Cinema Papers no. 16 April-June 1978 (2024)

OCR
	If you’ve got ﬁlm on the bajn, keep us in mind. f you've got a film project gnawing tangible forms of film production at your brain and want help, keep assistance. us in mind. Give Tony Krimmer a call on (07) 224 7018 and find out more about putting pictures together in one of the most exciting and diverse film locations in the world. Because the newly formed Queensland Film Corporation i[...]
	CINEMA PAPERS READERSHIP QUESTIONNAIRE The following questionnaire has been designed for the purpose of providing the publishers of Cinema Papers with information designed to aid them in producing a more informative and entertaining mag[...]o—operation will be greatly appreciated. N. B. THE FIRST 100 RESPONDENTS WILL RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE SPECIAL CANNES FILM FESTIVAL EDITION OF CINEMA PAPERS WHICH WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA. 1. How frequently would you like to see Cinema Papers published? 11. What do you think are the best features of Cinema Papers? Monthly CI Bi-monthly I__.I Quarterly El Half yearly CI 2. What is your opinion about the price of Cinema Papers? Too expensive El Satisfactory D C[...]HIP PROFILE 4. H ' ow many people read your copy of Cinema Papers? SD Female D AGE Under 16 D 1 El 2-[...]El 16-20 [I 5. On average how often do you attend the cinema? 20'3O El 30-40 El once per month [I 2-3 p[...]MARITAL STATUS Married D 6. What type of films do you prefer’? single E] Festival/Europe[...]e or EDUCATIONAL Secondary School El -3’ enough of the following: Technical School l:l g Tertiary CI ‘[...]me (optional) 9. How did you obtain your copy of Cinema Papers? Subscription El Newsagency[...]
	[...]Papers 143 Therry Street, Meibourne, Vic., 3000, Australia
	A scream for love — a howl for revenge! The chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is the chant of the underdog. HOYTSTHEATRES TED PRESENTS THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKS HA FILM BY FRED SCHEPISISTARRING TO[...]ROBERTSON PETER SUMNER REENPLAY BY FRED SCHEPIS M THE N NDY DICKSON SC L BY THOMAS KENEALLY DIRECTOR OF TOGRAPHY BAKE ODUCTION DESIGNER WE EDITED[...]
	The Chasers and queezers . . . The Brooks White Organisation is in business . . . the business of promoting and publicising Australian feature ﬁl[...]blicity when you want to concentrate on getting 1 the product into the can. No more ’ ~' endless months of trying to squeeze that " " last little promotional drop out of your ﬁlm when you want to get on to your next project. We’ll do the chasing and the squeezing. We offer a full range of publicity, promotion and design services. The full gamut from pre-production visuals and media[...]dependent fee—based organisation. You’ll know in advance exactly what all the promotional work we do for you will cost. Kevin[...]ished graphics designer who has already had a lot ofthe way he’s been a foreign correspondent, news executive, Federal Publicity Oﬂicer of the Australian Labor Party (1971-72) and Media Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam (1972-74). So we’ve done a lot of chasing and squeezing already. Now we’re concentrating our professional energies on the Australian ﬁlm industry. The Brooks White Organisation .. 12 Eden Stree[...]
	[...]idn't know were available on 16 mm. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? PYGMALION sEcoNDs I MccAI3E AND M[...]N A WET AFTERNOON BETWEEN wARs A CLOCKWORK oRANGE THE GREAT DIcTAToR PLAY IT AGAIN SAM MARX BROS., MAE WEST a. w.c. FIELDS Altman's BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS cLAssIcs BADLANDS BLUME IN LOVE THE TENANT THE FJ HoLDEN MEAN sTREETs STORY OF ADELE H. THE LAST TYCOON LIVES OF A BENGAL LANcER CADDIE SWASTIKA DAY FOR NIGHT WHAT’S up DOC? THE GoDFATHER Parts One and Two PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK DEATH IN vENIcE -- AMERICAN GRAFFITI Altman’s NASHVILLE[...]S o’ LUCKY MAN cARTooNs CATCH 22 Get your copy of the new and revised A.F.H. catalogue, just $3 plus po[...]28 4805 PERTH: (092) 21 8545 elemaclt S/mm The full range of Elemack camera dolley equipment with a second to[...]e back up is now available through Samcine Sales, the sales division of Samuelson Film Service (Aust) Pty. Limited. 27 Sirius Road, Lane Cove Sydney, NSW 2066 Australia Phone: 428 5300 THE SALES DIVISION OF SAMUELSON FILM SERVICE AUSTRALIA IPTY.) LTD. P
	CC Australia’s product line—up at Cannes this year is terriﬁc—eighteen features. Probably the strongest most diverse product list we’ve ever seen. The Australian Film Commission as merchant banker to the Australian ﬁlm industry wants to lay a broad carpet of logistic support for the producers and their an Wardrope sells J J J[...]to Cannes to sell ﬂags, you go to sell ﬁlms. The Commission goes to help producers sell product. There won’t be a kangaroo in sight! The support of individual producers’ selling efforts directly or through their agents is the way We’re moving. 39 C C Speaking of moving. The movement of Jim Henry’s oﬂice from New York—the East Coast—to Los Angeles is overdue and I’m[...]e’ve been weighing it up, looking literally for the best oﬂice location for more than twelve months[...]ry will now have a base and direct representation in the middle of activity in the biggest English—speaking market and, clearly our biggest untapped potential—the North American territory. The West coast is essential to our marketing objectives and escalating budget realities. We went to the American Theatre Owners’ Convention just last October and, believe me, Jim Henry and I lit some ﬁres, the ﬁrst shot ﬁred in our planned approach to North America. 99. CC But back to Cannes: the best product line—up we’ve ever had—we’re screening at the Paris; we’ve had to queue up to get this excell[...]h Rea Francis and our bi—lingual oﬂice staff. The presentation is going to be strong—I pro[...]
	[...]Thefilm ?.f Geva¢olo,rB‘1ype6 8O;‘ A When the makers of ‘The In the words of producer, Tony Tom Roberts look of the Irishman’ decided to film on Buckley, “the Agfa-Gevaert Australian countryside”. Gevacolor[...]breaking a tradition; that extra dimension...rich in a high-speed, double-masked and they cou\|dn’t b[...]beautiful original negative film. After all, with the results. flesh tones...that wonderful why[...]
	[...]and attention. GIVING QUALITY SERVICE ,q-m..3TO THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY Atlab Film & Video Laboratory Service, Television Centre, Epping, N.S.W. 2121. Australia. Telephone: (02) 85 0224 A675
	The Africa Project Vincent O'Donnell Swedish Cinema[...]icals: Part 3 Basil Gilbert Still Lifes Features The Quarter Dawn! Jan Dawson Box-Office Grosses P[...]nterviewed: 318 New Zealand Report Other Cinema The Irishman Susan Dermody Mouth to Mouth Jack Clancy Julia Keith Connolly The Mango Tree Brian McFarlane The Lacemaker Inge Pruks Blue Fire Lady Scott Murray Une Sale Histoire Meaghan Morris Listen to the Lion Basil Gilbert Mouth to Mouth Reviewed: 356[...]rke St., Melbourne 3000. Front cover: Scene from The Irishman (see review p. 355). Photograph by David Kynoch. Courtesy of Anthony Buckley. Articles and Interviews “Pat[...]w Edinburgh and London Film Festivals Guide for the Australian Film Producer: Part 9 Antony I. Ginnan[...]Papers is produced with financial assistance from the Australian Film Commission, Articles represent the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the Editors. While every care is taken on manuscripts and materials supplied for this magazine, neither the Editor nor the Publishers accept any liability for loss or damage which may arise. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Cinema Papers is publishe[...]
