material............... Anne Brooksbank Lab. liaison....................................... David Cole Alicia Gauvin Shooting stock....................Eastmancolor Neg. Based on the original idea b y ........... Jan Sharp Budget............................................$1.8 million Musical director.............................. Peter Miller Cast: Thea McLeod.

Photography.............................................. PeterJames Length............................................ 110 minutes Sound editor................................... Craig Wood Synopsis: Three programmes from a six-part Sound recordist............................................ TimLloydGauge................................................Super 16 Editing assistant.............................John Kubik series looking at Kakadu, the Daintree, and Editor................................... Frans Vandenburg Shooting stock............................... Kodak 7291 Still photography...................... Hugh Hamilton, South-West Tasmania (The Gliders). The Prod, designer.......................................... Judith Russell Cast: Deborra-Lee Furness (Asta), Simone Wendy McDougall, concept of the programmes is based on the Exec, producer...................................Jan Sharp Buchanan (Lizzie), Tony Barry (Tim), David Mathu Anderson need to reach audiences not already aware of Base liaison.............................................. PeggyWoodFranklin (Danny), Gillian Jones (Tina), Peter Runners................ Alision Pickup (Broken Hill), the urgent need to preserve the relatively few Prod, manager....................... Antonia Barnard Aanensen (Cuddy), Margaret Ford (Norma), Bryn Whittie (Studio) remaining wilderness areas in Australia.

Location manager..........................Bevin Childs Bill McCluskey (Ross), Graeme ‘Stig’ Wymess Catering..........The Happy Carrot (Broken Hill), Prod, accountant.................... Robina Osborne (Bobby), Douglas Walker (Andrew).

Alision Pickup (Studio) 1st asst director..........................................ChrisWebbSynopsis: Asta, a lone motorcycle rider, is a THE GREENLAND EXPEDITION Studios....................................Supreme Studios 2nd asst director........ Carolynne Cunningham lawyer taking time out to come to terms with Prod, company............. Pickwood River Pty Ltd Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm 3rd asst director........................ Henry Osborne her disillusionment and cynicism towards the Producer..................................Santhana Naidu Lab. liaison..................................Simon Wicks, Continuity............................... Elizabeth Barton law. A minor accident forces her to stop for Director.......................................................MikeBoland Warren Casting..........Liz Mullinar Casting Consultants Photography...............................................

MikeBoland repairs in an isolated country town known as Length............................................. 86 minutes Lighting cameraman.................... Peter James Sound recordist.......................Greg Burgmann ‘Ginborak’, where gang rape and intimidation Gauge......................................................16 mm Camera operator.................. Danny Batterham breed in a conspiracy of silence.

Editor.........................................Tony Patterson Shooting sto ck........................................... 7291 Focus puller............................................... AnnaHoward Prod, accountant.................. Antony Shepherd Cast: MichaelLake (Felix), Melissa Davis Clapper/loader........................................ JamesRickard Length.............................................................60minutes SLATE & WYN AND BLANCHE (Betty), The Norm (Smith).

Grips......................................Brendan Shanley, Gauge......................................................16 mm Synopsis: A crippled man and his fanatically McBRIDE Dave Nichols Shooting sto ck.................................... Eastman religious sister live in a shack in the middle of a Gaffer........................................................ SimonLee Prod, company................ Ukiyo Films Australia Synopsis: A documentary about four kayakers vast desert. The man dreams of leaving in a Boom operator...........................................PhilipTipene Pty Ltd for International led by Earle Bloomfield to the east coast of flying machine of £iis own invention. A comedy Gennie operator.................Darren McLaughlin Film Management Limited Greenland retracing the 1200 km journey of of the ironic.

Costume designer............. Clarrissa Patterson Dist. company.........Hemdale Film Corporation English explorer Gino Watkins.

Make-up/hairdressers............................... Joan Hills, Producer........................................Tom Burstall THE STEAM DRIVEN ADVENTURES Jenny Brown D ire cto r,...................................................... DonMcLennan HEAVY DUTY OF RIVERBOAT BILL Wardrobe buyer......................................RosalieHoodScriptwriter................................................... DonMcLennan Prod, company............ Electrical Trades Union Standby wardrobe....................................BarbraZussino Based on the novel by..............Georgia Savage Prod, company.......................Phantascope Ltd of Western Australia Wardrobe asst./seamstress....................... KatieRossPhotography.............................................. DavidConnell Producer...................................... Paul Williams Director..................................... Andrew Ogilvie Props buyer/set dresser...............................SueHoyleSound recordist...................... Andrew Ramage Director.........................................Paul Williams Scriptwriters.......................................... Andrew Ogilvie, Asst to production designer.......Jane Johnston Editor..........................................................PeterFriedrich Scriptwriter........................................ Cliff Green Linda Butcher Standby props.................................. Paul Arnott Prod, designer.......................................... PaddyReardon Based on the novel b y.......................Cliff Green Based on the original idea Scenic artist................................................. AlanCraftExec, producers...................Antony I. Ginnane, Photography................................... Diane Bullen b y .......................................................

AndrewOgilvie, Construction manager............ Alistair Thornton William Fayman Sound recordist......................................... BrianLaurence Linda Butcher Carpenter/set maker............................. HermanBron Line producer..........................Brian D. Burgess Composer.................................................. KevinHocking Sound recordist................................Harry Leith Carpenter..................................................GlennMitchel Prod, co-ordinator................Rosslyn Abernethy Animation..................................................... GusMcLaren, Editors....................................................Andrew Ogilvie, Asst editors.......................................... MargaretSixel,Unit manager..........................................MarcusSkipper Paul Williams, Jim Kerr Mandy Hanak Prod, assistant................................ Jenny Gray Maggie Geddes, Prod, manager............................................MarkLoney Still photography..............................Vivien Zink Prod, accountant..................................CandiceDubois Steven French 1st asst director......................................... LindaButcher Best b o y ....................................................JasonRogers Account assistant............................Debra Cole Laboratory............. Victorian Film Laboratories Camera operator.............................Peter Baker Production runner................. James McTeigue 1st asst director..........................................RossHamilton Length.............................................. 75 minutes Camera assistant................................. Jim Kerr Catering..................................... ‘Out to Lunch’, 2nd asst director..........................................BrettPopplewell Gauge......................................................16 mm Cassie Vale Make-up.......................................Gail Bennett Continuity...................................Shirley Ballard Shooting stock............................. Eastmancolor Laboratory...........................................Colorfilm C asting................................................Jo Larner Cast: Voice overs: Frank Thring, Brian Props..................................... Graham Edwards Lab. liaison......................... Richard Piorkowski Lighting cameraman.................................DavidConnell Hannan, Hamish Hughes, Beate Horrison, Still photography........................................ MarkLoney Budget......................................................... $2.6million Camera operator....................................... DavidConnell Debby Cumming, Ben Williams, Adam Tech, advisor......................... Graham Edwards Length............................................................. 95minutes Focus p ulle r................................................GregRyanWilliams.

Mixed a t.......................................... Soundswest Gauge...................................................... 35 mm Key grip...................................................... DavidCassar Synopsis: Animated adventure set on the Shooting stock............................................ Agfa Laboratory..............................................Cinevex Asst grip.................................................. MarcusMcLeod Murray River at the turn of the century.

Budget................................................... $15,500 Cast: Wendy Hughes (Maria McEvoy), John Gaffer...................................................... StewartSorby Riverboat Bill and his crew attempt to protect Length............................................................. 12minutes Lone (Raka), Steven Jacobs (George McEvoy), Electrician.................................................. PeterMolony an illegal bunyip from the long arm of the law.

Gauge......................................................16 mm Peta Toppano (Judy), Marjorie Child (Maria’s Genny operator............................................DickTummel Shooting stock............... Kodak 7291 and 7294 mother), Gillian Jones (Mitty), Mathew Taylor Boom operator........................................... ScottRawlings Synopsis: A documentary that examines the (Simon McEvoy), Claudia Karvan (Julie Costume designer................................. Jeannie Cameron political considerations that affect safety in the McEvoy), Rebecca Smart (Tessa McEvoy).

Make-up.................................................. FelicitySchoeffel Western Australian electrical industry.

Synopsis: An exotic romance set in Sydney Hairdresser.................................................. PaulPattison and Thailand.

Wardrobe................................................ MargotMcCartney Vehicle co-ordinator................................ RobertMcLeod HOW THE W EST WAS LOST SHAME Props buyer/dresser...............................HarveyMawson Prod, company......... Frends Film Productions ALICE ALIVE Standby props............................................BrianLaing Prod, company.................Barron Films Limited Producer.................................Heather Williams Brian Pierce Dist. company........UAA Film Management Ltd Prod, company.........Spin FX Productions N.T. Director........................................David Noakes Set construction........................................... RayPattison Producer....................................................... Jim Brennan Producers................................... Damien Parer, Scriptwriters............................ David Noakes, Still photography.........................................Suzy Wood Paul Barron Director................................... James Lingwood Paul Roberts Unit publicist........................................... MarionPageScriptwriters.......................... James Lingwood, Director......................................... Steve Jodrell Based on the book by...................................DonMcLeod Jim Brennan Gauge...................................................... 35 mm Scriptwriters.......................... Michael Brindley, Photography............................................. PhillipBull Beverly Blankenship Cast: Sigrid Thornton (Blanche McBride), Photography...............................Laurie Gilbert Sound recordist....................... Michael Raynes Sound recordists..........................................RobCutcher, Simon Burke (Wyn), Martin Sacks (Slate).

Based on the original idea Editor.............................................Frank Rijavec Bryn Wooding b y ........................................................MichaelBrindley, Synopsis: A compelling drama of abduction Researcher/consultant................. Paul Roberts Beverly Blankenship Editors....................................................... KevinMcLean, and obsession set along the Murray River in Additional research............... Marion Benjamin Jon Holmes the late sixties. Two brothers, Slate and Wyn, Photography.............................. Joe Pickering Prod, co-ordinator..................Heather Williams Assoc, producer................................Paul Ryan kill a policeman while robbing the bank of a Sound recordist..........................David Glasser Prod, secretary.................... Film Type Services Assistant producer........................ Toni Forsyth small country town. A young school teacher, Editor.............................................Kerry Regan Lighting cameraman................................ PhillipBull Lighting cameraman...................Laurie Gilbert Blanche McBride, witnesses the crime and is Prod, designer..................................Phil Peters Camera operator.......................................PhillipBull Camera operator........................ Laurie Gilbert kidnapped by the brothers and taken across Composer.........................................Mario Millo Camera assistant....................................... Anne Benzie Camera assistant........................Giles Andriata Exec, producer................................ UAA Films the state to a hideout.

2nd unit photography.................................AnneBenzie 2nd unit photography................. Giles Andriata Prod, co-ordinator................... Susie Campbell Props.......................................Marion Benjamin Music performed b y ................. Gondwanaland Prod, m anager........................ Debbie Copland Neg. matching........................ Tang Thien Tai SPIRITS OF THE AIR/GREMLINS OF Helicopter stu n ts........................Murray Bolton Location manager.......................Ross Reading Still photography........................................ Crew THE CLOUDS Still photography........................ Laurie Gilbert Unit manager........................................Tim Hall Publicity.................................. Heather Williams Prod, company................................. MeaningfulEye Wrangler (camels)......................Noel Fullarton Prod, secretary............... Amanda Etherington Laboratory............................................Colorfilm Contact Pty Ltd Publicity...................................Electric Shadow Prod, accountant........................... Eric Sankey Lab. liaison.................................................KerryJenkin Motion Pictures Pty Ltd Producers...................Meaningful Eye Contact, Asst accountant............................................AnnMcFarlane Budget................................................. $130,000 Catering............Rick Browns Catering Service Andrew McPhail 1st asst director............................. Stuart Wood Length............................................................. 72minutes Budget.................................................. $80,000 Director........................................................AlexProyas 2nd asst director......................... Peter Kearney Gauge..............................................................16mm Scriptwriters.................................. Alex Proyas, 3rd asst director..............................Chris Lynch Shooting s to c k...........Eastman 7291 and 7294 Peter Smalley Continuity................................................... Chris O’Connell Cast: Jacob Oberdoo, Crow Nyangumarda, Based on the original idea b y ......... Alex Proyas Casting..........................................John Rapsey Snowy Judamai, Don McLeod, the Strelley Please help us keep this survey Photography.............................................. DavidKnaus Casting consultants........ Maizels & Associates community.

Sound recordist........David White (attachment) Camera operator........................ Joe Pickering Synopsis: How the West Was Lost is the accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on Editor............................................. Craig Wood Focus puller....................................Neil Cervin story of the Aboriginal pastoral workers’ strike (03) 329 5983 with any errors or Prod, designer.............................Sean callinan Clapper/loader............................... MarkZagar of 1946-49 told through a combination of omissions.

Composer...................................... Peter Miller Key grip.......................................................KarelAkkerman documentary and dramatic reconstruction. ►

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24 track recorder Necam 11 Computer Mixdown system Q-lock Vision-to-Sound Synchroniser 16/17.5/35M.M. Sprocket Record/Playback 3,500 sq. ft. sound stage that accommodates a 120-piece orchestra Full Dolby noise reduction Complete sound mixing facility

Credits Include: “The Flying Doctors” 1983 T.V. Series “Robbery Under Arms” 1984 Feature “The Henderson Kids” 1984 T V. Series “Playing Beatie Bow” 1985 Feature “Butterfly island” 1985 T.V. Series

information f Hohenhaus

MIL.UER FLUID HEADS 3 0 HOTHAM PPE, ARTARMON, 2064, (02) <t3P 037 7

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W ind M achines - Designed for studio and outdoors.

Feature tilt, swivel, built-in rain and fog. (1 0 machines).

Rain T ow ers - Studio models and outdoor models. T hrow a precise pattern - tan ker and high pressure pumps.

Fog M achines - Designed for film use - reliable and quiet. "M in ifo g " "P ortafog " "G asfog" "M e g a fo g " for large output.

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Air Cannons - Pyro devices - Fire extinguishers - Release devices - Capsule guns Steering control for vehicles.

Breakaw ay Glass - Sheets - Sim ulated Reinforced - bottles, glasses, plates, specials m ade to order.

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Breakaw ay rigs. Falling rigs. Structural design and engineering.

Flying Rigs - 3 dim ensional m ovem ent for models or people to sim ulate weightlessness.

M odel M akin g - vacuum forming - camera protection - m echanical devices — engineering w orkshop.

Aboriginals in the north-west were virtually slaves to the large pastoral operators until they began to question their lot with the help of white prospector, Don McLeod. In 1942, McLeod met with hundreds of Aboriginals from the Pllbara region and, after six weeks of meetings it was decided the only way to achieve justice was to strike, after WWII. This is the story of their struggle as told by those who lived it.

Sound recordist...............................Alan Koppe Mixed a t................................... Hendon Studios Prod, assistant.............................Kerryn Morris Laboratory............................................. Cinevex Editor...................................Peter Sommerville Continuity............................................. CarolineWilson Prod, manager.......................................... HazelJoyner Gauge......................................................35 mm Script assistant.......................................... BrianHannan Prod, accountant................................Riva Dale Shooting s to ck............................................. Fuji Sound editor................................................ DanTorrence Prod, assistant........................................ SharonHickey Synopsis: A film about the life and work of Dialogue coach.....................................CarolineWilson Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).

Make-up....................................................... JoyMarwick Length............................................................ 30minutes Length............................................................ 24minutes Gauge............................................. Super 8 mm Shooting stock.................................... Betacam Shooting stock...............................Kodachrome40 WAR BRIDES Synopsis: A video to demonstrate the tech­ Cast: Alistair Forge, Tim Richardson, Guy Prod, company..........Tony Wilson Productions niques of and needs for Cardio Pulmonary MacDonald, Justin Parrish, Mark Hennessey, Producers.............................. Lucinda Strauss, Resuscitation.

Caroline Wilson, Jeremy Richardson, Adam Tony Wilson LIFE IN SPACE Goldman, Nicholas J. Hannan, Nick Hales.

Director..........................................

Tony Wilson SAMBA TO SLOW FOX Synopsis: It was supposed to be a pleasant Prod, company........ Independent Productions Photography..................................Tony Wilson weekend camping trip for four young boys.

Dist. company..........Independent Distributors Prod, company..........................Stratford Films Sound recordist............................. Leo Sullivan Then Alistair discovered the secret of ‘the lake’ Producer............................................ Peter Butt Producer.................................................... MariaStratford Length.............................................. 50 minutes . . . he came with three friends . . . he left with Director.............................................. Peter Butt Director...................................................... MariaStratford Gauge......................................................16 mm three strangers. A film in the tradition of The Exec, producer............................ Graham Ford Scriptwriter................................................MariaStratford Synopsis: War Brides is the story of some of Twilight Zone.

Length.............................................. 50 minutes Based on the original idea the 15,000 Australian women who married Synopsis: The origin of life and the by............................................................MariaStratford American servicemen during World War I controversial suggestion that life did not begin NERVOUS PASSION Photography........................................... JaemsGrant, Exiles by choice, the majority left Australia in on earth but was seeded from the depths of Lee Pulbrook the US Army’s massive manoeuvre called Producers............................... Seth Lockwood, space.

Sound recordists..........................................RayBosley, ‘Operation Brideship’ to join their sweethearts Noeline Harrison Phillip Healey on the other side of the world. Forty years later, Director....................................Seth Lockwood MAKE WAY FOR THE MACHINES Editor...................................................... BettinaPetiththey talk about their experiences.

Photography............................Allison Maxwell Camera operator..................................... JaemsGrant Sound recordist............................ Victor Gentile Prod, company........Independent Productions Clapper/loader.........................

Sonia Leber Camera operator....................................... AnneBenzie Dist. company......... Independent Distributors WINGS OF THE STORM 2nd unit photography............ Kath Chambers Budget.................................................. $53,000 Producer............................................Peter Butt Prod, company..................................Stellie Ltd Still photography.................................... Virginia Rouse Length.............................................................24minutes Director.............................................. Peter Butt Producer...............................Zelda Rosenbaum Laboratory............................................ Cinevex Gauge......................................................16 mm Exec, producer............................ Graham Ford Director..................................................... OscarWhitbread Lab. liaison................................................BruceBraun Synopsis: Tony is confronted with his own Length.............................................. 50 minutes Photography..................................... Chris Reid Budget................................................. $32,250 sexuality when he meets a homosexual.

Synopsis: Investigates the effect of new Sound recordist.......................... Geoff Spurrell Length....................................... 24-30 minutes technology on work and leisure in capitalist Editor...........................................Phil Wingate Gauge......................................................16 mm society.

NIGHTFIND Technical director.................................. RichardBerryman Shooting sto ck...................... Kodak Ecta 7294 Assoc, producer......................Howard Griffiths Prod, company.....................................OdysseyFilms Synopsis: A documentary about people who Prod, assistant...............................Sally Mason Producers................................................

StevenJacobson enter ballroom and Latin American dance THE NIGHTS BELONG TO THE Length.........................................2 x 60 minutes Marcus Corn competitions. The film follows a group of NOVELIST Director...................................................

StevenJacobson Synopsis: More Australian airmen were killed dancers who vary in age from eight years old to flying bombers over Europe than in any other Scriptwriter.............................................. StevenJacobson Prod, company.........................................YowieFilms60 years old. theatre of World War 2.

Through archival Based on the original idea Dist. company.......................................... YowieFilms b y .........................................................StevenJacobson footage and interviews with survivors and rela­ Marketing Section SPARK OF CONCERN tives Wings of the Storm describes the unique Photography................................. Marcus Corn Producer.............................................. ChristinaWilcox experience of bomber air crews. While Sound recordists...........................Michael Siu, Prod, company........ Video Unit, Amalgamated Director................................................ ChristinaWilcox recounting their bravery, it measures the cost Marcus Adler Metal Workers’ Union Scriptwriters...............................................Joan Kirkby, and is at once an elegy and a requiem for the Editors......................................................StevenJacobson Dist. company......... Video Unit, Amalgamated Christina Wilcox 5,000 young men who never came home.

Marcus Corn Metal Workers’ Union Photography.................................... Erika Addis Composer..................................... Peter Myers Producer........................................ Ray Sinclair Sound recordist..................... Bronwyn Murphy 1st asst director.........................................KathyChambers Director.......................................... Ray Sinclair Editor.........................................Denise Haslem Continuity................................................... TobyThain Scriptwriter.....................................Ray Sinclair Composer............................................... FelicityWilcox Lighting director........................................ DavidWalpole Photography...................................Ron Hurrell Assoc, producer.....................Christine Stewart Focus puller................................................ MarkLane Sound recordist.......................... Doug Chatwin Prod, manager........................ Marguerite Grey Clapper/loader......................................MatthewCorn Editor..............................................Ron Hurrell 1st asst director............Jessica Douglas-Henry Key g rip...................................................... PeterDarby Continuity..................................... T racy Padula Exec, producer...............................Alan Healey Asst grips................................ Gideon Warhaft, Lighting cameraman..................................ErikaAddisProd, manager............................... Colin Slack THE ANNIVERSARY Nick Towler, Camera operator....................................... ErikaAddisLighting cameraman......................Ron Hurrell Prod, company.......... Shadowplay Productions Chris Ward Camera operator........................... Ron Hurrell Focus p ullers...............................................LisaSharkey, Producer...................................... Rod Wayman Gaffer.................................... Cameron Wallace Narrator........................................... Ray Sinclair Mirianna Marusic, Director......................................... Rod Wayman Boom operator............................. Stephen Ellis Annie Benzie Mixed a t............................................Visualeyes,Sydney Scriptwriter......................... ......... Rod Wayman Make-up............................................... PhillippaO’Collins On-line e d it......................................Visualeyes,Sydney Clapper/loaders.......................................... LisaSharkey, Photography................................ Terry Carlyon Special make-up effects.......Clayton Jacobson Length............................................ 27 minutes Mirianna Marusic, Sound recordist............................ Sean Meltzer Set construction.......................................... NoelAbrecht Gauge.................................................. Betacam Annie Benzie Editor........................Edward McQueen-Mason Still photography................................... MichaelJacobson Synopsis: A documentary outlining the Camera assistants....................................... LisaSharkey, Prod, assistant...................................... RhondaBark-Shannon Dialogue coach............................ PeterTulloch dangers and health hazards of modern welding Mirianna Marusic, Continuity.............................................. RhondaBark-Shannon Best boy..................................................... ChrisCorbett techniques in industry and the current methods Annie Benzie Camera operator....................................... TerryCarlyon Runner.......................................................JenniCannon Key g rip ..................................................... AnnieFrearthat are available to reduce the risks.

Camera assistant..............................Keith Platt Publicity....................................................... NeilWard G affer.......................................Sharna St. Leon Boom operator.............................. Patrick Slater Catering...................................... Val Jacobson, Art directors.................................................. GaiMather, A TRANSFER OF POWER Art director................................ Dianne Giulieri Jill Corn Annie Marshall Make-up..................................................AndreaCadzow Prod, company.................................. AustralianInstitute Laboratory....................................................VFL Make-up...................................... Amanda Hunt Hairdresser............................................. AndreaCadzow of Aboriginal Studies Length.............................................................20 minutes Hairdresser.................................. Amanda Hunt Wardrobe.................................. Dianne Giulieri Producers................................................. DavidMacDougall, Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Choreography......................................GeorginaParker Editing assistant........................Alan Woodruff Judith MacDougall Shooting s to c k........... Eastman 7291 and 7294 Asst editors................................................LauraZusters, Directors....................................................DavidMacDougall, Title designer................................... Ray Strong Cast: Steven Jacobson (Chris), Adrian Ward Cindy Evans Judith MacDougall Still photography........................................ TiborHegedis (Tom).

Music performed by....................Felicity Wilcox Photography............................................. DavidMacDougall Catering....................................................

Flirtys Synopsis: An alien spacecraft is the last thing Still photography......................................SandyEdwards Sound recordist....................................... JudithMacDougall Laboratory..............................................Cinevex Chris expects to find in his backyard. Even Title designer..............................Isabel Gaven Laboratory.......................................... Colorfilm Length.............................................................25minutes more unexpected are the exciting events which Runner......................................................SusanDietrich Length............................................................ 25minutes Gauge....................Super 16 for 35 mm release follow.

A fantasy adventure featuring a teenage Catering............................... Deidre Costantini Gauge......................................................16 mm Shooting stock............................. Eastmancolor boy’s encounter with a vicious alien.

Laboratory................................................. Atlab Shooting sto ck...........................................7294 Cast: Lloyd Cunnington (Nigel), Maureen Lab. liaison.......................... Warren Delbridge Synopsis: Four men, with some confusion and Edwards (Cynthia), Robyn Gibbes (Carmel), RECYCLED FOR DESTRUCTION Length............................................................ 50minutes a great deal of good humour, remove the Paul Young (Eric), Rowena Mohr (Candy), Gauge......................................................16 mm Prod, company....................Moshi Productions engine from their Holden Klngswood and Michael Duffield (Wilbur), Rebecca Gibney Shooting stock............................Eastmancolor Producers...................................................EnzoVecchio, replace it with another.

(Jilly), John Larking (McPherson), Fion Keane Cast: Ruth Cracknell (Miss Hailey and Jasmine Danica Dana (Arthur).

Tredwell), Kerry Walker (Miss Peabody and Directors.....................................................EnzoVecchio, Synopsis: Nigel and Cynthia Hamilton hold a Miss Thorne), Felicity Copeland (Debbie VINCENT, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Danica Dana dinner-party to celebrate 25 years of marriage, Frome), Peter Giutronich (The hitchhiker), Noel Scriptwriters............................................... EnzoVecchio, VINCENT VAN GOGH with disastrous results. A madcap comedy.

Bennett (Mr Scobie).

Danica Dana Prod, company................................ IlluminationFilms Synopsis: A film about the world of Western Length.............................................. 40 minutes Producers......................Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Australian novelist Elizabeth Jolley, showing Gauge......................................................16 mm THE LAKE Will Davies scenes from her life and work, Interviews with Synopsis: The story looks at the existence of Director........................................................ PaulCox Prod, company.... .Jayelkay Filmworks her and enactments from her novels and short multiple personalities.

It is about a man who Based on the original idea b y ..................... PaulCox Producer.............. ....... Jeremy Kewley stories. kills himself in a most unusual way, illustrating Photography..................................... Yuri Sokol Director................ ...... Jeremy Kewley that hell isn’t such a bad place in comparison Prod, designer...................................Asher Bilu Scriptwriter........... .......Jeremy Kewley NO TIME TO LOSE with the way we live. Events reveal that reality Prod, accountant.................... Santhana Naidu An original idea by .............. Don Percy, can sometimes imitate fiction.

(Working title) 1st asst director.......................Brendan Lavelle Jeremy Kewley Camera operator......................................... PaulCox Photography........

Prod, company.................................. Medlacast ............... Don Percy UNDEAD Camera assistant................... Brendan Lavelle Producer.............................................. Jim Dale Sound recordist.... .... Brett Matthews Key g rip ...................................Paul Ammitzboll Editor.....................

Director...................................... Roger Hudson Prod, company......................... The Magic Men ............... Don Percy Costume construction......................... BeverleyBoydComposer.............

Scriptwriter.......................... Jonathon Clemens Producers....................................

Mark Savage, ................... Various Carpenter................................................ WalterSperlAssoc, producer....

Photography............................... Graeme Ross ...............Don Percy Richard Wolstencroft

SHORTS

80 — July CINEMA PAPERS

WARDROBE • MAKE-UP VANS • CAMERA TRUCKS • CAST VANS • PROPS VANS • UNIT VEHICLES • TRACKING VEHICLES

FOR THE SUPPLY OF ALL FILM PRODUCTION TRANSPORT CONTACT DAVID SUTTOR ON (02) 439 4590

318 WILLOUGHBY ROAD, NAREMBURN, SYDNEY

PROUD TO BE SUPPLYING: • Ground Zero • Army Wives • Willing and Able • Promises to Keep • Vietnam • Harp in the South

STATION WAGONS • SEDANS • HI-ACE VANS * 4 X 4 TOYOTA LANDCRUISERS • ACTION VEHICLES • TRAY TOPS • BUSES Director.......................................................MarkSavage Mixer.............................................. George Hart Director.................................... Cynthia Connop RUNNING FROM THE GHOST Length.........................................2 x 1 5 minutes Scriptwriter................................................. MarkSavage Scriptwriter.............................. Cynthia Connop Photography............................................... MarkSavage Gauge......................................................16 mm Photography...............................................EricaAddis,Prod, company............................................. FilmAustralia Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Editor..........................................................MarkSavage Shooting stock............................ Eastmancolor Kevin Anderson, Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki Composer...............................................Various Synopsis: People with physical and intellec­ Andy Fraser, Director.........................................

Nick Torrens tual disabilities are moving out of institutions 1st asst director............... Richard Wolstencroft Jan Kenny Casting....................................................... MarkSavage, and into the community. This film shows how Sound recordists........................................... PatFiske,Photography................................ Andy Fraser Sound recordist..........................

Rod Simmons four young people are living as independently Richard Wolstencroft Sue Kerr, Editor.............................................Nick Torrens as possible. It's a positive look at the benefits Special effects make-up............................ ColinSavage Averil Nicholl, Assoc, producers.........................

Gerry Letts, both to the able-bodied community and to dis­ Still photography............ Richard Wolstencroft, Geoff Wilson Ian Adkins Colin Savage abled people. Designed to stimulate discus­ Editor......................................................... FionaStrain Length...........................................48 minutes Budget..................................................... $3,000 sion, to create better understanding and to Asst editor................................................. CathyChase Gauge......................................................16 mm Length............................................................ 60minutes help change community attitudes.

Prod, manager...........................................NeneMorgan Synopsis: A film set within the Chinese com­ Gauge.................................................... Super8 Unit managers............................................ Jane Griffin, munity of Hong Kong. Here, people know little Cast: Richard Wolstencroft (Charlie), Cassy Marguerite Grey, DECORATIVE PAINT WORK of the romantic social life generated by British Lane (The undead girlfriend), Craig Miles (Sam Elizabeth Lovell, presence. The film is about two hawkers, a Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Savini), Margot Pike (Amy), Audrey Davies Adrienne Parr squatter and their families as they struggle to Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Camera asst.............................................RobynPeterson (Sheila), Chris Le Page (Rob), Paul Harrington Producer.............................................. ElisabethKnight (Ray), David Wolstencroft (Dan), Troy Innocent Producer’s asst....................................... SharonMillermake a home and living in the face of a wellorganized bureaucracy.

Director.............................................. Keith Gow Gaffer...............................................Ian Bosman (Willy O’Donald).

Scriptwriters..................................... Keith Gow, Synopsis: A loner feeds abducted children to a Music b y ..................................................SharonCaicraft Elisabeth Knight rotting, hungry denizen of the dead. Complica­ Length.............................................................48minutes Photography..................................Kerry Brown LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF Gauge......................................................16 mm tions arise as human remains are reanimated Sound recordist.....................Rodney Simmons Shooting stock........................................ Kodak and the urban landscape is awash with Prod, company............................................. FilmAustralia Editor................................................. Keith Gow Synopsis: The 'comparable worth’ test case is ravenous flesh-mongers.

Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Asst producer......................... Virginia Pridham the latest milestone in a 100-year battle by Producer.............................................. ElisabethKnight Length.............................................. 15 minutes women for equal pay.

Director.............................................. Keith Gow Gauge......................................................16 mm Scriptwriters....................................Keith Gow, Synopsis: This is the sixth in the Australian THE HAVEN Elisabeth Knight Heritage Commission's series. Artisans of Asst producer......................... Virginia Pridham Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Australia. It shows the work of Christine Cooke Narrator.......................................... Katrina Lee Dist. company..............................................FilmAustralia and Elizabeth Stevens who work in Melbourne.

Producer..........................................John Shaw Length.............................................20 minutes They demonstrate marbling, woodgraining, Director................................James Richardson Synopsis: Mature Onset Diabetes is very gilding, tortoiseshell, porphyry, stencilling and Photography..............................................KerryBrown common among older people. This film shows some investigation work on the walls of Villa older people how they can manage their Sound recordist..................... Bronwyn Murphy Alba, an unrestored and unoccupied building diabetes by proper diet, exercise, care of the Editor.....................................Martha Babineau in Studley Park, Melbourne.

Prod, manager...........................................NeneMorgan feet, and consultation with their dieticians and Length.............................................................82minutes doctors.

DOUBLE X Gauge......................................................16 mm Prod, company............................Film Australia Synopsis:Observational film about the AUSTRALIAN INNOVATION Dist. company.............................Film Australia journey through therehabilitation process of REAL LIFE Prod, company.............................Film Australia Producer..................................... Daniela Torsh alcoholic Aboriginals at Bennalong’s Haven.

Dist. company..............................Film Australia Director........................................................Julie Cunningham Producer........................................... John Shaw BYLINES Scriptwriter................................................. Julie Cunningham HENRY HANDEL RICHARDSON Director...........................................................IanMunro Photography......................................... LorraineBinnington Scriptwriter..................................................... IanMunro Prod, company............................Film Australia Prod, company............................................. FilmAustralia Editors..........................................Anne Breslin, Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Photography...........................................AndrewFraser Dist. company.............................Film Australia Dominique Fusy Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki Producer.....................................Daniela Torsh Exec, producer............................Geoff Barnes Sound mixer..............................Ian McLoughlin Director/Editor...................................... GrahamChase Researcher.........................Con Anemogiannis Director............................................Jane Oehr Asst producer......................... Virginia Pridham Photography...................................Kerry Brown Sound recordist.....................Rodney Simmons Scriptwriter...................................... Jane Oehr Producer’s asst............................ Sharon Miller Production manager.................... Ron Hannam Producer's asst........................... Sharon Miller Sound recordist............................................BobHayes Editing assts................................Julie Gelhard, Unit manager..................... Con Anemogiannis Prod, manager.......................................... NeneMorgan Assoc, producer.............................................IanAdkins Laura Zusters Length.........................................5 x 29 minutes Length.............................................................75minutes Camera assistant................................ Jim Ward Animation........................... Julie Cunningham, Gauge............................................................. 16mm Sound mixer........................................... GeorgeHart Gauge..................................................... 16 mm Lee Whitmore, Synopsis: Olga Roncoroni was Henry Handel Shooting stock............................................ ECN Length..............................................75 minutes Paul Livingstone, Richardson’s personal friend, secretary and Synopsis: A positive look at the achievements Gauge..............................................................16mm Don Ezard, companion for 27 years.