	7% e AUSTRALIAN SEMINAR During May 1978, the National Film Theatre of London will be presenting a season of Australian feature films, entitled “The New Australian Cinema." As a climax to this season, a series of lectures, “Australian Film: A Weekend Seminar". will be held atthe NFT from June 2 — 4. Presented by the Australian Film Commission and the British Film Institute. the seminar will include excerpts from films. short p[...]l Australian filmmakers, including some attending the Cannes Film Festival, will be in attendance. The main aim ofthe seminar is to provide a forum for debate on all aspects of the New Australian Cinema. After much study. Britain is about to embark on its own program of government injected finance in the film industry, and the Australian experience of eight government bodies should prove a basis for debate. And out of this, hope convenors Tom Haydon and Peter Quartermaine. will come some clarification for both industries. The seminar will not be exclusively on feature films; it will include programs entitled “The Other Channel", which examines Australian television; "Finding and Fostering Talent", on the role of grants and film schools (experimental and 16 mm f[...]tivations. pre—occupations. themes and styles. The seminar closes with "Australian Self- Portrait?" in which the New Australian Cinema will be analyzed for signs of a perspective on Australian society. in large, it will be a debate between critics and filmmakers and could be the start of a continuing dialogue on Australian filmmaking. Hopefully, such a debate will be heard in Australia. P. B. AUSTRALIAN CINEMATOGRAPHERS' SOCIETY AWARDS The “Australian Cinematographers Awards" for achievements in cinemato- graphy were presented by the Premier of South Australia, Mr Don Dunstan, at Film Australia on March 10. The awards, held annually since 1970, are conducted by the Australian Cinemato- graphers’ Society and are given to Australian cinematographers who are members of the society. The “Milli Awards" for Cinematographer of the Year was awarded to Ditmar Fill, A. C. 8., for his cinematography in A Body Of Still Water, a 15-minute film on the microscopic life in lakes and ponds. It was produced by Film Australia. The category winners were: Feature Film: Don McAlpine (The Getting of Wisdom); Dramatized Documentary: Dean Semlar (A G[...]Yacht Race); Fiction Drama: Richard Pratt (Follow the Leader); Current Affairs: Richard Bai\|le- Mace (The Racer — merit award only). The special “Stewart-Cunningham Award“ on behalf of the Victorian branch of the Society. went to J. Ward. photographed by John Bowring. S. K. HODSDON DOUBLE UPDATE Following on the Quarter item in the previous issue of Cinema Papers (“Hodsdon Report Update"). is the Experimental Film and Television Fund Distribution/Exhibition Survey released by the Australian Film Commission. Covering 1977 and conducted by the then consultant, Albie Thorns, it states: ‘‘In July 1977 questionnaires were sent to the producers of the 350 films made with assistance of the Fund to that date. Distri- bution and exhibition information was received for 100 of the films. The details are as follows: Distribution: ~ Eighty per cent of the films were distri- buted by the Vincent Library, 50 per cent by Co-ops, four per cent by other independent distributors or by the National or State Libraries. three per cent 296[...]bookings. Ten per cent have had 50-100 bookings. The estimated audience per booking was 30 people. Exhibition: Seventy-five per cent of the films were exhibited by Co-ops. 15 per cent by the Australian Film Institute. and three per cent by majors. Twenty-five per cent had been exhibited in one-off non-cinema situations (art galleries, soc[...]een 1000 and 10,000. Festivals: Thirty per cent of the films were screened in Australian festivals; ten per cent in foreign festivals. Television: Ten per cent of the films were screened on Australian television. Ano[...]television. “These figures apply to one-third of the films that received assistance from the Fund. It would be wrong to assume the pattern applies to the other two-thirds for which information was not forthcoming. "However, the information does suggest that Funded films are be[...]dely and used more often than has been LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir, I noted with interest a quarter item on p. 200 of Cinema Papers, No. 15, under the heading “Tax Break Through". It was in reference to the Liberal Party's election announcement that the write—off of investments for feature films be lifted from 25 years to three years. While the Australian Film Commission and other bodies, including the independent Feature Film Producer's Association,[...]s a much awaited step forward. it is now a matter of awaiting the implementation and seeing if this will, in fact, encourage private investment in an industry sorely in need of a new injection. I regret to say this, but I cannot see this change on the part of the government helping bring forward the much needed investments. How do you explain to an[...]oss on his investment will be written off quicker in future than in the past’? If the government is really sincere in its desire to help the infant Australian film industry it must look far[...]fficient money? and what are you going to do with the film when you have made it? In the past those questions were unan- swerable satisfac[...]was no money from any source and distribution was in an international straitjacket. it has taken the government 50 years to recognize the potential of a healthy film industry. The US. rose to its greatest achievements in the period backed by a great film industry which was in turn backed by private investment. Countries suc[...]and even Hong Kong. It took John Gorton to make the first move with $1 million. That money, in many cases, was spread around like pocket money in a candy store. It was not until the present AFC came into existance with a staff of professional personnel that a few films of merit began to emerge Most of the producers and technicians associated with them al[...]subject to them prosti- tuting themselves to get the necessary private investment. Usually the technician, director or producer has the ability in his own previously acknowledged, and that a greater push in the marketing of these films could increase these figures considerably." Unfortunately, the survey suffers from a sparsity of detail, and this makes it hard to evaluate the importance of the findings. Mr Thoms' conclusion is that “funded[...]n, one has very little on which to base opinions. The survey has obviously been hampered by the small returns of forms sent to film- makers, but, in its present form, it asks far more questions than it answers. S. M. OVERSEAS AWARDS During the past months, several Australian features have won major critical awards overseas: The Last wave won the Special Jury Prize at the Paris Film Festival in October, 1977, and the Golden lbex (Grand Prix) at the Tehran Film Festival in November, 1977. Then, in February 1978, following up on the success of Summer of Secrets, the film won the Jury Prize at the Sci-Fi Festival at Avoriaz. The Picture Show Man was awarded the Grand Prix by popular vote at the Festival de Chammouse in France which specializes in comedy. The film was also selected in the U.S. National Board of Reviews 10 Best list for 1977 — a first for an[...]ut he is not qualified to raise money, especially in the amounts needed for top quality features. It is mo[...]or to risk a few hundred thousand when you are on the dole. To raise this kind of money means that there is no time for other work. The AFC has come to the rescue of some of these people and more credit should be given in this direction. it's the carburettor money that starts the wheels turning. Then what can be done to encourage the private sector of investment? In the first place stimulus should be arrived at that will change the flow of some investment money. The government can do this by act of parliament changing the structure upon which the AFC is based. Legislation should be passed allowing all private investment in the Australian film industry as a tax deduction. This tax deduction could only be claimed if the money was invested in the film industry through the Australian Film Commission for use of the Commission at its discretion or by a nominated producer of the investors choice through the AFC. The AFC then would be in a position to determine the tax deductability of the investment. The govern- ment would loose a little in the first place but gain a lot in the long run. Profits from a successful investment in a production that is a commercial success would produce a tax return all down the line, far in excess of the original tax that would be lost to the government in the first place. Only about half of Australia's technicians and actors are employed full time. There is little or no continuity of production by film companies even with a success[...]d them. They have plans, but plans need money. If Australia is to break into world markets films must be made on world standards, and that takes money, big money. if the government can be induced to come to the party and make the first move, the AFC, together with the Australian investor would have little to lose and a tremendous lot to gain, as would the government with the great pool of employment this revitalised industry can create. Such a move would benefit the nation and every industry beyond measure. It is up to the individual members of the Independent Feature Film Producer's Association and the AFC to press for this sorely needed government in[...]have state government film commissions chafing at the bit. There is no reason why an investor cannot no[...]go to a state film corporation for re-investment in that state if the money is tax deductable in the first place. Very sincerely, Lorraine Hamilton-Webb given the Best Editor prize at the Asian Film Festival in Bangkok in November. All these awards demonstrate an increasing recognition of the achievements of the Australian cinema. and one waits hopefully for the day when an Australian feature wins a major prize[...]a Caesar or O scar A P, ANNUAL REPORTS During the past three months. two important annual reports have been published — those of the South Australian Film Corporation and Australian Film Institute. 1. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FILM CORPORATION The SAFC's activities are divided into (a) Film Production and Distribution. and (b) Film Library: (a) The operating expenditure during 1976/77 was $1,621,666 ($1,679,473 in 1975/76). Income for the period was $1,311,874 ($1,238,390) leaving a deficit of $309,792 ($441,083). This represented an improvement of 29.8 per cent on 1975/76. Of the $309,792 income, $15,000 (5 per cent) came from the State government as a grant. (b) The library's expenditure was $454,847 ($590,449). Gr[...]received leaving a surplus on library operations of $21,212 ($61). Thus, taking into account a non-operating revenue of $92. the resultant net deficit of the Corporation was $288,388 ($441,022). The operating loss [as per section (ail is $309,792. Listed as contributing factors are: (i) Deferment of a major part of Storm Boy's revenue through a delaying of the non-South Australia release till August 1977; " (ii) Delay in obtaining acceptable contracts in some overseas territories for Picnic At Hanging Rock; (in) Depressed cinema attendances; (iv) Unused space at the Corporation's Norwood studio; and (v) The establishment of other state cor- porations. On p. 7 of the report is printed the following (it refers to section (v) )2 “The national and international publicity and business earned by the corporation obviously have prompted the estab- lishment of similar corporations in other. States. “These are competing directly with this corporation for some of the most attractive film projects, directors, writers and technical personnel. While the corporation welcomes this widened financial support for the industry nationally it has resulted in several important projects (for which the corp- oration was negotiating) being produced in other States, with a consequent need to prepare replacement projects.” This, of course, raises that touchy ques- tion: Does Australia need eight film bodies?! _ The SAEC's assets total $3,031,478 with liabilities of $258,790 leaving a net asset deficiency of $227,312 ($184,740). 2. AUSTRALIAN FILM INSTITUTE The Australian Film lnstitute's annual report for 197[...]d ratified at their general meeting on March 18. The excess of income over expenditure is listed as $71,585 “b[...]o account before one can gain a realistic picture of the AFl's financial year. Under the Film, Radio and Television Board. the AFI was assigned the handling of some monies for the video centres. This has now changed, and the AFI during 1976/77 transferred monies and fixed assets to the incorporated Video Centres, the Paddington Trust and the AFC to the total of $76,595. This then left an operating excess of expen- diture over income of $5010. The level of AFC funding. on which the AF! is partially dependent, is not listed specifi[...]00 Community and Education grant and $26,559 from the Unemployment Relief chemo. 2. For one view. see Phllllp McCarthy's article in The Age, February 16. 1978.
	cally. The only reference is that the overall level of assistance was 12 per cent less than during the previous period. There are, likewise, no figures directly attributable to the Vincent Library or Longford Cinema, but the text does state the Longford as having some 40,000 admissions during the financial year (approx. 80 per session). As at June 30, 1977, the AFl’s total assets were $712,377 with total liabilities of $483,701, leaving net assets of $228,676. 3. AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION The examination of the AFC‘s 1975/76 and 1978/77 (if available) annual[...]eld over till issue 17. S K CENSORSHIP ROUND-UP The major censorship decision of the November — January period was the passing of L’Empire des sens (Empire of the Senses) in a cut version. Originally listed, and rejected, at 294690 in, it has since been cut by its distributor, Richar[...]ons total 125.40 m or 4 min. 34 sec. As mentioned in the previous issue of Cinema Papers, the cuts were of explicit, though never prurient. sexual scenes. The Australian film Fantasm Comes Again also received an "R" classification after censor cuts, which shortened the film by 2 min. 30 sec — from 2882.60m to 2614.00m. During the three-month period, seven films were refused registration: The Big Snatch, Captain Lust, The Hills Have Eyes, Eruption, The French Governess, Hard Parties and Hostess of Sex. None are of critical importance. Four films went through the appeal channels: The Spy who Loved Me, Northville Cemetery Massacre, Deep Love and Sex and the Office Girl — all were turned down. The appeals lodged for the first two films were against the classifications, the second two against rejection. The Spy Who Loved Me is of interest because the feelings of the distributors — that “M" was too severe a rating — matched the feelings of several industry commentators. Once again, in merely rubber-stamping decisions of the Censorship Board, the Board of Appeal has highlighted its redundancy. Nine film[...]tered. One worrying trend to emerge from this was the degree of cuts being made. In November 1977, for example, the five cut films had deletions of 3 min. 51 sec. (The Erotic Diary of a Lumberjack), 5 min. 2 sec. (L'Amour a la Bouche), 4 min. 26 sec. (Satan’s Love) and 2 min. 3 sec. (Jack the Ripper). Audiences have, therefore, been placed in a very difficult position, as the film they choose to see may be severely cut, though they will be unaware of it. And in the case of sex films, the audience may find the only source of interest has been removed in its entirety. Certainly exhibitors are no help. This is the case of the Italian film Suspiria where the advertisement gives an unfair image of the film, though no doubt unintentionally. The advertisement reveals that, “The only thing to prepare you for the terrifying last 12 minutes is the first 90." In other words, Suspira is being advertised as 102 minutes long. However, in January 1978 the film was out by 30 sec. by the censor to 2660.70 m, or 97 min. Clearly the advertisement was incorrect before the censor made his cuts, and one may well ask why the censor vigorously polices advertisements for sex[...]his to pass unchecked. S M. AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL STUDIES The Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies will hold a six-day symposium on ethnographic film from May 12-17 in association with its biennial meeting. The aims of the symposium are “to stimulate ethnographic filmmaklng and further the development of new approaches to under- standing human society through the visual media". Sessions will include screenings of new and significant works, panel discussions, inf[...], and present- ations by participants from around the world. The conference is funded by the Australian institute of Aboriginal Studies, the Creative Development Branch of the Australian Film Commission and Film Australia. The preliminary program consists of: Ethnographic Film in Australia (May 12); Ethnographic Film in Teaching and Research (May 13); Styles of Ethnographic Film (May 14); A still of Nobuhiko Ohbayashl's House, wétlch risks shown at the 23rd Asian Film Festival In ang o . 24TH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA The 24th Asian Film Festival, which is to be attended by 300 Asian delegates and a similar number from Australia, will be held in Sydney for the first time, from October 1 — 6. The Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Fraser, will open the Festival at the Sydney Opera House on October 2. The 11 countries participating are Singapore, Hong Ko[...]ia, Thailand, Philippines, India, South Korea and Australia. There may also be guest participation by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and some of the eastern states of the Soviet Union. Each country represented at the Festival will present five feature films and five short subjects. The films will be sub-titled in English (if applicable). and screened continuously throughout the Festival at two city cinemas. Before the official opening of the Festival. there will be a three—day board of directors meeting and seminar of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia, which will also be held in Sydney. The AFC, which was represented at the 23rd Asian Film Festival in Bangkok by commissioner John Mcouaid, will be involved in supporting the festival. A P New Directions in Ethnographic Filmmaking (May 15)‘. The Public View: Ethnographic Film- making (May 16); Democratising the Visual Media (May 17). Papers have been invited on all the subjects within the program, as well as films and videotapes. B G WESTERN AUSTRALIAN FILM COUNCIL On January 22, 1978, the Premier of Western Australia, Sir Charles Court, announced the formation of the Western Australian Film Council. This interim body comprises : The chairman, Bernard A. Wright; members, Russell Two[...]li Bowen and John Pye. Brian Williams has issued the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The State government has allocated one million dollars over a five-year period to be invested in program film projects for distribution through cinemas and television stations. The entire allocation will be channelled into what ar[...]e commercial properties through a Trust Fund. “The administration of the Council will be funded separately through the Department of Industrial Development. "The criteria for WAFC investment will be along the following guidelines: 1. Projects will be filmed in Western Australia. 2. Submissions by Western Australians will be given some priority. 3. With the exception of sound mixing, post—production will be carried out in Western Australia. 