In 1947, a year after of Australian innovation, presenting an Synopsis: The film is an inside story of life at Margaret Johnson, the novelist had died, Olga returns to the analysis of how it works, how it has worked and The Sydney Morning Herald. The film looks at Ian Barbour house. where it and its contemporary counterpart, the daily process from the editorial decision­ Painters..................................Paul Livingstone, technology, should go. making, the news gathering, the meetings, to Cynthia Miller the late night rolling of the presses.

HOMELESS In-betweener...................................Wayne Kelly Camera asst........................................... BeverlyLloydProd, company............................Film Australia DAVID WILLIAMSON — Tech, adviser................................... Don Ezard Dist. company............................. Film Australia COMPULSIVE PLAYWRIGHT DEMOCRACY Length..............................................13 minutes Director.......................................................AnnaWhyte Gauge..................................................... 35 mm Prod, company.............................Film Australia Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Scriptwriter................................................. AnnaWhyte Shooting stock....................................... Kodak Dist. company..............................Film Australia Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Photography........................................... AndrewFraser Producer............................................... MalcolmOttonSynopsis: The creative force of women as Sound recordist......................................HowardStry Exec, producer............................................TomHaydon reflected in their contribution to prehistory, Director.............................................. Ian Walker Exec, producer......................................... JanetBell Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki mythology and civilisation. An animated tale for Photography.............................................. KerryBrown Director................................................. GrahamChase Prod, manager...........................................NeneMorgan Sound recordist..................................... GrahamWiseall ages.

Photography.............................................. TonyWilson Lighting..........................................................IanBosman Editor..........................................Peter Jennings Sound recordist............................................ LeoSullivan Length.............................................................28minutes Asst producer......................... Virginia Pridham DOWN THERE Assoc, producer.............................................IanAdkins Gauge.................................................. Betacam Length............................................................. 27minutes Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia, Editor.....................................................GrahamChase Synopsis: Four short videos for the Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Family Planning Association International Year of Shelter for the homeless.

Sound mixer............................................GeorgeHart Shooting stock............................. Eastmancolor Dist. company..............................................FilmAustralia, Length.............................................................75minutes Synopsis: The first in a series of films entitled Sabina Wynn Gauge.............................................................

16mm Voices on the Page about contemporary Aus­ Producer................................................. SabinaWynn Synopsis: The film follows a political candidate tralian writers and their work, planned for use THE HUMAN FACE OF Director................................................... SabinaWynn in a marginal seat through the seven weeks of in secondary schools, Colleges of Advanced HONG KONG Scriptwriters................................Sabina Wynn, the campaign, to the numbers coming in and Education and tertiary institutions generally.

Louise Cox, the gathering of the faithful for the electionThe series is concerned with writers as inter­ Claudia Vidal night party. preters of society. David Williamson is seen in BETTER RICH THAN RED Photography................................Sally Bongers various activities, such as a rehearsal of his Sound recordist..........................................Vicky Wilkinson Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia DOCTORS play The Club, writing at home, and discussing Editor.........................................Denise Haslem Dist. company..............................................FilmAustralia his working methods with drama students and Prod, company.............................Film Australia Exec, producer........................... Daniela Torsh Exec, producer..............................Tom Haydon young playwrights. The film gives an insight Dist. company..............................................

FilmAustralia Producer’s assistant............ Rosalind Gillespie Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki into Williamson’s philosophy and his approach Exec, producer............................................ TomHaydon Lighting....................................... Sally Bongers Director..........................................

Curtis Levy Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki to play- and screenwriting.

Gaffer...........................................Lee Whitmore Photography................................. Andy Fraser Director....................................................... TonyWheeler Backgrounds...............................Lee Whitmore Sound recordist........................................... RodSimmons Photoaraphy............................................. SteveMason Photography animation....................Don Ezard COMING HOME Editor........................................................... Tom Litchfield Sound recordist........................................... MaxHenser Animator........................................... Pam Lofts Assoc, producers...........................Gerry Letts, Prod, company............................................. FilmAustralia Editor............................................................ SueHorsley Length..............................................

20 minutes Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Ian Adkins Assoc, producers......................Clare Edwards, Gauge......................................................16 mm Length.............................................. 48 minutes Producer.............................................. ElisabethKnight Rosalind Gillespie Shooting sto ck............... ........................... 7291 Gauge......................................................16 mm Director.............................................. Keith Gow Synopsis: An educational film about female Synopsis: A film about the top stratum of Scriptwriters.................................... Keith Gow, reproduction and sexuality. commercial and social life in Hong Kong, it Elisabeth Knight centres around the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Photography.................................Kerry Brown Please help us keep this survey EQUAL PAY Club, observes the values which once made Sound recordist............................ Howard Spry accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on Britain a great colonial power, the clubs, the Prod, company............................ Film Australia Editors............................................. Keith Gow, (03) 329 5983 with any errors or Dist. company............................. Film Australia Taipans, the servants and the good life. Yet, for Elisabeth Knight Producer..................................... Daniela Torsh this world, the days are now numbered.

Asst producer......................... Virginia Pridham omissions. ►

GOVERNMENT FILM PRODUCTION FILM AUSTRALIA

CINEMA PAPERS July — 81

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Length.............................................. 75 minutes Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Synopsis: The film follows Dr Bruce Shepherd through the aftermath of the Medicare dispute.

Shepherd is committed to the privatization of health care, and the film explores the personalities and the lifestyle of the surgeons and their relationships with the community.

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Synopsis: The film is a foray into the world of the unattached. Charles Is recently divorced and struggling to get his life together. He is in love and trying to establish a relationship. At the same time, a small group of women vie for his attention.

Director................................ Don Featherstone Producer’s assistant....................Trish DeHeer Scriptwriter...........................Don Featherstone 2nd unit photography................ Andrew Fraser Researcher.....................................Jon Ossher Asst camera.................................... Mandy King Photography...............................Andrew Fraser Length.............................................. 50 minutes Sound recordist.................... Rodney Simmons Gauge................................... 16 mm, videotape Editor..........................................Lindsay Fraser Synopsis: Uluru — An Anangu Story is a Unit manager.................................. Jon Ossher unique portrayal of Australian history. Rarely if THE VISIT Asst, producer.................................Gerry Letts ever before has the opportunity been available Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Camera assistant......................................AntonGraham to present the entire history of an area, from Dist. company..............................................FilmAustralia 2nd unit photography................................. JohnHosking GETTING STRAIGHT the times before the white man to the present Exec, producer..............................Tom Haydon G affer...........................................Bruce Gailey day through the perspective of Aboriginals Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Producer..................................................

Macek Rubetzki Narrator........................................Paul Ricketts whose lives have spanned such a period. The Dist. company..............................................FilmAustralia Director.......................................................TonyWheeler Length............................................................ 48minutes program is set against the backdrop of Uluru Exec, producer.............................. Tom Haydon Photography..............................................

Tony Wilson Gauge......................................................16 mm (Ayers Rock) and is a personal, human story.

Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki Sound recordist............................................ LeoSullivan Shooting stock............................................ ECN Director.................................. Phillip Robertson Editor............................................................ SueHorsley Synopsis: Australian sporting achievement Photography..................................Tony Wilson Assoc, producer........................................ ClareEdwards has declined dramatically since the golden age Sound recordist......................Bronwyn Murphy WE ARE THE LANDOWNER of the sixties. The debacle at the Montreal Length.............................................................75minutes Editor............................................. Ray Thomas Prod, company............................Film Australia Olympic Games prompted the government Into Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Assoc, producer............................... Ian Adkins Dist. company.............................

Film Australia action and there are now many national and Synopsis: The film is about a Vietnamese Length.............................................. 75 minutes Producer........................................................ IanDunlop commercial sports science institutes. How refugee family and the visit to Australia of a son Gauge.....................................................16 mm Director...........................................................Ian Dunlop effective are they?

Are the commercial, they haven’t seen for four years. A moving film Synopsis: The film follows a group of patients Scriptwriter..................................................... IanDunlop scientific and national pressures too much for which witnesses the family’s attempts to come from a drug and alcohol treatment clinic during Photography...............................................Gary Kildea, an athlete?

What are the ethics . . . is it still to terms with their past and to share their their last days in the clinic and the first few Ian Dunlop sport? present with their son. weeks of their return to the community as they Sound recordists........................................ GaryKildea, struggle to cope with a world without drugs.

Philippa Kirk SOLID PLASTERING Editors............................................. Ian Dunlop, Prod, company............................................. FilmAustralia REGARDLESS OF SEX KIDS IN TROUBLE Philippa Kirk Dist. company..............................................FilmAustralia Producer’s assistant...................................... IanAdkins Prod, company............................Film Australia Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Producer.............................................. ElisabethKnight Narrator......................................................... IanDunlop Dist. company............................. Film Australia Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Director..............................................Keith Gow Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Producer..................................... Daniela Torsh Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki Scriptwriters..........................Elisabeth Knight, Shooting stock............................................ ECN Director....................................Cynthia Connop Director......................................... Sue Cornwell Keith Gow Synopsis: Today, one of the most positive Scriptwriter.............................. Cynthia Connop Photography.................................. Tony Wilson Photography................................. Kerry Brown aspects of traditional Aboriginal Australia is the Photography................................................. JanKenny, Sound recordist..............................Leo Sullivan Sound recordist.....................Rodney Simmons outstation or clan homeland movement. After a Erica Addis, Editor............................................................. LesMcLaren Editor.................................................

Keith Gow general introduction to Yirrkala Aboriginal Kevin Anderson, Exec, producer.............................. Tom Haydon Asst producer........................ Virginia Pridham township in north-east Arnhem Land, and the Andy Fraser Assoc, producer................................Ian Adkins Length........................................... 13 minutes Yirrkala Homeland Resource Centre, the film Sound recordists.........................Howard Spry, Asst director...................................Lisa Noonan Gauge......................................................16 mm goes to Baniyala, homeland settlement of the Geoff Wilson Length............................................................ 65minutes Synopsis: This is the fifth in the Australian Madarrpa clan.

The picture that emerges Is of Editor.........................................................FionaStrain Gauge..................................................... 16 mm Heritage Commission’s series, Artisans of traditional Aboriginal people running their own Prod, manager............................Nene Morgan Synopsis: The film is about criminal justice Australia. It shows the work of Larry Harrigan, affairs, and exploiting western technology In Unit managers............................................ Jane Griffin, system and Its treatment of juvenile offenders. a third generation solid plasterer. He has been the process, with competence and joy.

Marguerite Grey, The film includes, for the first time, footage working on the exterior of the Collingwood Elizabeth Lovell shot in a children’s court while cases are being Town Hall in Melbourne for the past seven Camera assistant..................................... RobynPetersen heard. years and has almost finished the massive Mixer.................................................. Geoff Stitt WHAT IS A JEW TO YOU? restoration job. He demonstrates the various Length.............................................55 minutes SINGLES kinds of plastering including running moulds, Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Gauge......................................................16 mm making an urn, casting a baluster.

Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Shooting stock........................................Kodak Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Exec, producer..............................Tom Haydon Synopsis: Five women’s stories of their Producers...............................Macek Rubetzki, ULURU — AN ANANGU STORY Producer.................................................. MacekRubetzki involvement in the continuing struggle for Ian Adkins Director.......................................................Aviva Ziegler equal pay. All of them are linked in the film by Prod, company............................Film Australia Director......................................... Karl McPhee Photography.............................................. TonyWilson Dist. company.............................Film Australia the ACTU’s case for comparable worth.

Photography.................................Tony Wilson Sound recordist............................................ LeoSullivan Producer........................................ Don Murray Sound recordist............................ Leo Sullivan Editor.........................................

Wayne Le Clos Director....................................... David Roberts THE SCIENCE OF WINNING Editor......................................... Lindsay Fraser Assoc, producer......................................... ...IanAdkins Scriptwriter.................................David Roberts Exec, producer..............................Tom Haydon Prod, company.............................................FilmAustralia Length.............................................................48 minutes Photography.................................. Tony Gailey Assoc, producer................................ Ian Adkins Dist. company.............................................. FilmAustralia Gauge......................................................16 mm Sound recordists........................Max Hennser, Length.............................................. 75 minutes Exec, producer..............................Tom Haydon Synopsis: Personal film by Aviva Ziegler about Rob Stalder Gauge......................................................16 mm growing up Jewish in Australia.

Producer.......................................... John Shaw Editor.............................................Ray Thomas

E v e r y tw o m onths, w e send out around a hu n d red Production S u r v e y form s.

A b o u t h a lf o f these are retu rn ed to u s b y th e deadline. We u n d erstan d th a t fillin g out form s m a y not be top p r io r it y in y o u r production o ffice, b u t i f w e h a v e to ta k e d e tails dow n o ver the phone, the chances of our m ak in g m i s t a k e s __ le a v in g out k e y c re w members, or sp ellin g th e ir nam es w ro n g — in crease d ra m a tic a lly . We don’t lik e gettin g names w ro n g, and c re w m embers a re n ’t w ild about it either. So, please help u s m ake t h is Prod u ction S u r v e y accu rate and complete. I t ’s an im p o rtan t se rv ic e to th e film and te le v isio n in d u s tr y , b u t w e need y o u r help to m ake it better.

82 — July CINEMA PAPERS

EFFECTS ENGINEERING Bottles - S heetglass S pecials M ade T o O rder .

LOT46 LAITOKIRD, TERREY HILLS, NSW2084.

TELEPHONE: 450 2956 Key g rip.................................................StephenShelly Assoc, producer........................ Yvonne Collins 2nd unit photography............................... DavidHaskin Prod, manager........................ Georgia Hewson Prod, secretary...................Tania Paternostro Gaffer..................................Richard Johnstone Boom operator........................................StevenJames Researcher................................................KarenBonczyk Make-up.......................................Keryn Carter Budget.................................................$200,000 Wardrobe..................................... Beth Whelan Length.............................................. 60 minutes Special effects............................................BrianHolmes Gauge......................................................16 mm Set construction.............................................IanMcWha Shooting stock......................................... Kodak Mixer......................................... John Campbell Synopsis: A dramatized documentary on the Animation.................................... Chris Worrall plight of the Afghan cameleers brought to Tutor.......................................Jennifer Gilmour Australia to open the outback.

Studios...................................VTC (Vic) Pty Ltd Mixed a t..................................VTC (Vic) Pty Ltd THE BREEZE Budget.................................................. $56,000 Prod, company................... Moshi Productions Length............................................................ 22minutes Producers...................................................EnzoVecchio, Gauge............................ 1" C format videotape Danica Dana Cast: Tim Scally (Capt. Vince Solar), Tamsin Directors.....................................................EnzoVecchio, West (Julie), Thomas Hutching (Simon), Danica Dana Towser the dog.

Scriptwriters................................................EnzoVecchio, W OMEN’S STUDIES SERIES Synopsis: Simon and Julie discover the poten­ Danica Dana Prod, company........................... Film Australia tial for the use of renewable energy resources.

Photography................................... Sasha Brklc Dist. company.............................Film Australia A video for use in primary schools.

Prod, designer.................................. Carl Rizzo Producer................................................ DanielaTorsh Art director............................ Rosanna Vecchio Director....................................................... LiliasFraser WONDERS DOWN UNDER Costume designer................ Anna Maria Brkic Scriptwriter.................................................LiliasFraser Length..............................................75 minutes Prod, company.......

Production Group — AAV FREE CLIMBING Producer's asst....................................... SharonMiller Producer..................................David Campbell Gauge.......................................................16 mm Prod, manager........................... Nene Morgan Producer..................................Vince O’Donnell Synopsis: The story of a group of friends who Director........................................

Ray Wagstaff Historical constultant................Dr Marilyn Lake Director................................................... NatalieGreen become Involved in something over the top of Scriptwriters........... Clemenger-Harvle Pty Ltd Length.......................................10 x 20 minutes Scriptwriter...............................Louise Shepard their heads. They find themselves drawn into a Photography....................George Komoneskey Gauge......................................................16 mm Photography........................................... NatalieGreen vicious circle.

Composers.....................................Men at Work Synopsis: A series for ten- and twelve-yearExec, producer.....................Vincent O’Donnell Exec, producer....................Vincent O’Donnell olds, for television and schools. The series Exec, assistant.................... Mary Gustavsson Musical director........................................

Kevin Hocking includes how women fought for the vote, the Length.............................................................20minutes FUTURETROUPERS Laboratory...................................................AAVCinevex battle for access to universities and the Gauge........................................... Super 16 mm Prod, company....................Chadwick/Douglas Budget............................................... $160,000 struggle for equal pay. The programmes are Shooting sto ck.................................... Eastman Film and Television Length.............................................................17minutes being developed in conjunction with the Synopsis: A film that promotes rock climbing Producer.....................................Brian Douglas Gauges........................................ 16 mm, video Curriculum Development Centre of the and encourages others to try the sport. The film Scriptwriter................................. Brian Douglas Shooting stock...................................Eastman will feature experienced women climbers.

Based on the original idea Cast: John Farnham, Little River Band, Dame b y............................................ Brian Douglas Edna Everage, Barry Humphries, Don Prod, associate......................... Kent Chadwick Dunstan, Prue Acton.

GIRLS IN CONTROL Prod, manager.............................Rhillip Collins Synopsis: Tourist promotion for Victoria.

Prod, secretary............................... Anne Pryor Producer...................................Sally Semmens Script editor......................... Patrick Edgeworth Scriptwriter......................................Kirsty Grant Length...................................... 13 x 30 minutes Exec, producer.................... Vincent O’Donnell Gauge...................................................1" video Length..............................................25 minutes Synopsis: In the near future, an out-of-work Gauge.........................................................BVU theatre troupe inadvertently prevent the piracy Synopsis: A film demonstrating women work­ of Australia's underground power source by a ing in the technical areas of the media. most devious and deadly organization.

Schools Commission and all State Educational WHEN THE SNAKE BITES THE SUN Departments.

Prod, company............................Film Australia Dist. company.............................Film Australia Exec, producer........................... Tom Haydon WORLD HERITAGE Producer.........................................................IanAdkins Prod, company............................ Film Australia Director..............................................Mike Edols Dist. company..............................Film Australia Photography............................................... MikeEdols, Producer......................................Oliver Howes Fabio Cavaderi Director........................................Oliver Howes Sound recordist.......................................... MarkBrewer Scriptwriter.................................. Oliver Howes Editor.......................................... Tim Litchfield Prod, manager............................ Nene Morgan Producer’s assistant.................... John Russell Length............................................110 minutes 2nd unit photography...................Vit Martinek Gauge......................................................35 mm Gauge......................................................16 mm Synopsis: A series of documentary films on Synopsis: Personal film about Mike Edols’s Australia’s five world heritage areas. (South return to the Mowayun Aboriginal community in West Tasmania, Lord Howe Island, Kakadu, north-west Australia after several years of Willancha Lakes and Great Barrier Reef), banishment.

FILM VICTORIA

NEW SOUTH WALES FILM CORPORATION

KIDS AND SPORT Producer...................................Sally Semmens Scriptwriter............Greater Glider Productions Exec, producer.....................Vincent O’Donnell Budget.................................................. $30,000 Length..............................................20 minutes

NATIONAL HERBARIUM Prod, company.............. Janina Craig Services Scriptwriters...................................... Jill Morris, Mary Lancaster Exec, producer....................Vincent O’Donnell Prod, co-ordinator.....................Sally Semmens Length..............................................20 minutes Gauge......................................................16 mm Synopsis: A film to delve behind the bland scientific walls of an herbarium, to reveal the rich matrix of history, scholarship and common unity found there.

RENEWABLE ENERGY Prod, company.........

Dist. company..........

Producer.................

Director...................

Scriptwriter..............

Sound recordist........

Editor........................

Prod, designer.........

Composer................

Exec, producer.........

Prod, manager.........

Continuity................

Script assistants......

Casting.....................

Lighting cameraman.

Camera operator.....

Tape operator..........

Thanks K a t h y B a il Cinema Papers

.... VTC (Vic) Pty Ltd ..Focal/Film Victoria ........... John Hipwell ...........Chris Lofven ............Jon Stevens ............. Tony Quinn ............. Rob O’Neill ...........Chris Worrall ........Frank Strangio ...Vincent O’Donnell ............. Kinta Nolan ..... Judy Whitehead ............. Digiprompt, Jane O’Meara Liz Mullinar Casting ...... Martin McGrath .............. Chris Reed ............. Peter Barry

Please help us keep this survey accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on (03) 329 5983 with any errors or omissions.

THE INITIAL INTERVIEW

LONG TAN

Prod, company............. The Long Tan Film Co. Prod, company................................. Visualeyes (proposed) Producer.......................................... Joan Evatt Scriptwriters............................David Horsfield, Director................................................... DeniseHunter Lex McAulay, Scriptwriter............................... John Patterson Bruce Horsfield, Photography.................................... Jack Swart Julianne Horsfield Sound recordist.....................................MichaelGissing Based on the original idea Editor.................................... Murray Ferguson by......................................... Bruce Horsfield Exec, producer............................ Peter Dimond Exec, producer........................Bruce Horsfield Prod, manager..................................Joan Evatt Prod, accountant.........Manfred and McCallum Make-up................................................MarjorieHamlin Length............................................110 minutes Length..............................................16 minutes Gauge......................................................35 mm Shooting sto ck.....................................Betacam Synopsis: A recreation of the Battle of Long Cast: Joanne Samuel (Anne Bates), James Tan, when an Australian patrol of 108 men Laurie (Michael Noble), Lorna Leslie (Mary fought off more than 1000 experienced Viet Kendall), Tim Elston (Jim Kendall), Tessa Cong. Based on the survivors’ own gripping Mallos (Mrs Warrington), Scott Bartle (Jason accounts, the story illustrates the thesis that Kendall), Luke Simmonds (Stephen Kendall), the war in Vietnam was won militarily, but lost Naomi Scanlon (Kirsty Kendall), Brian Kee politically.

(Staff member), Carolyn Devlin (Computer operator).

Synopsis: A short training video for the staff of NANCY WAKE the Department of Youth and Community Ser­ Prod, company......Simpson Le Mesurler Films vices. A child protection situation is enacted to Dist. company.............Pre-sale Seven Network demonstrate the procedures to be adopted Producers................................ Roger Simpson, when making the initial interview.

Roger Le Mesurier Scriptwriter................................................RogerSimpson Based on the novel b y ............ Russell Braddon Script editor.............................. Barbara Bishop Exec, producers....................... Alan Bateman, John Sturzaker Length.......................................4 x 60 minutes Gauge......................................................16 mm Synopsis: The story of Nancy Wake, Austra­ lian heroine of the French Resistance in World War 2.

TELEVISION

PRE-PRODUCTION

THE OZ SERIES

THE AUSTRALIAN CAMELEERS Prod, company............... Media World Pty Ltd Producers................................... John Tatoulis, Colin South Director........................................ John Tatoulis Scriptwriter...................................John Tatoulis Photography.................. Gaetano N. Martinetti Editor.............................................. Mark Gracie

Prod, company.......................... Deux Visages, Electric Shadow Motion Pictures, KCTS/9 Seattle, USA Producer....................................... Jim Brennan Director...................................James Lingwood Scriptwriter.................................. John Emery Based on the original Idea by............................................Laurie Gilbert, James Lingwood Photography................................Laurie Gilbert Sound recordist................................Mike Piper ►

CINEMA PAPERS July — 83

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Production Survey continued

Editors....................................... Kevin McLean, Exec, producer................................Gene Scott Photography...............................................DeanSemler Asst producer.............................Judith Coward Jon Holmes Directors................................................ HowardRubie, Sound recordist........................................... PaulBrincat Prod, co-ordinator....................................SusanEdwards Asst producer..............................................ToniForsyth Bill Hughes Editor..................................... Mark Van Buuren Prod, manager.................................Chris Page Casting................................................ Spotlight Prod, designer...........................Michael Ralph Prod, designer..................................Roger Kirk Prod, supervisor...................... C. Ewan Burnett Camera assistant........................ Giles Andriata Unit manager................................Keith Waters Assoc, producer............................Julie Monton Composer........................................Mario Millo Key grip....................................Richard Parkhill Prod, co-ordinator................... Susanne Darcey Prod, secretary...........................................Carol Matthews Prod, co-ordinator.....................Perry Stapleton Synopsis: A series of 30-minute dramatic Unit manager............................................. Chris Jones Prod, accountant..........................Jeff Shenker Prod, manager............................ Terrie Vincent documentaries to be shot in the Australian Location manager....................................... PaulManos 1st asst director...........Don Linke, Jamie Leslie Prod, secretary............Jasmin Forbes-Watson outback.

Prod, secretary............................. Susan Jarvis 2nd asst director.....................

Strachan Wilson Prod, accountant....................... Michele Wells Prod, accountant..................................... JennyVerdon Continuity.................................................. LeslieForsythe Art director................................................

IanGracie THE SHIRALEE Script editor.....................................

Debbie Cox Prod, assistant..........................................MartinCaheigh Props b uye r........................................... RichardHobbs 1st asst director....................Michael Bourchier Prod, company.............. SAFC Productions Ltd Asst props buyer.................................... AndrewPaul Casting.......................................... Jan Pontifex Story editor............................

Tony Cavanaugh 2nd asst director.........................................Julie Forster Producer...........................................Bruce Moir Set dresser............................... Murray Gossan Focus puller............................................... CraigBarden 3rd asst director............. Toby Churchill-Brown Director...................................... George Ogilvie Length...................................... 22 x 30 minutes Clapper/loader...........................................

Gary Bottomley Continuity.......................................................

JoWeeks Scriptwriter................................Tony Morphett Synopsis: Twenty-two episodes depicting the Key grip.................................................WarwickSimpson Director’s a sst............................................TonyKnight Based on the novel b y ............................ D’ArcyNiland lifestyle and experiences of a family-run Casting..............................Ann Churchill-Down Asst g rip ..........................................John Dynan Story editor................................................ PeterGawler Queensland Barrier Reef resort island.

Gaffer.................................................... MalcolmMcLean Extras casting........................................... FionaNicolls Prod, designer...................Kristian Frederikson Boom operator.......................................... SteveHaggarty Art director........................... Christine Dunstan Exec, producer................................Jock Blair FIRST TAKE Art director....................................... Brian Betts Asst art director............................................ KimDarby Cast: Bryan Brown (Macauley).

Prod, company................................ Mediacast Asst art director................................Len Barrett Art dept manager........................................RuthCatlin Synopsis: To Macauley, the child was his Producer.......................................................JimDale Hairdresser......................................Lisa Jones Costume designer........................................JanHurley ‘shiralee’, a burden and a handicap, and also a Director........................................................ IvorBowen Wardrobe............................... Heather McLaren Wardrobe................................................. RobynAdams constant reminder of bitterness and failure. It Scriptwriter................................................. John Baxter Standby wardrobe........................... Jo Haddon Wardrobe asst...................................... AmandaLovejoy was his nature to do things the hard way: the Photography......................................... GraemeRossProps buyer.................................................GlenJohnson Standby wardrobe...................................... Julie Middleton way he saw it, there was no other choice. What Sound recordist.......................................... JackO’Brian Special effects........................................... TerryWilcocks Tailoress................................................... HelenDykes he hadn’t taken into account was the child’s Prod, designer........................ Brian Thompson Set decorators.............................. Dawson Lee, Props buyers................................................. BillBooth, overwhelming need for love.

Prod, manager.......................................... HazelJoyner John Skovsdal, Sandy Wingrove Programme co-ordinator..........Bethwyn Serow Brett Vietch Standby props...............................Colin Gibson THOSE DEAR DEPARTED Prod, accountant........................................ RivaDale Set construction...........................Gordon White Set designer..........................................Igor Nay Prod, assistant..........................Bethwyn Serow Prod, company......................... Phillip Emanuel Asst editors................................................ JuneWilson, Set decorator............................................... TimFryer Producer’s assistant..............................Virginia Baxter Owen Johnston Productions Ltd Draughtsman/ Make-up....................................................... JoyMarwick Producer................................... Phillip Emanuel Neg. matching........................................ Jennie Keem, model maker................. Jennifer Carseldine Camera operators................................ GraemeRoss, Director........................................Ted Robinson Jill Lord Scenic artist............................................. GillianNicholas Colin Purnell Brush hand............................ Michael Burgess (proposed) Music editor............................................... DavidHolmes Lighting cameraman............. Peter Richardson Scriptwriter...............................Steve J. Spears Dialogue editors........................................ GavinMyers, Art dept runner...................... Justin Fitzpatrick Michael Carden Length.............................................. 90 minutes Carpenters..................................Andy Tickner, Tech, director.........................Andrew Mayhew David Scott, Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Editing assistants........................................FredKirkup Studios................... Metro Studios, Paddington Rory Forest, Synopsis: A black comedy.

M ixer.........................................Richard Brobyn Length.......................20 x 45 minutes (approx.)

Bronwyn Parry Stunts co-ordinator...................Chris Anderson Shooting stock.....................................Betacam Fx editors.................................................... Julie Murray, Set construction..........................................AlanFleming Hosted by....................................................JohnBaxter Bruce Climas Asst editor.................................................JennyHicks Synopsis: Short dramas, animated films and Runner......................................Brett Matthews Musical director...............................Bill Motzing independent documentaries from Australia and Laboratory............................................. Cinevex Editing assistant........................................ NigelTraill New Zealand feature in this third series of the Lab. liaison................................................BruceBraun Wrangler....................................................... RayWinslade ABC showcase for independent cinema. This Cast: Andrew McFarlane (Dr Tom Callaghan), Runner............................ Tom Churchill-Brown series adds introductions by critic John Baxter Liz Burch (Dr Chris Randall), Pat Evison (Violet Catering........................................Out to Lunch, and interviews with many of the filmmakers.

Carnegie), Lewis Fitz-Gerald (David Gibson), David and Cassie Vaile ARMY WIVES Bruce Barry (George Baxter), Lenore Smith Synopsis: A miniseries on the life of Nellie THE FAST LANE Prod, company...... Roadshow, Coote & Carroll (Kate Wellings), Maurie Fields (Vic Buckley), Melba.

Producer.................................Pamela Vanneck Prod, company........................................... ABC Max Cullen (Hurtle), Gil Tucker (Joe Forrest), Director...................................Denny Lawrence Dist. company............................................. ABC Terry Gill (Sgt Carruthers).

MUSICAL MARINER Scriptwriter........................... Anne Brooksbank Producer............................................Noel Price Synopsis: A Royal Flying Doctor Service is Prod, company..........................................LuckyCountry Based on a National Times Directors...................................... Mandy Smith, located in the outback town of Coopers Productions Pty Ltd article by.............................................. LyndallCrisp Mark Joffe, Crossing. The two doctors, Tom Callaghan and Dist. company.........Lucky Country Distribution Photography............................ Ross Berryman Colin Budds Chris Randall, not only contend with the Producers......................................................BillLeimbach, Editor.......................................Richard Hindley Scriptwriters............................. Andrew Knight, medical challenges, but also with the small Michael Dillon, Composer.................................................. ChrisNeal John Clarke, community in which they live.

Claire Leimbach Exec, producers.......................................... MattCarroll, Max Dann, Director.......................................................... BillLeimbach Greg Coote John Alsop, HEY DAD Photography............................... Michael Dillon Prod, co-ordinator................................. BarbaraRing Deborah Parsons, Composer................................................. DavidFanshawe Prod, manager............................................SallyAyre-Smith Robyn Watton Prod, company........... Jacaranda Productions Budget................................................ $160,000 Location manager.................................. PatriciaBluntBased on the original idea Dist. company............Pre-sale Seven Network Length..............................................60 minutes Prod, accountant...........................Catch 1.2.3., b y ............................................................ JohnClarke, Producer..........................................Gary Reilly Gauge......................................................16 mm Tony Hulstrom Andrew Knight Director.......................................Kevin Burston Cast: David Fanshawe (Presenter).

1st asst director..........................................John Warran Sound recordists....................................... PeterMills, Scriptwriter..................................... Gary Reilly Synopsis: After five years collecting over Continuity.............................................. LarraineQuinnell Tim Wilton Based on the original Idea b y .........Gary Reilly 1,500 hours of music and effects from Micro­ Casting consultants.........Maizels & Associates Editors..........................................................KenTyler,Executive-in-charge of nesia, Melanesia and Polynesia, world Focus puller............................................... BrianBreheny Frank Zimmerman production.............................. Alan Bateman reknown music composer David Fanshawe is Key g rip ......................................... Pip Shapiera Prod, designers........................................AlwynHarbott, Studios........................ ATN-7 Studios, Sydney ready to prepare his next major piece ‘Pacific Art director............................................. AndrewBlaxland Carole Harvey Length...................................... 12 x 30 minutes Odyssey’ , which will premiere for the 1988 Asst art director..........................................MarcRyanComposers................................................. GregSneddon, Gauge................................................ Videotape Bicentennial.

Costume designer..................................... TerryRyan Andrew Baylor Cast: Robert Hughes (Martin Kelly), Julie Mc­ Make-up................................ Annie Heathcote Exec, producer............................................ NoelPriceGregor (Betty Wilson), Paul Smith (Simon Costume assistant............... Louise Wakefield Prod, manager...................Margaret Greenwell Kelly), Simone Buchanan (Debbie Kelly), Sarah NEIGHBOURS Props buyer/set dresser...............Eugene Intas Prod, secretary.......................... Jacquie Lamb Monahan (Jenny Kelly), Christopher Truswell Prod, company.........Grundy Television Pty Ltd Standby props................................ John Daniel 1st asst director..........................Peter Baroutis (Nudge).

Producer..........................................