4. A percentage of the crew budget will be spent on Western Australian tech- nicians. This percentage of local crew involvement will increase as confidence and expertise develops within the state. 5. Investment by the Australian Film Commission in the selected projects will be a pre-requisite condition in the fore- seeable future. 8. As a general rule, resi[...]ersonnel will be given first consid- eration from the outset of the operation. “Perhaps the major difference between the philosophy of the WAFC and the equivalent bodies in the eastern states is that of private sector administration of the fund locally. There will be no government involvement or representation on the council. Members have been appointed from commerce, law, and the television and cinema industries. “Recoupments from production investments will be ploughed back into the Trust Fund for further re-investment. “At this time it is not envisaged that the WAFC will become a statutory body. It is the TH E QUARTER Government's wish that its ‘seed—bedding' policy, together with the assistance of the AFC and the growing confidence of the private sector, will enable the program film industry in the state to become a stable, self- supporting operation by the end of the initial five-year period." A P NOVECENTO FIGHTS BACK The long saga of Bertoluccis Novecento (1900) has drawn to a close in Australia with the release of the abreviated, 4-hour 8- minute version. Despite pleas from various sources, the distributors, United Artists, have taken the conservative road. Their decision may, however, be less commercially astute than first believed. In the April 5 edition of Varietythere is an item entitled “1900: Longer is Better" and begins: “The original, uncut version of Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 is out-grossing the stunted English version by 5-to-1 in Montreal, much to Paramount’s surprise and delight.” The cut version is the one that has been shown throughout the U.S. Montreal, because of its large French-speaking popu- lation is an exception. But while the over- whelming support for the longer version is in part due to language, most industry sources belie[...]e, for example. There has not as yet been a test of version against version in an English-speaking situation. Had there been, Australians may have been given the chance to see those extra 70 minutes. 8 M AUSTRALIAN FILM INSTITUTE Mr David Roe, the executive director of the Australian Film institute for the past four years, has resigned his position to become marketing and production consultant at the New South Wales Film Corporation. Mr Roe, however, will continue with the institute on a part—time basis as a consultant,[...]as not yet been appointed. Mr Alan W. Simpson is the new member of the AFl’s board of directors. He succeeds associate member Matt Carr[...]Flaus and Susan Dermody, also stepped down (under the board's rotation system), but were re—elected unopposed. The first book to be produced under the AFl’s publication policy, Australian Film Posters 1906-60, has been published, and their epic history of local filmmaking, Australian Film 1906-76, is bei[...]ustralasia have announced a six-feature deal with the French Orphee Arts Production Company. The first of the package is Stars, featuring Australian actress/model Linda Kerridge. The film deals with the life of Marilyn Monroe after-she’ was accepted as a star. Shooting will begin in Los Angeles in January and the film will be directed by Francis Giacobetti, the French photographer whose first feature was Emmanuel — The Anti-Virgin. Other films in the deal are Girl In Blue Velvet (budget $2 million) and starring Michel Piccoli, Monica Vitti and Fernando Rey; The Plague. a $5 million project slated for production in early 1979 in Los Angeles; Giants On The Road; One Two Two, which is to be shot in Paris on an estimated budget of $2 million; and Louisiana Love which is to be shot in New Orleans in late 1978. R. 0. T. ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA Cinema Papers would like to acknow- ledge the McDonagh Sisters for loaning the photograph printed on p. 277 of issue 15. In the credits of The Last Wave review, the film was incorrectly listed as having music by Bruce Smeaton. It was, in fact. composed by Charles Wain. On page 212, the caption for the Birth of New Zealand photograph stated “Patch" Mason was “one of Faulkner's few non- villainous roles.” This role was, however, another of Faulkner's portrayals of lower- class evil. Cinema Papers, April/June - 297
	THE AF {ICA l’l{0.IE(}'l' In May 1977, the National Nine Network sent a six-man ﬁlm crew t[...]ce a documentary on contemporary Africa. Entitled The Africa Project, it was an ambitious ﬁrst for Australian television. It is now in post-production in Sydney, and negotiations have been concluded with U.S. interests which will assure the series of international distribution and a profitable return — that in itself might be another ﬁrst. The subject, Africa as a continental whole, had been tackled only once before. More than 16 years ago, the American Broadcasting Company produced a highly credible, four- hour production, hosted by Gregory Peck. The weakness of this production, however, lay in the extensive use of commentary. The omnipotent voice-over explained and interpreted the on-screen events, and pre- empted any deep sense of involvement by the audience. The Africa Project relies heavily on the voices of Africans, black and white, for its verbal content. They are the voices of men and women who hold presidential positions, work on oil rigs in the Sahara, fish in the Mozambique channel, or have seen the insides of South African jails. They are communist, capitali[...]s an immensely complex continent from every point of view. To distill that complexity to its elements,[...]er for Special Projects at TCN Channel 9, came to Australia ﬁve years ago. For most of the previous 19 years he had worked for the BBC in London, and had produced such innovative programs as Late Night Line Up and the BBC’s first foray into access television, Open Door. In Australia, he lectured at Macquarie University in Sydney, until, at Bruce Gyngell’s invitation, he joined TCN 9 in 1976 as executive producer of the National Nine Network’s coverage of the Montreal Olympic Games. . “The network not only liked what they saw, but they were also very impressed by the fact that you could get rating ﬁgures by investing a bit of money and by getting an outsider like myself to bring a different view to the thing. “At the end of.that, they felt that thethe same thing again without knowing exactly what it might be. “In any event, the unit comprising myself, David Salter, Michael Dea[...]it did, it had submitted more than 50 projects to the network. One of these, Dateline Third World, contained the seeds of The Africa Project. “Africa was, ofcourse, a very important part of the Third World, but I thought we should concentrate initially on our close neighbors — areas more relevant to Australia — like Indonesia, Timor, Thailand, China or this part ofthe Paciﬁc. But Kerry Packer, on discussing the whole project, quite rightly said Africa seemed to be the most important and that in the next few years it would emerge as a very vital continent of which Australians ought to know a lot more. “P[...]been there many times. He likes hunting, he likes the people and he is very conscious of the emergence of Africa. “We talked very generally over lunch about Africa. One of his particular suggestions was that we should come up with a program which revealed that Idi Amin was not. the only dictator in Africa; that we should look for some of the other dictators and tyrants. Opposite: Masai herdsboy in Tanzania. “That” was all right, and seemed quite interesting at the time, but events overcame that idea. We found it[...]r impossible — to get into those countries. “The whole idea of.Africa became a bit bigger then, and what we thou[...]e an African tapestry, a background against which the events in Africa, and dictatorships like Idi Amin’s, could be better understood. “We put up the scheme, roughly along those lines, and it was app[...]s. It was defrayed for a while, for at that point the Nine Network was negotiating for the enormous cricket deal, and they didn’t feel up[...]ecause I knew it would be expensive. Fortunately, the Nine Network was able to dispense with that, and we were able to go ahead in February 1977. “This, of course, could not be a one—man production; what[...]task. We would be away from home for a long time, in countries of which few, if any of us, had any experience, dealing with problems which, at most, we might have read about in a travel guide book. In addition, we would be working in an area, programmatically of which we were not sure. “We would, of course, be doing a lot of research, but if events did not tie into research, then the crew had to be flexible and creative enough to restructure the program on the spot. “My ﬁrst move was to contact an Australian director named Tony Wheeler. He had worked in my group of people at the BBC, and had done a number of interesting, slightly unusual and way-out documentaries. I had admired quite a lot of what he had done, and I thought he might be the sort of person who would bring something new to an African documentary. “Wheeler had returned to Australia, so I asked him if he was interested, and he was. He and I then worked out the type of people we would like to get to join us. We then saw a number of people and selected a team. “I think the largest single problem was distance. In the ﬁrst instance, I found it very on hard, cold c[...]adically different social and cultural values, is the real challenge. Moving a crew of six people, with more than 300 kg. of equipment through 15 countries, keeping them housed, fed, supplied and reasonably happy, is a problem of rather less aesthetic moment, but is equally vital to the successful conclusion of such a project. Each production has a unique set of problems, or “opportunities for creative solutions”, as an American production manager called them. The following is a discussion of some ofthose creative solutions: difﬁcult planning the production so far from a place of which I knew very little. Australia is not particularly well served with material on Africa. There are only three diplomatic representations in Canberra which were relevant to countries that we[...]was, we failed to get into Ghana and Nigeria. “The research resources were very limited, and apart f[...]concerned with African history or economics, and the odd African migrant who was here, we could do very little about getting a feel for the place. “Certainly for a program of this complexity, we had very little at our disposal.” The production chose London as a base for operations.