Philip East Head carpenter......................................... BorisKosanovic, 2nd asst director..........................................DonRyan Directors........................................ Clive Fleury, Carpenters............................................ MaxwellWorrell, Continuity......................................................LeeHeming Richard Sarrell, Grant Longley Casting........................................... Dina Mann THE LIVING BORDER Max Varnel, Construction manager...............................BrianHocking Lighting directors............................Ron Comb, Prod, company.................................... GoulburnMurray Andrew Friedman, Asst carpenter.......................................... DanielBaxter Noel Quirk Television Ltd (inc. in Vic.) Steve Mann, Runner.................................................. AnthonyAdare Camera operators....................................... DickWilloughby, Dist. company..................................... GoulburnMurray Rick Peilizzeri Laboratory...........................................Colorfilm Roger McAlpine Television Ltd (inc. in Vic.) Scriptwriters...........................................Various Lab. liaison.............................................RichardPiorkowski Key grip........................................................ MaxGaffney Producer............................. Rosemary Marriott Script supervisor..............................Ray Kolle Boom operator........................................... GaryLund Director...............................................Ian Cruse Budget............................................. $1.4 million Script editors................................... Rick Maier, Make-up........................................................ IanLoughnan Length.............................................................90minutes Scriptwriter................................ Graham Jones Ysabelle Dean Gauge............................................................. 16mm Wardrobe..............................................BeverleyJasper Based on the original idea Based on the original idea Set construction.......................................... ABCWorkshop Shooting stock...................... 7291,7294, 7192 b y .......................................................GrahamJones by.............................................................. RegWatson Title designer..............................Phil Cordingly Cast: Julie Nihill(Jill), Llan Lunson (Wendy), Photography............................................. DavidRussell Sound recordists...................................... DavidMuir, Publicity......................................Georgie Howe Shane Connor (Grant), Philip Quast (Peter).

Sound recordist.....................................GrahamJones Grant Vogler, Studios....................................................... ABC,Melbourne Synopsis: The story ofthe tension that Editors.... .................................... David Russell, Keith Harper, Length.......................................10 x50 minutes develops between two friendswho marry army ian Cruse, Rob Saunders Gauge..............................................................1"videotape servicemen of different ranks.

Rosemary Marriott Editor...........................................

David Jaegar Cast: Debra Lawrence, Richard Healy, Terry Exec, producer........................................... TonyKenison Prod, designer......................... Robbie Perkins Bader, Peter Hosking.

Prod, co-ordinator..............................RosemaryMarriott Composer..........................

Tony Hatch (theme) BUTTERFLY ISLAND 2 Synopsis: The events surrounding a pair of Prod, assistant.........................................NicoleBoschetti Exec, producer..............................Reg Watson down-at-heel private eyes.

Prod, company........ Independent Productions 1st asst director........................ Paul Simpson Assoc, producer............................Peter Askew Dist. company...........Independent Productions Re-enactment director...........................GordonDowell Prod, co-ordinator.................................... JayneRussell Producer................................................. StanleyWalsh Lighting cameraman................................ DavidRussell THE FLYING DOCTORS Prod, manager........................................ RoslynTatarka Camera assistant...................... Kieran Raleigh Prod, company............... Crawford Productions Floor managers....................... Peter O’Connor, 2nd unit photography.................................... IanCruse, Producer................................. Oscar Whitbread Alan Williamson Paul Simpson Director’s assistants...........................MarianneGray, Exec, producers...................................... HectorCrawford, Art director................................................NicoleBoschetti Ian Crawford, Jo Rittan Asst editor....................................... David Brian Casting.................

Jan Russ Terry Stapleton Music performed b y ........................... Yabbies, Casting assistant..........................Sal Creswick Directors.................................. Brendon Maher, Muddy Creek Bush Band Staging supervisor..................................... ColinMorris Colin Budds, Publicity..........Goulburn Murray Television Ltd Lighting supervisor.................. Keith Ferguson Dan Burstall Studios..............................GMV-6, Shepparton Art director............................... Stephen Keller Scriptwriters............................ Tony Morphett, Mixed a t............................GMV-6, Shepparton Help us make this Production Make-up......................................................Julie Corbet, Christine McCourt, Length.............................................50 minutes David Henderson Survey as complete as poss­ Vince Moran, Gauge......................................................... BVUvideotape Hairdressers............................................... Julie Corbet, Peter Hepworth ible. If you have something Shooting stock....................................... Scotch Sue Warhurst Photography...............................................

Brett Anderson which is about to go into preSynopsis: The Living Border — a portrait of Wardrobe.................................................. IsobelCarter, Sound recordist...............................Paul Clarke production, let us know and we the Murray River and its people — portrays the Cathy Turnull, Editors......................................Lindsay Parker, past, present and possible future of Australia’s will make sure it is included.

Frenny Crook Ross Evans greatest river.

The documentary depicts the Call Kathy Bail on (03) Props buyers..............................................

MarkGrivas Composers...'......................... Garry McDonald, role of the river in the development of Australia Standby props........................Paul Sutherland, Laurie Stone 329 5983, or write to her at and its still enormous potential.

Kim Naggs Cinema Papers, 644 Victoria Music editor............................................WarrenPearson Street, North M elbourne, Vision switcher......................................... Jenny Williams MELBA Victoria 3051.

Please help us keep this survey Technical directors.....................................Jack Brown, Prod, company.............CB Seven Productions accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on Ric Nott, Producer.................................... Errol Sullivan ,__ Howard Simons (03) 329 5983 with any errors or Director...................................... Rodney Fisher Catering........................................................Trio Catering omissions.

Scriptwriter............................ Roger McDonald Post-production.......^ ......ATV 1 0, Melbourne

PRODUCTION

PRODUCERS

84 — July CINEMA PAPERS

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First released............... Network Ten, Australia January 20,1986 Cast: Gary Giles (Tom Ramsay), Geoff Paine (Clive Gibbons), Peter O ’Brien (Shane Ramsay), Alan Dale (Jim Robinson), Anne Haddy (Helen Daniels), Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Kylie Flinker (Lucy Robinson), Elaine Smith (Daphne Lawrence) Paul Keane (Des Clarke), Myra De Groot (Eileen Clarke).

Synopsis: Love 'em or hate ’em but every­ one’s got 'em: neighbours. Ramsay Street — the stage for an exciting drama serial — drawing back the curtain to reveal the intrigue and passions of Australian families — and their neighbours.

Linda Wilson, Location manager........................ Bevan Childs Publicity.........................................Susan Wood Sally Englander Prod, accountants.................................... Catch1-2-3,Catering....................................Kristina Frohlich Casting................................................ Jan Russ Unit nurse...................................Megan Cooper Jenny Verdon, Jane Daniels Post-production supervisor.......John Hollands Therese Tran Staging supervisor............................... Bill Webb Prod, assistant...........................Emma Gordon Mixed at...........................Crawford Productions Lighting supervisor....................... Rod Harbour 1st asst directors.........................................John Wild, Laboratory............. Victorian Film Laboratories Make-up................................................ Jo Pardy Lab. liaison................................. Bill Harrington Craig Bolles Hairdresser......................... William Mcllvaney 2nd asst director..........................................BrettPopplewell Budget..............................................$2.8 million Wardrobe................................Bigi Malinauskas Continuity...................................Tracy Padula, Length.........................................2 x 96 minutes Props buyer.................................... Mark Grivas Nicola Moors Gauge.......................................................16 mm Standby props................................ Susan Birjak Producer's a s s t.....Natalie Wentworth-Shields Shooting s to c k ........... Eastman 5291 and 5294 Music editor................................. .....John White C asting.................. Natalie Wentworth-Shields Cast: John Waters (Johnny Rarsons), Rosey Vision switcher............................ Jim Mauridis Focus puller................................................ChrisCole Jones (Barbara Dean), Steve Jacobs (Dave Technical directors..............Howard Simmons, Mitchell), Esben Storm (Frog Gardiner), Clapper/loader.........................................JamesRickard Peter Merino Swawomir Wabik (Ivan), Joy Smithers (Betty Key grip................................................. BrendonShandley Catering....................................... Helen Louers G affer.........................................................Chris Fleet Spencer), Ruth Cracknell (Helen Spencer), PRIME TIME Post-production.................ATV-10, Melbourne Martin Vaughan (Jack “ The Dogger” Harris), Electrician..................................................DavidScandal First released.......Network Ten, Australia 1979 Prod, company............... Crawford Productions Art dept co-ordinator...................... Penny Lang Gerard Maguire (Tim Sanderson), Ron Graham Cast: Elspeth Ballantyne (Meg Morris), Maggie (Broadcast) Pty Ltd Costume designer...........................David Rowe (Denzil Leary).

Kirkpatrick (Joan Ferguson), Gerda Nicolson Producer.................................................GrahamMoore Art dept runner..............................Sam Rickard Synopsis: A woman is murdered . . . a truck is (Ann Reynolds), Joy Westmore (Joyce Pringle), Exec, producers..................... Hector Crawford, hijacked . . . and terror comes to the loneliest Make-up................................................ Michelle Barber Ernie Bourne (Mervin Pringle), Lois Collinder Ian Crawford, road in the Australian outback. Alice to Hairdresser............................................Michelle Barber (Alice Jenkins), Glenda Linscott (Rita Terry Stapleton Wardrobe supervisor.................................DavidRoweNowhere is a story of desperate men and Connors), Paula Duncan (Lorelei Wilkinson), Directors...................................................... PaulMaloney, Standby props........................Kerry Thompson lonely people. It is an action-packed drama in Pepe Trevor (Lexie Patterson), Michael Win­ Chris Sheil, Props buyer................................... Andrew Paul which the characters act under the awesome chester (Marty Jackson).

Steve Mann, influence of the vast emptiness that is the Aus­ Asst props buyer......................................RowanMcKenzie Synopsis: A powerful and unique story of Peter Andrikidis Carpenters.............................................. MarcusErasmus, tralian outback. women in prison. It tells of the lives of women Scriptwriters.............................Terry Stapleton, Brendan Mullen, in prison, the crimes they committed and their Graham Hartley, Tony Reid personal hell behind bars.

BABAKIUERIA Shane Brennan, Set construction..................... Graeme Gilligan Graeme Farmer Sound editor.............................................. SteveSmithProd, company..........................ABC-TV Drama Script editors.............................................. PeterHerbert, Runner..................................Andrew Merrifield Dist. company............................................. ABC SONS AND DAUGHTERS Morgan Smith, Publicity....................................................... SueWard Producer....................................... Julian Pringle Prod, company.........Grundy Television Pty Ltd Jocelyn Moorhouse, Catering.....................................................MMK Director................................Don Featherstone Producer..................................... Posie Jacobs Erina Rayner, Studios..............................................Filmcentre Scriptwriter.......................... Geoffrey Atherden Directors..........................................Mark Piper, Jacki Horvath Length...................................... 14 x 60 minutes Script editor................................

Barbara Masel Russell Webb, Research.....................................................JaneWatson Gauge......................................................16 mm Based on the original idea Alister Smart, Photography.......................................Louis Puli Cast: Grant Dodwell (Charles Willing), Shane by......................................

Geoffrey Atherden Gayne Arnold Sound recordist............................................PaulClark Withington (Abel Moore).

Photography............................ Julian Penney Editor..........................................................KaranPeel Scriptwriters........................................... Various Sound recordist........................ Chris Alderton Synopsis: Two young men, Charles Willing Assoc, producer..................................... HowardNeil Script editor................................ Greg Stevens and Abel Moore, advertise their services for Editor.........................................Michael Honey Story editor.......................

Maureen Ann Moran Prod, supervisor...................... C. Ewan Burnett Prod, designer.......................... Graham Gould any money-making operation. Inept, if Based on the original idea Prod, co-ordinator.......................Simone North Prod, manager..................... Stephen O’Rourke enthusiastic, businessmen, their very jobs lead by.............................................................. RegWatson Asst prod, co-ordinator............Sandra Knowles Unit manager............................................ LanceMellor them into situations that are dangerous, Sound recordists.........................................AlanScott, Post-production co-ordinator............Karan Peel Prod, secretary.........................Annabel Jeffery mysterious and often highly amusing. They are Zbyszek Krzuszkowiak Prod, manager............................... Ron Noseda 1st asst director.........................VidMcClelland aided and abetted by twelve-year-old Parra­ Editors................................... Michael J. Hagan Unit manager............................. Maurice Burns 2nd asst director............................ David Sandy matta Jones and the delightful Angela Reddy.

Clive Jenkins Prod, secretary..................Kimanie Haemeister Continuity...................................Carolyn Gould, Prod, designer...........................

Ken Goodman Prod, accountant............................Vince Smits Emma Peach Composers (theme)..................................... DonBattye, 1st asst directors.........................................TonyForster, Casting........................................................IreneGaskell Peter Pinne Richard Clendinnen Casting consultants.................................

Abena Exec, producer............................................. DonBattye Continuity.................................................... TaraFerrier, Camera operators..................... Julian Penney, Assoc, producer.....................................GrahamMurray Carmel Torcasio Geoff Malouf Casting director.......................................... GregRossProd, manager...........................................JanetVeale Focus puller.................................................BrettJoyce, Unit manager................................................RayWalsh Casting consultant................................. KimlarnFrecker Jenny Meaney Focus puller................................................. PaulTilleyProd, secretary......................... Lisa Fitzpatrick Clapper/loader........................................ GerardQuinn ALICE TO NOWHERE Floor managers.........................................SorenJensen, Clapper/loader...........................Craig Dusting Key grip.........................................Alan Trevena David Watts Prod, company............... Crawford Productions Key g rip .......................................................... IanPhilips Asst grip..................................... Paul Lawrence Director's assistants.................... Jeffrey Gale, Producer............................................... BrendanLunney G affer..............................................................BillJones Gaffer........................................................ MartinPierrot Karen Moore, D irector....................................................... John Power Boom operator........................................... LeighTate Electrician.......................................

Pierre Drion Lesia Hruby, Scriptwriter.................................................DavidBoutland Art d irector.................................Andrew Reese Boom operator............................................ScottTaylor Casting......................................................... SueManger Based on a novel b y ................................... EvanGreen Asst art director..........................Elena Perrotta Make-up....................................................

ElaineFitcher Casting assistant.................. Jenny O’Donnell Script editor................................................ BrianWright Wardrobe supervisor/ Wardrobe................................................ WendyChuck Photography.............................................. DavidConnell costume designer..................................KeelyEllis Staging supervisor................Gunther Neszpor Props buyer................................................Peter Branch Lighting supervisor....................................PeterRussell Sound recordist...................... Andrew Ramage Make-up...................................................... BradSmith, Publicity..................................... Georgie Brown Set designer..................................Leore Rose Editor..........................................Ralph Strasser Elizabeth Harper Studios.......................................ABC, Gore Hill Make-up.................................Rachel Del Santo Prod, designer............................................PhilipWarner Wardrobe................................... Anna Baulch, Length............................................................. 30minutes Hairdressers..........................Greg Hanneman, Exec, producers.....................Hector Crawford, Ann Went Cast: Michelle Torres (Presenter), Bob Maza Gail Edmonds Ian Crawford, Props buyer............................................. RolandPike (Minister for White Affairs), Kevin Smith (Police Wardrobe supervisor............................... RobeyBuckley Terry Stapleton Standby prop s............................................. PaulKiely, Superintendent).

Wardrobe assistants..........Margarita Tassone, Assoc, producer..................................... MichaelLakeSynopsis: An original half-hour play for tele­ Darcy Chene Norman Tunbridge, Prod, manager.....................................Grant Hill Special effe cts........................... Terry Wilcock vision.

Julie Taylor Prod, co-ordinator....................................LeonieJansen Sound editor............................................... ColinSwann Props..........................................................PeterMorris, Location manager................................... MurrayBoyd Music editor............................................Andrew Jacobson CASSIE John Messenger Asst location manager.......Cameron Strachan Best b o y ......................................................GregRobinson Music editor............................... Gary Hardman Prod, secretary..........................................FionaKing Prod, company............ Starlite Film Production Runner..........................................................ConMancuso Vision switcher..................Kathleen Hinchcliffe Prod, accountant................Robert Threadgold Producer.................................... Carl T. Woods Publicity.................................................... GTV 9 Technical directors....................................... PatBarter, 1st asst director..........................................John Wild Director.......................................Carl T. Woods Studios..................................................... GTV 9 Keith Cartwright, 2nd asst director..........................................BrettPopplewell Scriptwriter................................. Carl T. Woods Mixed at...........................Crawford Productions Graham Manion 3rd asst director......................................... PeterNathan Photography...............................Paul Ozererski Laboratory..............................................Cinevex Catering..................................... Taste Buddies Continuity......................................................SueWileySound recordist......................... Harvey Welsh Lab. liaison................................................ BruceBraun Post-production.........................Custom Video Prod, assistants....................Tanya Thompson, Casting...................................................Graham Moore Gauge.....................................16 mm (location), First released...........Seven Network, Australia, Casting consultant....................................... JanPontifex Sallyanne Freney video (studio) January 1982 Focus p ulle r................................................GregRyanCasting....................... Starlite Casting Services Cast: Kris Orchard (David Lockhart), Tony Cast: Tom Richards (David Palmer), Leila Clapper/loader........................................... TerryHowells Lighting cameraman......Slawomir Jastrzebski Hawkins (Harry Jones), Julianne White (Diana Hayes (Beryl Palmer), Pat McDonald (Fiona Key g rip .......................................................... IanBenallack Clapper/loader............................... Ross Wenke Fields), Ben Mendelsohn (Bart Jones), Peter Thompson), Ian Rawlings (Wayne Hamilton), Asst g rip .................................................... StuartCrombie G rips..........................................Steven Bolack, Kowitz (Jim Donnegan), Peter Whitford Abigail (Caroline Morrell), Belinda Giblin Gaffer...................................................... StewartSorby Mark Robson (Charles Garrett), Nina Landis (Kate Mac (Alison Carr), Oriana Panozzo (Susan Palmer), Boom operator................................Tim Towers Best b o y ..................................................... PeterMaloney Arthur), Katrina Foster (Jocelyn Cole), Sonja Brian Blain (Gordon Hamilton), Sarah Kemp Electrician.............................................. RichardTummel Make-up...................................... Desi Maddock Tallis (Georgina Jones), Antonia Murphy (Jan (Charlie), Danny Roberts (Andy Green).