[...]atic representatives there, and there is a wealth of easily available research material and contacts. In addition, with a bit of asking around, and having your credentials checked, you can contact the representatives of the various liberation movements. London also offered the possibility of hiring equipment there aﬁd saving the cost of freight from Australia. Ms Suzanne Cronje, a journalist and authority o[...]fs and initiate contacts with African governments in selected countries. Vincent O’Donnel1 and Tony Wheeler went to London in early May, and the crew followed (after being delayed on an airline strike) towards the end of May. After a l0—day shoot in Algeria, and some problems with the new cameras which necessitated the return of four of the crew to London, Rowan Ayers and Max Hensser proce[...]ese two countries had been unsuccessful and an on the spot attempt was judged necessary. The attempts bore fruit, but too late to be of use to the production. On arrival in Accra, Ghana, Ayers and Hensser were detained without explanation, and deported at their own expense. Thus the crew, who expected to meet in Accra, were suddenly reunited in London. In the space of little more than one week the production, which had taken months to desi[...]
	THE AFRICA PROJECT Was “The Africa Project” the largest documentary you have ever handled? Yes, though I think every film, in the way that you think about making it, becomes the largest. Each is unique and you have to go through a lot of processes to ﬁnish it. But in terms of logistics, the sheer amount of time spent, the amount of footage shot, and the problems, this was certainly the largest. Africa is an immensely complex place. How did you learn about it? I had lived in a house in London for about a year and a half with some people who were concerned with Southern Africa, so I knew a lot of what was going on there. I didn’t know the detail, btft I knew the implications of it. I spent almost two months with Suzanne Cronje[...]out Africa. What I was trying to understand were the principles — political and social — that existed in all the countries that we were going to, so that when som[...]or small, I could see whether it was relevant to the film we were making, and how to shoot it to fit into that film. Did you start with a formal structure in mind? Originally it was going to be a four-hour[...]was trying to refine a principle that people are the most interesting thing — that is, people and the environments they inhabit. There was no scenario[...]circumstances where we could photograph a series of events in some people’s lives in a way that showed these events to be controlled b[...]r concepts? 1 did, because unless you have lived in a country for a long time, all you have to go on[...]y W lueelor -l)i1'et:l:o1' Tony Wheeler was born in Brisbane, and after sharing an ABC specialist tra[...]llis and Richard Brennan, he worked brieﬂy with the ABC before going overseas — first to Hong Kong, later to the BBC. School children in a Ugana village, Tanzania. Also, things fall apa[...]You know Louis Malle’s “Phantom India”, and the work of D.A. Pennebaker. Are you influenced by those film[...]tant things to be said by documentaries, and that in a lot of respects the documentary had been put down by television and the cinema. I wanted to make the documentary cut and look like a feature film; I w[...]conventions to explain what people were seeing on the screen. To that extent I was very influenced. As a kid, my parents took me to the cinema a lot and I saw many films by John Ford. I was influenced pictorially and in terms of content. His films had people in them and they had cultures; you not only understood the characters, but also the characterizations. I also felt there were similar things in some of the early Eating comedies. If something was happening in a room, then I really had a feeling ofwhatthe roo[...]hanjust having bits ofit shown to me. I was also inﬂuenced by Peter Watkins’ early films — Culloden in particular, and The War Game. I worked with one of Peter Watkins’ cameramen, and I think that had a lot to do with the way I subsequently made films. You tend to use the wide angle lens as much as possible. What does that lens offer you? When I was at the BB_C a lot of the directors were against the zoom lens. They felt it turned a camera into a gun platform: the cameraman standing in one spot and shooting away. What we wanted was i[...]had a very simple principle: if you can’t take the camera up to something, then it isn’t worth ﬁlming. The wide angle lens offers me a more or less stable f[...]a reasonably good cameraman, you can be confident of using almost every frame. I also like the depth of field because the audience can look directly at the central subject, as well as then letting their eye wander around it. Often in documentaries, it is notjust what is in centre frame that is interesting. The background can tell you a lot about the location and what other people are doing; how the[...]going on. There were no rushes available during the trip. Did this bother you? When I started in television I was working in circumstances which made it virtually impos- sibl[...]s, so it didn’t really bother me. I rather like the idea of shooting right through to the end, then sitting down and making a film out of what one has. But I don’t have a hard and fast[...]evant to Western audiences. They are partly about the impact of Western culture, particularly industrialization, in African countries, and partly about people. I want the audience to come away with a sense of having met an African and feeling they know about[...]re is a very personal electricity that is lacking in everything else done on Africa.
	THE AFRICA PROJECT Mittltael Edols - l)i1'et:l:o1'ol[...]ems going from a feature to a documentary like “The Africa Project”? What is important is that you[...]a particular channel. Whenyou work as a director of photography on a feature, you work as a ‘photographer-cameraman’. In a situation with someone as free as Tony Wheeler, who he wants to get involved with the people as an ongoing thing, you take on a differe[...]exler: he can shoot a feature like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, or Medium Cool, yet work with Emi[...]on a ﬁlm like Underground. These roles are at the extremes of the cinema- tographer’s art and it took a real effo[...]Levy, who later became a full- time cameraman on the project, that I was able to psyche myself into the role. Were you able to draw on your experience in India with Film Australia? No. Bob Kingsbury [the director Mike worked with in India] I would call a dramatized documentary film[...]like working as a photographer-cameraman. It was the same on a ﬁlm we did called Mr Symbolman, which[...]ous eccentric, an Michael Edols is known outside the hard, commercial scene in Australia as a talented cameraman. He has worked for Film Australia and has freelanced in Australia, India and Niugini. Before “The Africa Project”, Edols was Director of Photography on Esben Storm’s Anna”. “In Search of Peter Levy reloads the camera magazine in the home of L1. and Mrs Smith, in Saba Saba. Austrian Jew, who with his mandolin got out of a Nazi prison, escaped to China, and ﬁnally ended up in Australia. He invented a symbol language which is used to teach retarded children. The Africa Project was totally different from all of those, and the only way to make the ﬁlm was to work on instinct. How did you feel[...]not sent away on a Filming a Ghanaian worker at the Itichi Tichi dam on the Kafue river in Western Zambia. job as expensive as this unless you are proﬁcient. The problem is not a technical one, but a conceptual one; it has to do with working with your director and the need to be able to discuss critically where your material is going. Take the situation we had in South Africa. Vince had taken a crew of Tony, Peter and Jeff to Rhodesia, Rowan had gone back to London, and that left Danny and myself working in Soweto. We were working very light, and getting very close to the marvellous humanity of the people. We were in their homes and ﬁlmed many of the ordinary things about their lives. Now, if the crew could have seen those rushes they would have been in a better position to integrate the ﬁlming of the home life of the white African family in Pretoria with what Danny and I had done in Soweto. There was another thing, too. We were in a country where there was apartheid, so you didn’t have the normal kind of relations with the people you were filming. There were all sorts of things going on, like recriminations, so your ene[...]nce, and that confidence steers you; it shows you the direction you should be going in. Does this apply to working in other African countries? Yes, I think it does. Every day was a new experience, and a lot of energy went into relating to people. I think we could have used the support and direction that looking at rushes coul[...]have been censorship problems as well. How about the footage itself? I think some ofthe footage is the most exciting I have ever shot; in particular the material in Soweto, and the bits I did with Vince in the markets in Durban. Sound recordist Jeff Doring an[...]