Boom operator........................................... ScottRawlings Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Garrett), David Whitney (Stephen Lockhart).

Synopsis: They were born twins, separated at Art director..................................................SallyShepherd Length............................................. 90 minutes Synopsis: Prime Time is a new concept in birth, and reunited 20 years later, not knowing Costume designer.....................................

Clare Griffin Gauge......................................................

16 mm serial television: a behind-the-scenes look at their relationship. But that was just the begin­ Make-up.........................

FelicitySchoeffelCast: Haley Jolliffe (Cassie), Robin Doyle an independent television company. It features ning of the intrigue and drama!

(Roger Dunn), Judith Saunders (Darlene), Hairdresser............................................CarolineNott the drama and action that goes into making a Wilhemina Naprasnik (Brenda), Jim Doherty Wardrobe supervisor.......... Margot McCartney weekly current affairs program,e. “ Assign­ WILLING AND ABEL Standby wardrobe.......................................John Shea(Tony Oresto), Leslie Asher (Sophie), Robert ment is the programme. David Lockhart owns Props buyer.................................................. LisaGraham Johnson (Sgt Mills), Laurie Barton (Hobo), Jim Prod, company................ The Willing and Abel the show, the company that makes it, and is Lam (Johnny Wah).

Standby props.................... Shane Rushbrook, Co. Pty Ltd the new current affairs “ star” — sharp and Brian Lang Synopsis: A suspenseful and moving story of a Dist. company...................The Willing and Abel aggressive. We watch his team bring him the Art dept asst...............................................DianeBennett young country schoolgirl. Sexually attacked by Co. Pty Ltd big stories each week.

Special effects........................................ ConradRothman her mother’s boyfriend, disbelieved and Producer..................................... Lynn Bayonas Set dresser......................... Graham Blackmore ignored by her mother, she runs away alone to Directors....................................... John Power, PRISONER the raw life and pitfalls of the city streets.

Carpenter......................................David Forbes Ric Pelizzeri, Prod, company.........Grundy Television Pty Ltd Asst carpenter...............................................Jim McKeown Gary Conway Producer........................................Marie Trevor Construction manager.............Michael McLean THE CHALLENGE Scriptwriters................................. Ted Roberts, Directors................................Kendal Flanagan, Construction....................................... Wilf Flint, Peter Schreck, Prod, com pany................................ Roadshow, Sean Nash, David Thompson David Boutland, Coote & Carroll, Tony Osicka, Asst editor........................................................JoFriesen Leon Saunders, Golden Dolphin Productions Gary Conway Neg. matching...................................... WarwickDriscoll Sheila Sibley, Dist. company..................................Roadshow, Scriptwriters............................................Various Sound editors............................................ Glenn Martin, Luis Bayonas, Coote & Carroll Story editor................................................BevanLee Glenn Newham Michael Aikens Producers..............................................Tristram Miall, Script editors................................ Neil Luxmore Editing assistants...................................... DavidField, An original idea b y .....................Grant Dodwell, Bob Loader Fay Rousseaux Averil Nichol Lynn Bayonas, Director.......................................................Chris Thomson Based on the original idea M ixer...................................................... RichardBrobyn Shane Withington, Scriptwriter.................................. David Phillips by...............................................................RegWatson Asst m ixer................................ John Wilkenson Ted Roberts Photography................................ Russell Boyd Sound recordist..................... Ross Thompson Story editor....................................Ted Roberts Stunts co-ordinator.......................Arch Roberts Sound recordist.......................................... MarkLewis Editor..............................................Phil Johnson Script e dito r.............................................. HelenSteel Safety officer................................ Kevin Bryant Editor...................................................... LindsayFrazer Prod, designer...............................Geoff Hatton Still photography.......................... Bill Bachman Photography......................... Danny Batterham Prod, designer.............................................LarryEastwood Composer........................ Alan Caswell (theme) Editor.................................... Stuart Armstrong Opticals..................Victorian Film Laboratories Exeo. producers...........................................MattCarroll, Exec, producer.............................. Reg Watson Armourer............................................ John Fox Prod, designer...........................Michael Ralph .

GregCoote Assoc, producer............................................ IanSmithExec, producers........................ Lynn Bayonas, Mechanics/drivers......................David Pollock, Exec, in charge of Prod, coordinator.......................Wendy Walker Mark Stone Ted Roberts production............................................. HarleyManners Prod, manager............................................ MickMills Assoc, producer...........................................RodAllan Art dept runner..............................................BenJansen Prod, co-ordinators............................... BarbaraRing, Floor manager...............................................RayLindsay Prod, co-ordinator.......................... Julia Ritchie Runners......................................Ken Mahlab, Julie Ritchie Directors' assistants................................MurrayGroube, Prod, manager............................................. RodAllan Cameron Mellor Prod, manager................................. Jenny Day ►

POST-PRODUCTION

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Production Survey continued

Photography.......

Ian Warburton ACS Based on the original idea Emma Hay, Location manager.................... David Malacari Sound recordist.. ................. Bill Doyle Stephanie Flack by............. ’ .............. .......Louis Nowra Unit manager.............................Richard Carroll ....Julian Penney Prod, designer.... ...........Frank Garley Photography......................

Editing assistants............................Emma Hay, Prod, accountant...................................... Catch1-2-3 Prod, manager.... ............ John Winter Sound recordist.................. ...Chris Alderton Laura Zusters Jenny Verdon Prod, secretary... .........Jacquie Lamb Mixer.........................................................MartinOswin Asst sound recordists........ ..........Geoff Krix, Asst, accountant...............Elizabeth Anderson 1st asst director.. ......Peter Trofimovs Stunts co-ordinator......................................GuyNorris Scott Taylor 1st asst director.......................... Colin Fletcher 2nd asst director. ............. Neil Wilson Still photography....................... Grant Dearden Editor................................. ........... Bill Russo 2nd asst director...................Murray Robertson ........... Kerry Bevan Snake wrangler........................... Neil Charles 3rd asst director......................................... Jane GriffinContinuity..........

Prod, designer................... ........Jim Murray .............. Dina Mann Mechanic....................................................MarkStone Continuity.................................................... PamWillisCasting..............

Asst prod, designer........... .... Paul Hinderer Camera operator ...............Rod Coats Best boy.............................................RossPhilp C asting................................................. Forcast, .... Nathan Waks Composer.......................... ..........Trevor Moore Focus p ulle r.......

Runner......................................... Robin Newell Rae Davidson, Exec, producer.................. .... Jan Chapman Clapper/loader.... ..Victor Gugtielmino Catering.................................... Jan Drummond Michael Lynch Prod, manager................... .... Carol Chirlian Key grip.............. ...Tony Woolveridge Mixed a t................................................Colorfilm Focus puller..................... Geraldine Catchpool Unit manager..................... Beverley Powers Gaffer................. ..... Andrew Holmes Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Clapper/loader..................................Chris Cole Prod, secretary.................. .......Susan Wells Electrician..........

Peter Rossborough Lab. liaison......................... Richard Piorkowski Key g rip ............................................ Ray Brown 1st asst director................. ....Graham Millar Boom operator... ..............Ian Cregan Budget............................................. $1.5 million Asst grips.............................................. Ian Bird, 2nd asst director................ ...Steve Stannard Asst art director.. ............Judith Hurst Length.............................................................97minutes Stuart Green .Rhonda McAvoy Continuity..........................

Publicity............. ........Georgie Howe Gauge......................................................16 mm 2nd unit photography................................SteveWindon Casting............................... .... Jennifer Allen Catering............. ...Sweet Seductions Shooting stock......................................... Kodak Gaffer.......................................................... BrianBansgrove ......Irene Gaskell Casting assistant..............

Studios...............

Cast: Ivar Kants (Danny Gallagher), Joanne ........................ ABC Electrian ......................................... Colin Chase Lighting cameraman................................ JulianPenney Mixed at.............. ........................ ABC Samuel (Sally Woodrow), Stuart Campbell Boom operator.......................... Jack Freidman Focus puller.................................................BrettJoyce (Goltz), Jennifer Hagan (Maggie Ballantyne), Length.............................................. 75 minutes Art director..............................................AndrewBlaxland Camera assistant....................................GerardQuinn Francis Yin (Mr Uen).

Gauge......................................................16 mm Asst art director.......................... Rob Robinson Key grip......................................... Alan Trevena Synopsis: Danny Gallagher, investigative Synopsis: Lena, a 34-year-old woman and Art dept, co-ord.............................. Judith Ditter Asst grip.....................................Paul Lawrence journalist, stumbles across an international Ned, a 60-year-old man drift through life Costume designer......................... Anna Senior Electricians............................... Martin Perrott, animal smuggling racket mastermined by a unaware they are growing older daily. When Make-up.................................................. VioletteFontaine Pierre Drion large German named Goltz and an unbeliev­ Hairdresser................................................. JoanPetchthey meet at a country hotel, a friendship Make-up............................... Suzie Stewart ably evil Chinese triad. Teaming up with photo­ develops with more entangling ramifications — Standby wardrobe....................... Paula Ekerick Wardrobe...........................Caroline Suffield grapher Sally Woodrow, Danny follows the much to the irritation of both.

Props buyer..................................Peta Lawson Props............................................................ RoyEagleton villains across outback Australia ending up in a Standby props......................................... LouiseCarrigan Props buyer.............................................

AdrianCannon brawling climax in the waters of tropical FUNERAL GOING Set construction.........................................BrianHocking Props dresser............................................. TonyWilliams Queensland.

Art dept, runner................................Marc Ryan Prod, company......................................ABC-TVDrama Special effects................................Laurie Faen Asst edito r............................Veronika Haussler Dist. company............................................. ABC Asst editor...................................... Sasa Vitacek THE HARP IN THE SOUTH 2nd asst editor.................................. Rhyl Yates Producer......................................Julian Pringle Musical director......................................

Nathan Waks Dubbing edito r........................................... PennRobertson Director........................................ Julian Pringle Prod, company..................................... AnthonyBuckley Sound editor................................................. DesHorne Best bo y .......................................................PaulGantner Scriptwriter...................................... Cory Taylor Productions Pty Ltd Title designer............................................LynneBarrett Runner................................. Alison McClymont Based on the original idea by......... Cory Taylor Producer................................ Anthony Buckley Publicity................................................. GeorgieBrown Catering...................................... Kaos Catering Script editor...............................Barbara Masel Exec, producer...................... Robert Mercieca Catering........................................ Out To Lunch Length.........................................6 x 48 minutes Director................................................... GeorgeWhaley Sound recordists.......................Chris Alderton, Length.............................................................90minutes Gauge......................................................16 mm Scriptwriter.......................... Eleanor Witcombe David Dundas Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Synopsis: The Challenge is the dramatized Based on the novel b y ....................... Ruth Park Editor........................................... Nola O’Malley Cast: Brendan Higgins (Michael), Melita Jurisic story of the 1983 land and sea battle for the Photography................................................ PaulMurphy Prod, designer.............................Stephen Gow (lleana), John Bell (Consul), Paul Chubb America’s Cup. The miniseries looks beyond Sound recordist................. Sydney Butterworth Composer......................................Andrew Bell (Caffrey), Cathy Downes (Sue). the final contest for the cup to the genius, Editor.......................................... Wayne Le Clos Prod, manager.....................Stephen O’Rourke talent and endeavour of those involved, who Prod, designer...................................... BernardHidesSynopsis: An original 90-minute telemovie Unit manager..............................Lance Mellor written by Louis Nowra. made an impossible dream become reality.

Composer......................................... Peter Best Prod, secretary...................................... AnnabelJeffery Prod, manager........................................... CarolHughes 1st asst director.......................................... ScottFeeney JOE WILSON Location m anager.................................... RobinClifton DREAMTIME — 2nd asst director.......................Vid McClelland Unit manager........................ Roxane Delbarre Prod, company....... Bilgola Beach Productions THE MONSOON FROG Producer’s assistant...................Emma Peach Prod, secretary..................... Catherine Bishop Producer............................................AlexandraCann Casting..................................................

Jennifer Allen Prod, company....................................ABC-TV Prod, accountant..........Moneypenny Services, Director................................. Geoffrey Nottage Lighting cameraman..............................SamuelChung Dist. company........................... ABC Education Val Williams Scriptwriter................................Keith Dewhurst Location cam era....................................... PeterRobson Producer.................................................... RobinJames Prod, assistant.......................................... Nicky Rowntree Based on short stories by............Henry Lawson Studio camera.........................................MurrayTonkin Director..................................................... RobinJames 1st asst director..............................Bob Howard Photography..................................... Peter Levy Key grip.......................................Alan Trevena Scriptwriter...................................Bruce Murphy 2nd asst director................................Ian Kenny Sound recordist..............................Paul Brincat Electrics................................................... MartinPerrot Based o n ..............................Aboriginal Legend 3rd asst director.................................

Mark Day Editor............................................................TimWellburn Boom operator................................... Geoff Krix Photography................................ Wayne Harley Continuity...................................... Nicky Moors Prod, designer............................. Herbert Pinter Sound recordist................................... WarwickFinlayMake-up....................................... Elaine Fitcher Casting.......................................................Susie Maizels Prod, co-ordinator................................MargaretSlarke Wardrobe.....................................Wendy Chuck Editor..........................................................DavidHalliday Casting consultants.........Maizels & Associates Prod, manager......................................StephenJones Props..........................................................

Peter Branch Prod, designer.................................. Nick Reed Extras casting........................Caroline Bonham Unit manager................................................ PhilUrquhart Props buyer...........................................AnthonyCronin Unit manager...................................Len Bauska Camera operator...................

David Williamson Location liaison/extras casting.... Kate Ingham Standby props...............................................IanHayward, Prod, assistant....................................... DebbieOverell Focus puller..........................

Geoffrey Wharton Prod, accountants....................................Catch1-2-3, Simon Longworth Camera assistant...................................... ColinHertzog Clapper/loader............................................

John Platt Jenny Verdon, Choreography................ Claire Stonier-Kippen Gaffer.............................................Ron Hannah Key grip......................................................RobinMorgan Therese Tran Sound editor.............................................. DavidDundas Electrician......................................Scott Mellon Asst grip ........................................................JonGoldney 1st asst director.........................

Deuel Droogan Publicity.....................................Georgie Brown Make-up..................................Dawn Thompson Gaffer............................................. Mick Morris 2nd asst director........................................ TobyPease Catering.................................... Fillum Catering Neg. matching........................................... BarryMcKnight Electricians.................................... Chris Fleet, 3rd asst director............Toby Churchill-Brown Studios..................................ABC-TV, Gore Hill Research.................................................... Joan Kennedy David Scandol Continuity................................................. JennyQuigley Mixed a t ............................... ABC Necam Suite Sound editor..............................................DavidHalliday Boom operator..................................... Sue Kerr Producer’s assistant............................... MandyChang Length.............................................................30minutes Editing assistant..................Jeanette McGown Art director...........................Virginia Bieneman Casting....................................Alexandra Chan Gauge.....................................................1" tape Mixer.........................................Warwick Finlay Asst art director.................................... CarolinePolinFocus p ulle r............................... Bill Hammond Cast: Tracey Higginson (Ruth), Bill Zappa Narrator.....................................................BelzaLowah Costume designer..................................... DavidRoweClapper/loader.........................................MandyKing Animation............................................. EdmundSun, (Micky), Steven Jacobs (Dan), Vanessa Make-up.................................................. WendyFreeman Key grip..................................Nobby Szafranek Downing (Patricia), Dasha Blahova (Helena), Tundra Gorza Hairdresser................................................. TerriMeissner Asst grip........................ Rourke Crawford-Flett Paul Bertram (Kevin).

Opticals........................................................KenPhelan Assistant make-up..................... Ivonne Pollack Gaffer.........................................

Rick McMullin Synopsis: An original half-hour play for tele­ Studios........................................................ABC,Brisbane Assistant hairdresser................................. KorelSpooner Electrician................................................... BrettJarman vision.