	THE AFRICA PROJECT Vinizianl:0’l)01i1ieII-l’1'iu[...]er Vincent O’Donnell is a former consultant to the Australian Film Commission’s Creative Development Branch. He has a background in production and direction in films and television, and has worked for several[...]tor. “I know it is an over-simplification, but the traditional problems of a production manager are to keep the production on schedule, and on budget. The Africa Project presented no traditional problems, and my role was more of a charge dbjfaires. “The schedule was a very flexible one to allow for follow up on good material. The major costs were the wages, accommodation, allowances, equipment hire and travel. If you include in your calculations a daily allowance for stock, then the production cost, excluding post-production, is a multiple ofthe number of days spent in the field (to a first approximation). “Allegations of bureaucratic inefficiency levelled against our public servants are insignificant when compared with the paper war we fought before we left London. “Anyone who has mounted a production in an overseas country will know what I mean. Multiply that by 12 and the dimensions of the problem loom very large. “Suzanne Cronje, our researcher, had initiated contacts through the London embassies of all the countries we planned to visit. This was done by April. When I arrived in early May, there had been little positive response; in some cases, Suzanne and her assistant Nicki were[...]ters acknowledged. It was not always tardiness on the part of the embassies, but simply that the bureaucratic machines grind very slowly, and perhaps nowhere more slowly than in Africa. “We learnt that simultaneous approaches are necessary in some cases; in others, the approach is sequential. In all cases it was different from another. One’s[...]ster or a consul, but it takes time, and time is, of course, money. “The area which cannot be pre-arranged is customs clea[...]Customs only becomes a problem when you arrive at the airport with your 300 kg. of gear. Carnets work in South Africa (and the examiner wanted to see if the cables fitted the equipment). Cash bonds were required in some countries, and sureties, of one form or another, elsewhere. As one senior Zambian official said to me (and he isn’t in customs): ‘I cannot understand it. All customs think that at the first opportunityyou will be sellingyour tools of trade to the first itinerant camel driver you meet. How could you make your film?’ “Accommodation "was less of a problem than expected. In some cases the Australian High Commission or Embassy recommended[...]as doubt, one ofthe production crew arrived ahead of the party, checking out the hotels. “Air travel was the least of our problems. I had open tickets for the proposed itinerary issued in London on British Airways stationery. Then it was simply a matter of making a booking and getting the details entered on the appropriate voucher. Anyone intending this self-[...]“All our gear travelled as excess baggage. At the rate of one per cent of the first class fare per kilo, this is by far the most expensive way. But then it is about the only way you can be more than 50 per cent sure it[...]a universal observation. It applied just as well in Australia as in Africa. “To pay for the excess baggage, I carried a wad of miscellaneous charge orders (MCOs), also on Briti[...]d you can get caught out on technicalities. Also, the official IATA exchange rate lags behind the market rate (in the airlines’ favor). So what you pick up in security and convenience, you lose in money terms. “We each carried a quantity of travellers cheques, but the main sources of production cash were local banks on a letter ofcredit. This technique takes care of the currency control hassles in Africa. “The letters of credit were set up through the Bank of NSW in London, either direct with agent banks in Africa, or through Barclay’s Bank International. Except. for the blank smiles our letter evoked in Algeria, the system worked well. “Ground transport was a real headache, except in Kenya and South Africa, and it would have helped if there had been a motor mechanic on the crew. Where cars for hire were scarce, we used ta[...]munication can be a problem, but there was always the telex for regular messages, and the telephone for arguments. Most hotels had both, though the delays getting through were often intimidating. E[...]feel confident about where you might be spending the night — bed, jail or wooden box. “There is a fair amount of paranoia in that statement, but it is the mental tension more than any physical hardship that makes working in an unknown and unpredictable environment difficult. “Many more things could really be said. From the production viewpoint, it is vital to realize that you can’t run the production as you might in Australia. “For each country there are different rules a[...]ns, and different manners. You have to understand the difference, tune in to the manner and pace of business, keep cool, and keep smiling. Everything[...]. . . . . . . . . . . Vincent O'Donnell Director of Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..[...]
	At what stage did you become involved in the production of “Patrick”? I came on to the production two or three weeks before shooting, with only one week of pre- production in Melbourne. So it was a dead run through the entire film trying to get everything ready in time. Originally, when considering it from the U.S., the film didn’t look very difficult, but when I got to Australia I had a great deal of difficulty in finding things. I must have spent at least 50 per cent of my time looking for things I would have at hand in the U.S., or building things I could have easily rented back home. We have a scene in Patrick where an actor flies out ofa room. Above[...]is a psychic thriller about a young man trapped in a coma. Starring Susan Penhaligon, Sir if Robert[...]00,000 film is directed by Richard Franklin. One of the striking features of “Patrick” is its complex special effects sequ[...]ung through space and a couple being electrocuted in a bath. To create these effects, the producers, Antony I. Ginnane and Richard Franklin[...]Conrad Rothmann. Rothmann has a long experience of effects work on projects ranging from the feature, “The Amazing Dobermans”, to “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” on television. In the following interview, conducted by Dennis Nicholson, Peter Beilby and Scott Murray, Rothmann talks about many of the effects required in “Patrick”, how he achieved them, and the differences and expectations of effects work in Australia as compared with the U.S. of/Wm THE PLANNING In Hollywood, I can go to Joe Lombardi’s Rental House and rent a flying rig, put the thing up and fly the guy. Here I had to go out, buy the steel and build the rig from scratch. A number of things were like that. Patrick also required an a[...]ase valve with a large aperture that releases all the air from the tank instantaneously, producing a soft explosion. You can load the muzzle with dust, peat moss, cork — all kinds of stuff. You get the effect of an explosion without high velocity projectiles. Again, this had to be built specially for the one shot. What is your procedure once you get a script to read? I go through the script and look for everything that needs[...]