Mixed a t..................................................... ABC,Brisbane Wardrobe supervisor.............. Kerry Thompson 2nd electrics............................ Thad Lawrence Laboratory.......................................... Colorfilm Standby wardrobe.......................................JohnSheaApprentice electrics.............................MatthewInglis GALLAGHER’S TRAVELS Length.............................................................15minutes Asst standby wardrobe......................... HeatherLaurie Boom operator............................Paul Gleeson Gauge......................................................16 mm Prod, company.............. .Gallagher Productions Wardrobe asst................................Florinda Hart Art director.............................................StewartWay Shooting stock............................7291 and 7294 Pty Ltd Props buyer.............................................. DebraOverton Costume designer................................AnthonyJones Cast: Verle Williams (Muditi), Adam Baird Producer....................... .........Andrew Williams Standby props................................John Daniell Make-up.................................. Marjory Hamlin (Wala).

Director......................... ........Michael Caulfield Asst standby props................................MichaelMercurio Hairdresser............................. Cheryl Williams Synopsis: This is the second in a series of Scriptwriter.................... ........Michael Caulfield Scenic artist................................................. RayPedler Wardrobe assistant................ Shauna Flenady short dramas based on Aboriginal Legend. It is Based on the short story b y ........Kenneth Cook Brush hand................................................DavidDuffinProps........................... Simon Chetwynd-Jones the tale of an Aboriginal boy, Wala, and Quork Photography................ ............Geoff Simpson Construction manager.............................DannyBurnett Props buyer.............................Helen Macaskill Quork, the frog, who calls upon Tiddalik, the Sound recordist............. ................Max Bowring Carpenters............................................. GordonMcIntyre, Standby props.........................Robert Moxham largest frog in the world, to help when Wala Editor............................. ............. Sarah Bennett Con Mustard, Choreography...................

Nell Challingsworth tries to kill him. What follows is a lesson Wala Prod, designer.............. ..................Phil Warner Marcus Erasmus Scenic a rtis t.............................................. PeterCollias will never forget.

Composer..................... ..................Bill Motzing Asst editor.......................................................JoCookSet construction.............................. Derek Mills Exec, producer............. ............. Terry Ohlsson Supervising sound editor.......................... DeanGawen Asst editor............................... Jeanine Chialvo Co-producer.................. ...................Irene Korol THE FISH ARE SAFE Sound editors............................................HelenBrown, Sound editors.................................. Lee Smith, Prod, co-ordinator...................Sally Ayre-Smith Cathy Fenton Jeanine Chialvo Prod, com pany.......................................... ABC Unit manager................ .... ............Paul Healey Sound editing assistants...........Phillipa Harvey, M ixer..........................................................PeterFenton Dist. company.............................................ABC Prod, secretary............. ...... Rhonda Fortescue Paul Huntingford, Stunts co-ordinator...................................FrankLennon Producer............................................ Noel Price Prod, accountant.......... Rosemary Stephenson Rufus McCratchett Exec, producer.................................. Noel Price Still photography............................. Vivian Zinc 1st asst director............ ..............Keith Heygate M ixer..........................................................PeterFenton Wrangler.....................................Ray Winslade Director.................................... Noni Hazlehurst 2nd asst director........... ............Henry Osborne Stunts co-ordinator......................................Guy NorrisCatering...................................................... JohnFaithful Scriptwriter............................ Deborah Parsons 3rd asst director............ .............. Wayne Moore Still photography...........................................JimTownley Laboratory................................................. Atlab Based on the original idea Continuity...................... ............ Joanna Weeks Researcher................................................... KrisWylde b y....................................... Deborah Parsons Lab. liaison.......................................David Cole Casting.......................... ...Maizels & Associates Unit runner.............................................. AntonyAdareLength.........................................6 x 60 minutes Lighting cameraman.... ............ Geoff Simpson Art dept runner........................Stephen Warren Gauge......................................................16 mm Focus puller................. ......Wolfgang Knochell Publicity...................................Judy Brookman, Cast: Matthew Fargher (Joe Wilson), Kim Clapper/loader............. ........... Joanne Erskine Network Ten Krejus (Mary Brand), Glenn Keenan (James Key grip......................... ...............Phil Shapeira Catering................................Marike Janavicius Brand).

Gaffer........................... ..............Jack Kendrick Mixed a t....................................................UnitedSound Synopsis: Based on the Henry Lawson stories Boom operator.............. .............. Mark Keating Laboratory...........................................Colorfilm of Joe Wilson.

Art director.................... ...................... Wilf Flint Lab. liaison.........................Richard Piorkowski Costume designer...............................Robi Hall Budget......................................................... $4.2million THE JOURNEY Make-up........................ .........Annie Heathcote Help us make this Production Length.........................................6 x 60 minutes Hairdresser................... .........Annie Heathcote .... ABC-TV Drama Prod, company........

Gauge......................................................16 mm Survey as complete as poss­ Wardrobe asst.............. .................Helen Mains ....................... ABC Dist. company..........

Shooting stock............................................ Agfa ible. If you have something Producer.................. ........Julian Pringle Props buyer................... ............... Lisa Graham Cast: Anne Phelan (Mumma), Martyn Sander­ which is about to go into pre............ Ulla Ryghe Standby props.............. ............... Lisa Graham Director.................... son (Hughie), Anna Hruby (Roie), Kaarin production, let us know and we ...... Barbara Masel Special effects.............. .........Peter Shoesmith Script editor.............

Fairfax (Dolour), Gwen Plumb (Grandma), Syd .......Julian Penney, Set construction............ ...........David Thomson Photography........... will make sure it is included.

Conabere (Pat Diamond), Melissa Jaffer (Miss Laurie McManus Sound editors............... .............. Sara Bennett, Call Kathy Bail on (03) Sheily), Shane Connor (Charlie).

Sound recordists.... .....

Chris Alderton, Synopsis: A miniseries based on Ruth Park’s 329 5983, or write to her at Bob Peck best-selling novel of the same name.

Cinema Papers, 644 Victoria Editor....................... ....... Nola O’Malley Street, North M elbourne, Prod, manager......... .Stephen O’Rourke HUNGER Please help us keep this survey Unit manager.......... ...Beverley Powers Victoria 3051.

Prod, secretary......... .... Annabel Jeffery accurate. Phone Kathy Bail on Prod, company........................................... ABC Jan Chapman ...........Kate Woods 1st asst director.......

(03) 329 5983 with any errors or Producer.....................................

Director................................... Stephen Wallace Producer's assistant .........Emma Peach omissions.

Scriptwriter.................................... Louis Nowra Gaffer....................... .........Martin Perrot

PRODUCERS

86 — July CINEMA PAPERS

Scriptwriter............................. Keith Thompson Duncan Wass (Stitchface), Laura Gabriel An original idea by.................. Keith Thompson (Beverley Campbell), Susan Neil (Cowgirl), Script editor................................ Barbara Masel Anna Yates (Cowgirl).

Photography.............................. Julian Penney Synopsis: Hermione, a city girl who works in Sound recordist.......................... Chris Alderton the family laundromat, hankers after the Editor.......................................... Nola O'Malley beautiful and rugged land of Texas. One Prod, designer...........................................LeighTierney weekend she escapes with her horse-loving Composer.................................... Chris Harriot MY BROTHER TOM friend Joeline to the Tamworth rodeo where THE LAST FRONTIER Prod, manager.....................Stephen O’Rourke they learn a little about the ways of the rodeo — Prod, company...............

Crawford Productions Prod, com pany........................................... AyerProductions Unit manager............................... Lance Mellor bulls, horses, stetsons, country & western (Communications) Pty Ltd Dist. company................................. Network 10, Prod, secretary...................................... AnnabelJeffery music — and a lot about cowboys and their Producer........................................... Rod Hardy CBS Network, 1st asst director.......................................... ScottFeeney women.

Exec, producers...................................... HectorCrawford, Worldvision 2nd asst director..........................................KateWoods Ian Crawford, Producer....................................................... TimSanders Producer’s assistant............. Elizabeth Steptoe Terry Stapleton Director..................................................... SimonWincer THE PACK OF WOMEN Casting........................................Jennifer Allen Director......................................... Pino Amenta Scriptwriter.............................................MichaelLaurence Prod, company...................

Sideshow Alley Ltd Lighting cameraman..................

Julian Penney Scriptwriter................................................. TonyMorphett Photography..................................... Ian Baker Producer.....................................

Diana Manson Studio camera.............................Richard Bond Based on a novel by................. James Aldridge Sound recordist............................................DonConnolly Director.......................................Ted Robinson Location camera......................... Julian Penney Sound recordist........................John McKerrow Editor..........................................................TonyPaterson Studio lighting..................................... Ezio Belli Editor.............................................................PhilReid Scriptwriter.................................Robyn Archer Prod, designer............................................ RossMajor Focus puller.................................................BrettJoyce Based on the play b y ..................Robyn Archer Prod, designer...............................Otello Stolfo Exec, producer.............................................. HalMcElroy Key grip.........................................Alan Trevena Composers.............................................Various Assoc, producer........................... Michael Lake Assoc, producer..................................... BridgetHedison Gaffer............................................Martin Perrot Prod, manager........................Antonia Barnard Prod, supervisor..........................

Ewan Burnett Prod, co-ordinator...........................................JoRooney Boom operators............................Scott Taylor, Designer.........................................Roger Ford Prod, co-ordinator........................... Gina Black Prod, manager........................................ SandraAlexander Ian Wilson, Prod, accountant............ Rosenfeld Kant & Co. Prod, manager.......................................... DarrylSheen Location manager...................................MurrayFrancis Graham Bates Producer’s assistant...............Cate Anderson Unit manager.............................Leigh Amitzboll Unit manager...................Richard Montgomery Make-up......................................Elaine Fitcher Casting................................Sideshow Alley Ltd Prod, secretary.......................Melissa Wiltshire Unit assistant............................Andrew Lennox Prod, accountant..........................................RonSinni Musical director.............................Andrew Bell Prod, secretary.....................................AmandaSelling Sound editor................................David Dundas Studios...................................................

ABC-TV Prod, accountant................................... MichaelBoon1st asst director..........................................JohnWild Animation...................................................... BillSykes Budget.................................................$336,326 2nd asst director.................................... MichaelMcIntyre Asst accountant.........................................MookDenton Opticals......................................................... BillSykes, Length........................................ 50-60 minutes 3rd asst director......................................... PeterNathan 1st asst director...................................... MichaelFalloon Brad Fisher Continuity....................................................... LizPerryCast: Robyn Archer, Judi Connelli, Tracy 2nd asst director...................................NicholasReynolds Title designer................................................. BillSykes Location manager.......................... Neil McCart 3rd asst director..........................................ScottBradley Harvey, Jo Kennedy, Merryl Tankard.

Tech, advisor............................................. BarryQuick Casting............................................ Greg Ross, Continuity...........................................Linda Ray Synopsis: The programme is based on the Publicity..................................... Georgie Brown Dina Mann Producer s assistant.................................. KylieBurke successful cabaret produced in London and Studios...................................... ABC, Gore Hill Lighting cameraman................................James Doolan Exec, producer’s secretary........Valerie Collins across Australia. Consists of songs, prose and Mixed at..................................... ABC, Gore Hill Focus pulle r.............................................. HarryGlynatsis Casting........................... Suzanne Johannesen poetry fitted together to make up a mosaic of Length.............................................. 50 minutes Clapper/loader......................:..Gary Bottomley Camera operator....................................... CliveDuncan new ways of looking at women. Old images are Shooting stock........................ 1" video ampex/ Key g rip ........................................Ian Benallack Focus pullers........................ Leigh Mackenzie, juxtaposed with new lyrics, layers of irony and Studio Electronic Asst grip...............................

Arthur Manousakis Tracey Kubler humour bring out startling meanings in familiar Cast: Robert Grubb (Barry), Mary-Lou Stewart Gaffer............................................ Ian Dewhurst Clapper/loader.......................................... DavidLindsay songs and new songs celebrate new women.

(Jane), Max Phipps (Narrator).

Electrician....................................................Nick Payne Camera assistant..............................Ian Jones Synopsis: An original 50-minute play for tele­ Boom operator...............................Greg Nelson Camera dept consultant............................. FredHarden vision.

A PLACE TO CALL HOME Asst art director..........................Bernie Wynack Key grip............................................... GrahameLitchfield Costume designer.....................................ClareGriffinProd, company...............................Crawfords, Asst grips....................................................... IanMcAlpine, SHARK’S PARADISE Make-up.................................................. Maggie Kolev Gary Carden Embassy TV, USA Hairdresser................................Doug Glanville Gaffer...................................................... RobbieYoung Producers...................................................MikeLake, Prod, company.....................Memorelle Pty Ltd Wardrobe supervisor................................ ClareGriffin Dist. company.............................. Network Ten, Electrix.....................................................WayneYoung, Jeri Taylor, Wardrobe asst..........................................MarionBoyce Worldvision Ray Pritchett Ross Matthews Wardrobe standby........................................SueMilesDirector.................................... Russ Mayberry Producer....................................................CarlaKettner Boom operator....................................... GrahamMcKinney Props buyer.............................................Murray Kelly Director..................................................

MichaelJenkins Art director.....................................................IanAllen Scriptwriters.............................Carol Sobieski, Standby props...................... Shane Rushbrook Scriptwriter................................................DavidPhillips Art dept co-ordinator................................ LouiseLancely Jeri Taylor Set dressers................................

Brian Dusting, Based on the script by................................

GregMillin Art dept runner.........................................DanielMorphett Photography.................................................RonHagen John Rouch Photography............................Martin McGrath Art dept accounts a sst...............................ChrisRobson Sound recordist......................................... LloydCarrick Art dept runner..............................

Trish Keating Sound recordist.........................

Kevin Kearney Make-up........................................................ VivMepham Editor.................................................Gary Blair Carpenter................................................... PeterHern Prod, designer..........................Sally Shepherd Editor......................................................RichardHindley Linda Evans’s make-up................................LonBentley Construction manager............................ RobertHern Exec, producers....................... Virginia Carter, Prod, designer.......................................... Marta Statescu Hairdresser.............................................FranciaSmeets Asst editor....................................Peter Burgess Exec, producer............................. Jim McElroy Wardrobe designer.......................................MivBrewer Linda Lavin Stunt co-ordinator..........................................BillStacey Prod, supervisor...........................David Clarke Wardrobe supervisor....................................LynAskew Prod, co-ordinator................................... LeonieJansen Still photography..................... Michael Rayner, Prod, co-ordinator................ Susan Pemberton Wardrobe assistant.......................................PiaKryger Prod, manager.................................... Grant Hill Tony Fedder Standby wardrobe.................................. AndreaHood Unit manager...........................................MurrayBoyd Unit manager.............................................DavidMunroe W rangler........................................Gerald Egan (Surfers Paradise) Standby props.......................................... AlisonGoodwin Prod, secretary......................................... JanetAdes Nurse............................................. Vicki Gilders Location manager...................................Charlie Revai Stage hand............................................ AntonioMestres Prod, accountant............. Robert Theadgold Best bo y........................................................ LexMartin (Sydney) Weather effects.........................................SteveCourtney Prod, assistant............................................ StanLeaman Runner........................................................DougGreen Prod, secretary..................................... RoselynHansen Set decorators........................................... LissaCoote, 1st asst director..........................................BrianGiddens Publicity....................................................Susan Wood Prod, accountant.......................

David Barnes Brian Edmonds 2nd asst director.................................... HamishMcSporrin Catering................................................. Bandaid Asst accountant............................Janet Clarke Draughtsperson.......................................JewellGreen 3rd asst director......................................... MarkBishop Laboratory....................................................

VFL 1 st asst director..........................................Chris Williams Continuity.............................................. KarindaParkinson Construction manager...........Brendan Shortall Length............................................ 184 minutes 2nd asst director............................. John Titley Casting...........................................Liz Mullinar Editing assistants.......................... Kim Moodie, Gauge......................................................16 mm 3rd asst director............................

Nick Alimede Lighting cameraman......................Ron Hagen Carrie Beehan Shooting stock...............................Kodak ECN 2nd unit director.......................................KimbleRedle Camera operators........................................RonHagen, Stunts co-ordinator.........................Grant Page Cast: Tom Jennings (Tom Quayle), Christo­ Continuity.......................... Stephanie Richards Still photography....................................CarolynJohns Phil Cross pher Cummins (Kit Quayle), Keith Michell Focus pullers........................................WarwickField,Exec, producer’s secretary......Fiona Matthews T u to r............................................... Jo Kennedy (Edward Quayle), Catherine McClements Casting....................................... Janene Knight John Ogden Computer consultant................................ HeathJohnstone (Peggy MacGibbon), Gordon Jackson (Lockie Lighting.........................................................YuriSokol Clapper/loader..........................Laurie Balmer Safety officer.............................................. RanjiNlkora MacGibbon), Ralph Coterill (Dorman Walker), Underwater camera...................................Atilla Bicskos, Key grip..............................................Tony Hall Wrangler....................................................... RayWlnslade Christopher Plummer (Finn McCoil), Dick Moss Michael Giuliani Asst g rip ..................................................... GregTuohy Drivers................................................... MitchellLogan, (Charlie Castles), Graham Rouse (Sgt Joe 2nd unit photography................................... PhilCross2nd unit operator.............................John Brock Nick Tsoutas Collins), Kerry McKay (Jack Dobey).