	PATRICK — SPECIAL EFFECTS The scene where Patrick murders his mother (Carole-An[...]aul Young) by hurling a radiator into their bath. The burning hair (bottom right) was achieved by igniting smokeless riﬂe powder in Ay\|ett‘s wig. best approach to each effect, I[...]be involved, and so on. I then have a ﬁgure for the whole ﬁlm. What was your costing on “Patrick[...]. How would that compare with an average feature in the U.S.? its really hard to say because effects vary so much. In some features it is just bullet hits or explosions, and the materials might only run to $500. On other ﬁlms, there might be a lot of involved effects; that would mean stuff has to be[...]expensive to do Patrick ifI had been able to rent the air mortar, for instance. I can rent it at home f[...]hink I could get here. I brought a few valves for the air mortar, for example, because I thought they w[...]re, I didn’t bring a lot with me. Did you find the costing in Australia higher than you expected? It went both ways. We had a neon sign in the ﬁlm and before I left the U.S. I costed it at $300 — I got it here for $100. 304 — Cinema Papers, April/June THE RADIATOR How would you describe “Patrick” in terms of the complexity of the special effects? Some effects were very complex:[...]had to toss it around; so we used rubber. Because of the weight, we couldn’t put batteries in it to illuminate the coil, and the idea of electricity bothered the actors. So we accomplished the gag with an approach similar to the Star Wars light swords. We used the “Scotchlite” front-screen projection material to make the ﬁltered coils on the radiator. Then we mounted a ﬁltered light next to the lens on the camera and a 45-degree mirror in front ofthe camera lens — a 50 per cent reﬂective, 50 per cent transparent mirror. This angled the light down the lens axis to light the coils. It is a technique borrowed from front screen projection. The reflective material returns 90 per cent of the light that falls on it within a two degree angle from the angle of incidence. It returns such a hot light that you don’t have to send much light down the lens’ axis to illuminate it. You can, therefore, wash out any spill light that falls on the rest of the set by adjusting the set lights. It is a terribly complex approach, b[...]light within two degrees? We had to put a mirror in front of the lens, photograph through the mirror, shine the light on the mirror and bounce the light right down the axis of the lens. A special rig had to be built to support all this in front of the camera. How do you keep the coil within two degrees when the radiator is thrown into the bath? The radiator will appear lit anywhere within the ﬁeld of the camera lens if the light from that ﬁxture on the camera is falling on it. Once the radiator goes into the water, due to the index of refraction of water being different from that of air, the reﬂective quality of the Scotchlite is altered. Shooting the bath murder. Note the mirror angled at 45 degrees to the axis of the camera lens. The radiator coil, illuminated by light bounced off the mirror, is madtmfa reﬂective “Scotchlite" mat[...]e, while director Richard Franklin This produces the effect of the coils being quenched. What other effects did the scene need? As the radiator was supposed to be hot, when they touche[...]e used a material called A-B smoke. One component of this smoke is glacial acetic acid and the other is a 40 per cent monoethyl- amine solution in water. When the colorless fumes of these two materials meet in the air, they produce a white smoke. We put the glacial acetic acid on the actor’s hands and blew the fumes of the ethylamine through a hose to the radiator that was painted to look like an[...]
	[...]is attacked by Ed (Rod Mullinar). Patrick. cord. In this way we produced smoke on both actors’ hands and on one actor’s back. The actress in the scene also had to have the radiator laid against her back with resulting burns and smoke. Apparently the actress’s hair also catches alight . . . That[...]hich is a magician’s tool. It burns with a kind of orange flame and with the ﬁne particles of ash that you get when hair burns. But I couldn’[...]it was a nitrating process. You had to dip tissue in sulphuric acid and nitric acid, keeping a proper check on temperature. On the day of the shooting, we were still looking for a solution wh[...]g. So we rigged an electrically—ignited portion of this powder to the actress's wig, and that worked out very well. What effects were associated with the radiator landing in the water? We had flash bulbs rigged inside the radiator to flash. Fine wires were run down inside the fume V I Kathy (Susan Penhaligon) and Dr Wright (Bruce Barry). Patrick. hose to ﬁre the bulbs. Do you regard that a complex affair? Just more complex than average. THE AIR MORTAR What scene in the film required the air mortar? Patrick becomes enraged in one scene and uses a cabinet full of medical supplies as a weapon. The doors fly wide open and the supplies explode out of the cabinet and fly around the room. To achieve this, the air mortar was placed about two metres behind the cabinet. We removed the back of the cabinet and all sharp, dangerous or heavy objects from inside. The cabinet doors we operated with monofilament ﬁshing line. The air mortar muzzle was then ﬁlled with ﬁve or six thousand pills of different types — plastic pill bottles, caps, towels, anything that wouldn’t be a danger to the actress, Susan Penhaligon. To avoid any injury, Susan turned her back to it during the ﬁring, and Patrick covered his eyes. The mortar had about a 10 cubic ft. (029 cubic m.) tank, pumped up to about 80lb pressure. It emptied in less than a second and blew the stuff right through the cabinet into the room. The air blast travelling around the room, lifted the objects and kept them in ﬂight. The plastic pill bottles were light, so they flew around the room. The scene was shot in slow motion, which enhanced the other worldly quality and produced a very nice effect. BREAKAWAY GLASS In a scene like that, would you do a run through before the actual take or just chance it? In the ﬁnal scene with the cabinet, we also had a breakaway glass shot. In that case, the economies prevented a run through. The entire front of the cabinet was re-built with balsa wood and a breaka[...]mmonly called candy glass. It used to be made out of sugar, but now it’s plastic. I would estimate that the glass, with labor and materials included, was wor[...]was it. Besides, Susan wasn’t too crazy about the air mortar ﬁring at her back from a distance of only about three metres. To set her at ease, I P[...]ts hitting do sting you — there’s quite a bit of velocity involved. So we went for it once and got it. We ran two cameras. You had to get the glass made here . . . Yes. The material used in the U.S. is PS2, a plasticiser fashioned in plastic. It was used in printing ink manufacture, but not any more. All the effects men in the U.S. who had any money and knew that it was being discon- tinued bought great mounds of it; it’s no longer available off the shelf. When I need glass, I have to buy inished[...]indow panes, bottles, and so forth; I can’t buy the raw crystals to make it. Over here, they have be[...]arge a pane with it, and when you melt it to cast the article, it gives off formaldehyde fumes, which a[...]re very destructive to mucous membranes, and burn the eyes, nose and throat. It’s very hard to work with, but that‘s what we had to use. We just kept the fans running all the time, blowing the fumes away from us. Chris Murray, an effects man[...]Alpha Methyl Styrene Resin 18. It doesn’t have the Santolite problems, but has a lower melting point[...]Did you make an arrangement with a plastics firm in Melbourne to do the casting? No, I went to Monsanto and bought the plastic. I then built a casting table which was a 12mm thick aluminium plate slightly larger than the largest glass needed. The plate is heated up to about 325 degrees fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius) and the cellophane stretched on a wooden frame. The melted plastic is then poured on the cellophane on top ofthe aluminium plate. It has[...]y because if you tried to pour on a cold surface, the plastic wouldjust gob up and not spread ou[...]