Focus puller.............................................Callum McFarlane Gaffer.........................................................Brian Adams Best b o y ..........................................Laurie Fish Synopsis: The love affair of two youngsters Clapper/loader............................ David Dunkley Electricians....................................... Brett Hull, Runner..........................................................GuyCampbell from antagonistic Catholic and Protestant Camera assistant..........................................Phil Murphy Tim Morrison Publicity................................................. Victoria Buchan families alienatesthe population of a small Camera dept co-ordinator............Bee Reynolds Boom operator........................................... ChrisGoldsmith Catering.....................................................MovieMenus country town.

Key g rip .........................................Barrie Brown Art director.................................................... PhilEagles Chaperone/nurse.......................................CeliaLoneragan Asst grip.......................................... Kerry Boyle Costume designer................................... MargotMcCartney Post-production supervisor............Brian Hicks Gaffer..............................................Les Frazier ONE WILD WEEKEND WITH THE Make-up.....................................Leanne White, Laboratory........................................... Colorfllm 1st electrix.....................................Robert Park Fiona Smith Post-production sound............................GeminiSound LONESOME RUSTLER Hairdresser..........................................RochelleFord Boom operator....................................... AndrewDuncan Budget.......................................................... $12million Prod, company.......................Filmworks Pty Ltd Art dept runner..............................................Joy Jansen Wardrobe..............................................Jeannie Cameron Cast: Linda Evans (Kate Hannon), Jack Producers....................................Chris Fitchett, Wardrobe assistant.................................... MargDillonCostume designer..................................... FionaSpence Thompson (Nick Stenning), Tony Bonner (Tom Julie Money, Make-up...................................................... TrishGlover Props buyer.............................................HarveyMawson Hannon), Jason Robards (Ed Stenning), Judy Kylie Burke Standby props............................................BrianLang Asst m ake-up........................................Michelle Johnstone Morris (Meg Stenning), Meredith Salinger (Tina Director....................................................... Julie Money Hairdresser................................... Trish Glover Special effects....................................... ConradRothman Adamson), Peter Billingsley (Marty Adamson), Scriptwriter..............................................ShirleyBarrett Standby wardrobe........................................ LynLyndon Set decorator............................... Simon Carter Beth Buchanan (Zoe Hannon), Asher Keddie Photography................................... Ellery Ryan Props buyer.................................. Ken McCann Carpenter.....................................

Jim McKrown (Emma Hannon), Toni Lamond (Auntie Dier), Sound recordist........................................... MaxHensser Standby props.................................James Cox Construction manager................ Mike McLean John Ewart (Henry Dingwell), Les Foxcroft Editor..........................................................ChrisFitchett Special effects.............................. Bob Parsons, Set construction................................

Crawfords (Ralphie).

Prod, designer/ Allan Maxwell, Asst editor....................................................... JoFriesen art director...........................................Angela Knight Neville Maxwell, Neg. matching............................................ USA LIVING FOREVER Composer...................................................PeterPitcher Attila Bicskos Stunts co-ordinator.................................... ChrisPeters Prod, manager............................................ KylieBurke Prod, company................... Chadwick/Douglas Set decorator................................Ken McCann Still photography......................................... SuziWoods Film and Television Prod, assistant........................... Lesley Jenkins Set construction................................... BrendenShortall Wrangler.................................... John Edwards Dist. company................................... Thorn EMI 1st asst director......................................... DavidTunnell Runner.................................................CameronMellorSet finisher....................................Shane Forest 2nd asst director...................Stephen Stannard Producer.....................................................BrianDouglas Publicity................................................... SuzanWoodEditing assistant.........................................AnnaWhite Continuity................................................ Jackie Cairns Director....................................................... BrianDouglas Stunts co-ordinator......................................GuyNorris Catering..................................... Danny Popper Camera operator............................Ellery Ryan Scriptwriter................................................. BrianDouglas Safety officer................................................ BobHicks Studios..................................................... HSV-7 Focus puller............................. Alison Maxwell Based on the original idea Still photography........................................GeoffClifford Laboratory................................................... UFL Clapper/loader............................... Conrad Mill b y .............................................................BrianDouglas Dubbing.....................................Gemini Sound Lab. liaison................................ Bill Harrington Photography.............................................. BarryMalseed Key g rip .....................................................LesterBishop Budget............................................................ $4millionBest boy....................................................... PaulJohnstone Sound recordist............................John Phillips 2nd unit photography................................. John Ruane Runners.................................... Adam Spence, Length............................................................ 92minutes Editor........................................... Ken Sallows Gaffers...................................................DouglasWood, Gary McDonald Gauge...................................................... 35 mm Philip Cadman Prod, designer............................. Bryce Perrin Publicity.................................. Victoria Buchan Shooting stock......................................... Kodak Exec, producer.......................................RichardTanner Boom operator.........................Jack Friedman Catering...................................Action Catering, Cast: Linda Lavin (Liz Gavin), Lane Smith Prod, m anager......................................... Phillip Collins Make-up....................................................... BobWasson Mark Conoley (Sam Gavin), MaggieFitzgibbon (Alva), Paul Prod, secretary............................. Anne Pryor Wardrobe................................................ Angela Knight Post-production supervisor.............Brian Hicks Cronin (Bob James),MervynDrake (Father Prod, accountant.......................... Carolyn Fyfe Asst editor.............................................JenniferScottO’Leary).

Laboratory...........................................Colorfilm 1st asst director........................................ Phillip Collins Still photography...........................................RegMoney Budget......................................................... $1.5million Synopsis: The story of Liz Gavin and her Casting.............................................. Greg Apps Catering................................... A & B Caterers, Length...............................................90 minutes eleven children. They move to Australia in the Shoot Through Catering Casting consultants........... Liz Mullinar Casting Cast: David Reyne (RodPalmer), Ron Becks early seventies and take over a rundown out­ Laboratory........................................... Colorfilm Lighting cameraman................................. BarryMalseed (Monty Stone),Sally Tayler (Billie Riley), John back station.

Lab. liaison.................................................KerryJenkin Camera assistant....................Greg Harrington Paramor (Chief Inspector McGarry), Dennis Length.............................................................45minutes Wardrobe................................................FrankieHogan Miller (Inspector Rossiter), Peter Sumner PLEASE TO REMEMBER THE FIFTH Gauge......................................................16 mm Asst editor.............................................. Virginia Murray (Cooper), Peter Gwynne (Mayor), Bob Baines OF NOVEMBER Shooting stock......................................... Kodak Budget.................................................$500,000 (Detective Charlie Kelly), Vince Gil (Murphy), Cast: Ruth Caro (Hermione), Helen Buday Length............................................................. 96minutes Prod, company........................ ABC-TV Drama Rocky McDonald (Fowler).

(Joeline), Justin Monjo (Alfie John Morrison), Gauge...................................................... 16 mm Dist. company............................................. ABC Synopsis: The story of three undercover cops Todd Boyce (Buddy L. Rickson), Lorna Lesley Shooting stock.................................. Agfa 7294 Producer...................................... Julian Pringle working on the Gold Coast to keep Surfers (Cindy Bell Morrison), Jeff Truman (Butch), Cast: Christine Harris (Presenter), Jim Hurtak, Director.............................................. Peter Fisk Paradise safe for the tourists. ^ Publicity......................................Georgie Brown Mixed a t......................................... ABC Necam Length.............................................. 30 minutes Cast: Jenni Thorniey.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Jenni Thorniey talks about her life, her films and motherhood.

Professor Peter Singer, Professor Arthur Birch, Barbara McGregor.

Synopsis: The control of Life. Tomorrow’s people — Today! Australia’s stance in man’s next stage of evolution.

CINEMA PAPERS July — 87

CINEMA

BACK ISSUES

Number 1 (January 1974): David William­ son, Ray Harryhausen, Peter Weir, Antony Ginnane, Gillian Armstrong, Ken G. Hall, The Cars That Ate Paris.

Number 2 (April 1974): Censorship, Frank Moorhouse, Nicolas Roeg, Sandy Harbutt, Film under Allende, Between the Wars, Alvin Purple.

Number 3 (July 1974): Richard Brennan, John Papadopolous, Willis O'Brien, William Friedkin, The True Story of Eskimo Nell.

Number 10 (September-October 1976): Nagisa Oshima, Philippe Mora, Krzysztof Zanussi, Marco Ferreri, Marco Bellochio, gay cinema.

Number 11 (January 1977): Emile de Antonio, Jill Robb, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Roman Polanski, Saul Bass, The Picture Show Man. Number 12 (April 1977): Ken Loach, Tom Haydon, Donald Sutherland, Bert Deling, Piero Tosi, John Dankworth, John Scott, Days of Hope, The Getting of Wisdom.

Number 13 (July 1977): Louis Malle, Paul Cox, John Power, Jeannine Seawell, Peter Sykes, Bernardo Bertolucci, In Search of Anna.

Number 14 (October 1977): Phil Noyce, Matt Carroll, Eric Rohmer, Terry Jackman, John Huston, Luke's Kingdom, The Last Wave, Blue Fire Lady.

Number 15 (January 1978): Tom Cowan, Francois Truffaut, John Faulkner, Stephen Wallace, the Taviani brothers, Sri Lankan cinema, The Irishman, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.

Number 16 (April-June 1978): Gunnel Lindblom, John Duigan, Steven Spiel­ berg, Tom Jeffrey, The Africa Project, Swedish Cinema, Dawn!, Patrick.

Number 17 (August-September 1978): Bill Bain, Isabelle Huppert, Brian May, Polish cinema, Newsfront, The Night the Prowler.

Number 18 (October-November 1978): John Lamond, Sonia Borg, Alain Tanner, Indian cinema, Dimboola, Cathy's Child.

Number 19 (January-February 1979): Antony Ginnane, Stanley Hawes, Jeremy Thomas, Andrew Sarris, sponsored documentaries, Blue Fin. Number 20 (March-April 1979): Ken Cameron, Claude Lelouch, Jim Sharman, French cinema, My Brilliant Career.

Number 22 (July-August 1979): Bruce Petty, Luciana Arrighi, Albie Thoms, Stax, Alison’s Birthday.

Number 24 (December 1979-January 1980): Brian Trenchard-Smith, Ian Holmes, Arthur Hiller, Jerzy Toeplitz, Brazilian cinema, Harlequin.

Number 25 (February-March 1980): David Puttnam, Janet Strickland, Everett de Roche, Peter Faiman, Chain Reaction, Stir.

Number 26 (April-May 1980): Charles H. Joffe, Jerome Heilman, Malcolm Smith, Australian nationalism, Japanese cinema, Peter Weir, Water Under the Bridge.

Number 27 (June-July 1980): Randal Kleiser, Peter Yeldham, Donald Richie, Richard Franklin’s obituary of Alfred Hitchcock, the New Zealand film industry, Grendel Grendel Grendel.

Number 28 (August-September 1980): Bob Godfrey, Diane Kurys, Tim Burns, John O’Shea, Bruce Beresford, Bad Timing, Roadgames.

Number 29 (October-November 1980): Bob Ellis, Uri Windt, Edward Woodward, Lino Brocka, Stephen Wallace, Philippine cinema, Cruising, The Last Outlaw.

Number 36 (February 1982): Kevin Dobson, Brian Kearney, Sonia Hofmann, Michael Rubbo, Blow Out, Breaker Morant, Body Heat, The Man from Snowy River.

Number 37 (April 1982): Stephen MacLean, Jacki Weaver, Carlos Saura, Peter Ustinov, women in drama, Monkey Grip.

Number 38 (June 1982): Geoff Burrowes, George Miller, James Ivory, Phil Noyce, Joan Fontaine, Tony Williams, law and insurance, Far East.

Number 39 (August 1982): Helen Morse, Richard Mason, Anja Breien, David Millikan, Derek Granger, Norwegian cinema, National Film Archive, We of the Never Never.

Number 40 (October 1982): Henri Safran, Michael Ritchie, Pauline Kael, Wendy Hughes, Ray Barrett, My Dinner with Andre, The Return of Captain Invincible.

Number 41 (December 1982): Igor Auzins, Paul Schrader, Peter Tammer, Liliana Cavani, Colin Higgins, The Year of Living Dangerously.

Number 42 (March 1983): Mel Gibson, John Waters, Ian Pringle, Agnès Varda, copyright, Strikebound, The Man from Snowy River.

Number 43 (May-June 1983): Sydney Pollack, Denny Lawrence, Graeme Clifford, The Dismissal, Careful He Might Hear You. Number 44-45 (April 1984): David Stevens, Simon Wincer, Susan Lambert, Street Kids, a personal history of Cinema Papers.

Number 46 (July 1984): Paul Cox, Russell Mulcahy, Alan J. Pakula, Robert Duvall, Jeremy Irons, Eureka Stockade, Waterfront, The Boy in the Bush, The Woman Suffers, Street Hero.

Number 47 (August 1984): Richard Lowenstein, Wim Wenders, David Brad­ bury, Sophia Turkiewicz, Hugh Hudson, Robbery Under Arms.

Number 48 (October-November 1984): Ken Cameron, Michael Pattinson, Jan Sardi, Yoram Gross, Bodyline, The Slim Dusty Movie.

Number 49 (December 1984): Alain Resnais, Brian McKenzie, Angela Punch McGregor, Ennio Morricone, Jane Campion, horror films, Me/ Lynne.

Number 50 (February-March 1985): Stephen Wallace, Ian Pringle, Walerian Borowczyk, Peter Schreck, Bill Conti, Brian May, The Last Bastion, Bliss.

Number 51 (May 1985): Lino Brocka, Harrison Ford, Noni- Hazlehurst, Dusan Makavejev, Emoh Ruo, Winners, The Naked Country, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Robbery Under Arms.

Number 52 (July 1985): John Schlesinger, Gillian Armstrong, Alan Parker, soap operas, TV news, film advertising, Don't Call Me Girlie, For Love Alone, Double Sculls.

Number 53 (September 1985): Bryan Brown, Nicolas Roeg, Vincent Ward, Hector Crawford, Emir Kusturica, New Zealand film and television, Return to Eden.

Number 54 (November 1985): Graeme Clifford, Bob Weis, John Boorman, Menahem Golan, Wills and Burke, The Great Bookie Robbery, The Lancaster Miller Affair, rock videos.

Number 55 (January 1986): James Stewart, Debbie Byrne, Brian Thompson, Paul Verhoeven, Derek Meddings, The Right-Hand Man, Birdsville, tie-in market­ ing.

Number 56 (March 1986): Fred Schepisi, Dennis O’Rourke, Brian Trenchard-Smith, John Hargreaves, stunts, smoke machines, Dead-End Drive-In, The More Things Change, Kangaroo, Tracy.

Number 57 (May 1986): Paul Hogan, Isabelle Huppert, Margaret Fink, Miami Vice, The Fringe Dwellers, Petrov, Just Us, Dogs In Space.

□ The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook 1980. $15 (Overseas: $30 surface, $40 air mail).

□ The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook 1981/82. $15 (Overseas: $30 surface, $40 air mail).

C V o C ° ^ a \ a s ia °

□ The Australian Motion Picture Yearbook 1983. $25 (Overseas: $35 surface, $45 air mail).

Other Publications With nearly 6,000 listings, full credits and every fact checked and doublechecked, the Production Year­ book is the one directory no film or television maker can afford to be without. $25 (Overseas: $35 surface, $45 air mail).

88 — July CINEMA PAPERS

V V e a tb o ° U

□ The New Australian Cinema edited by Scott Murray. $14.95 (Overseas: $20 surface, $26 air mail).

□ The Documentary Film in Australia edited by Ross Lansell and Peter Beilby. $12.95 (Overseas: $18 surface, $24 air mail). □ Australian Movies to the World: The International Success of Australian Films since 1970 by David White. $12.95 (Overseas: $18 surface, $24 air mail).

□ Word and Images by Brian McFarlane. $12.95 (Overseas: $18 surface, $24 air mail).

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Images through Innovation.

E. J. CARROLL PRESENTS

T h e Sentimental BloKe” A

SCREEN

CLASSIC IN

EIGHT

ACTS

Adapted from the W orld-famous Verses of C. }. D ennis for THE SOUTHERN CROSS FEATURE FILM CO. Ltd. Producer: Raymond Longford Cinematographer: Arthur Higgins

M otion Picture History

found inspiration in literature when Raymond Longford directed ‘The Sentimental Bloke’ in 1918. Shot on the streets of Woolloomooloo for around £2,000, it is one of the four surviving Longford silent films. On its release in 1919, T h e Bloke was widely praised in both Australia and England, and it is now regarded as Australia’s finest screen classic. Today the tradition continues with Eastman’s technological leadership and full service support structure making it the first choice in professional film and tape stock.

Eastman Professional Film and Video — —products. Making better images through innovation.

Eastm an Classic 1919

This advertisement was prepared with the assistance of the National Film and Sound Archive.

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