	[...]IN IIIINNEII After directing several features in Finland, Jorn Donner returned to Sweden to become joint administrator of the Swedish Film Institute production fund. The following article was written by Donner for Films in Sweden, but is reprinted here for its insights into the Swedish film industry and the many points of relevance to the Australian situation. Sweden often appears as an island, an isolated and ﬂourishing province in which Swedish values dominate and where nothing is as good as being Swedish champion — and nothing of less moment than actually being in 15th place in Europe or 30th in the world. This is not only true of Swedish society, but of its ﬁlms as well. This has to do with what Swe[...]e, what its ﬁlms look like, and above all, with the organization of Swedish ﬁlmmaking. All these reflect the values expressed by Swedish ﬁlm directors, whose thinking I have had the opportunity of observing during a two-year period as executive producer at the Swedish Film Institute. Among the purposes ofthe production fund, set up in 1975 and administered by the Institute, was that of activating the production of feature ﬁlms. Inasmuch as I became one of the two administrators of the fund, I regarded it as a goal to create among ava[...]ntity. It was like lining up horses for judgment: the ﬁve or six best horses would be selected, regardless of whether they were good or bad. I am not ashamed of the results, but I would certainly like to add that the two or three ﬁlms I thought then would turn out best, did so. The moral of this is that it is possible to read a ﬁlm script and with reasonable certitude judge the ﬁnal results — provided one has an idea ofthe director’s talents. But my intent here is not to depict the results ofa certain production process. Rather, I want to present some other lessons associated with the expectations of the director and other creative participants in a production system ‘That is essentially ﬁnanced from public funds. The fact that a change has taken place so quickly warrants reflection. Of today’s Swedish production, 90 per cent is ﬁn[...]nds. There is hardly any other country (including the socialist countries) in which independence from audience or commercial expectations is as total as in Sweden. In the socialist countries, various methods have been tr[...]ction groups into self-supporting entities, while in Sweden many ﬁlm artists regard it as axiomatic[...]acceptance. This has two consequences: , _ 1.At the planning stage, it is customarily assumed that i[...]e, but so are lower ones. That means, looking at the matter differently, that Swedish ﬁlms cost about the same amount, regardless of the kind of script, its exclusivity, the degree of its simplicity or difﬁculty. The budget is not judged in relation to an estimate of the chances ofsuccess, but rather wholly in view of what other ﬁlms have cost. The ﬁnancial expectations of all ﬁlms are deemed to be identical. 2.Since the ﬁnancing is public, it is also usually assumed that the executive producer, who represents the Swedish Film Institute, has no interest in keeping costs under control. As a result, a certa[...]conceivable that this irresponsibility spreads to the executive producer as well. A third consequence, which lies outside the scope of the above, is that scripts are usually judged on the basis of some abstract literary quality, without the least regard for whether one script in comparison with another has audience possibilitie[...]nly via audience-share-type ﬁgures and possibly the numbers of persons who get in touch with the television complaints department, also known as “the wailing wall”. Since particularly cheap ﬁlms are not made, not too many expensive ones are made either. The fund system of selective guarantees imposes a ceiling on ﬁlms[...]. A great many Swedish ﬁlm directors belong to the same guild as other ﬁlm workers. In such contexts, the collective character of ﬁlm work is often emphasized. In another context, when it comes to documenting and[...]freedom, it is eagerly pointed out, not only that the director is the person ultimately responsible for the product, but also that the product must be made wholly and in every respect as the director wishes. Other viewpoints, whether from film workers or the executive producer, are regarded as irrelevant. I cannot imagine these two lines of reasoning ever being reconciled. Conceivable consequences of all this, as far as Swedish ﬁlms are concerned,[...]te considerable freedom to depict what one wishes in Swedish ﬁlms, the products are not born in a ﬁeld of conflict between audience expectations, budgetary considerations, and directorial demands. They are created in a vacuum and become formally provincial, slow, and marked by their creator’s lack of contact with any other narrative mode than their[...]as literature has long had a very strong position in Sweden, decision-makers try to reward that which[...]terature or whose script presentation is literary in character. I recall Hitchcock’s remark that it[...]rdboiled Story; Ann Zacharias and Goran Stangertz in Jan Halldoff‘s The Last Adventure; Ann Zacharias; Hans Alfredson’s[...]r’s Anna with Harriet Andersson; Tommy Johnson in Lars Lennart Forsberg’s Robert and Fanny. Daphne du Maurier than Dostoevsky. 3.Since the sums that are available are constant, or increase at a rate not in keeping with that of the depreciation in the value of money, and since union and guild demands for increased pay have been abundantly satisfied, the number of films being produced is going to drop. This may in turn result in the salubrious development of a harder struggle over projects and directors. But it is equally possible that the few established ofﬁcial ﬁlm artists will regard the ﬁnancing as existing for them (after all, they[...]gated to television and other media. Fortunately, the consequences need not be these. In the ﬁrst place, favorable changes, too, have taken place during the past years. Many of the newer ﬁlms show an utterly different way of telling a story, a greater openness to a more readily accessible dramaturgy. In addition, it is conceivable that some of those who made their debuts in recent years have enough talent to ﬁll some of the vacuum left in Swedish ﬁlms when Ingmar Bergman left the country, and resulting from the incapability of many of the so-called mid- generation of directors to live up to the promise they showed in the 1960s. They still have, as has been said of Brazil, a brilliant future. But they have had one[...]s turnabout could also derive from a new interest in creative ﬁction in ﬁlm narrative. Since the latter half of the 19605, when many Swedish ﬁlmmakers, following the examples of foreign ﬁlmmakers, oriented themselves against[...]re are no professional screenwriters, and because of vastly improved ﬁnancial circumstances for ordinary authors, the latter are not attracted by the money ﬁlms offer. The result is that most Swedish ﬁlm scripts are still being written by directors, and of course that can be explained by the fact that Bergman almost always did so, too. But[...]an, both authors and directors? To me, at least, the combination seems increasingly dubious (as a principle). But Swedish directors have doubtless experienced thein local filmmaking. Swedish narrative is often psyc[...]xciting. This applies to literature as well as to the novel. There is an abundance of inner action and a dearth of outer, physical action. Concluded on P. 3[...]
	[...]ESN’ ANY MIIBE HWE HEBE Tom Ryan looks at recent Swedish Cinema and surveys the latest work of directors Vilgot Sjoman, Lars Lennart Forsberg, Jan Troell and Jan Halldoff. He also looks at the first feature of actress Gunnel Lindblom. The international reputation of the Swedish ﬁlm industry has inevitably been linked with the career of Ingmar Bergman. His prominence is readily underst[...]does not need to be a ﬁlm scholar to recognize the signiﬁcance of Swedish names such as Victor Sjostrom, Nauritz St[...]Gunnel Lindblom, Mai Zetterling, Sven Nykvist — the list of familiar names is far from complete. Certainly, not all have achieved a maturity of their craft in Sweden, but their importance to the historical status of Swedish ﬁlm ought to be noted. The Swedish Film Institute has made considerable efforts to promote the “new Swedish cinema“ over recent years. A season in January this year at the National Film Theatre in London, following an earlier one in April, 1975, won public response and gave exposure to a number of ﬁlms which suggest, despite Jorn Donner’s pes[...]lls attention to what appears to be a major theme in the new ﬁlms — the examination of the private retreat, and its tenuous existence as a way of “pulling the drawings evoke a childlike perspective on the country house in the Swedish Archipelago, the location for the summer holiday rendezvous of four generations of a middle-class Swedish family. The ﬁlm’s ﬁrst sequence then opens out the tensions which pervade the ﬁlm — a middle-aged doctor, Katha (Birgitta Valberg), asserts her right to the comforts of. her “paradise place”, complacently observing, in response to the criticism from her long- standing friend Emma (Sif Ruud), that “a leopard can’t change his spots”. The two women share a generation, but are divided by their social positions and by the attitudes apparently attendant upon them. Katha h[...]ble practice, while Emma’s life is committed to the care of juvenile delinquents. Katha’s view of the world is clearly linked to the innocence of the drawings, while Emma’s sees them as a facade. During the course of the ﬁlm, we come to share Emma’s perspective: the» family’s holiday is a performance of rituals whose familiarity serves to thrust divisions beneath the surface. The adherence to rule (the fathers daily hoisting of the Swedish flag, the communal baking, the family lunch around the long table in the garden, the afternoon walk) suggests the security of belonging to a traditional way, but also works against blinds“ on the disturbing realities of anything but the most superﬁcial unity. The contemporary society. In Paradistorg, those ﬁlm‘s function as parable[...]Sweden realities exist within a hidden machinery of is unobtrusive but unmistakable. repression which has set in conﬁict the values of the past and the movement for change. They make no facile distinction between age, as representing the old way, and youth, the new. Nor do they simply identify the traditional way as the retreat from reality and the confrontation with that as positive. The world created by the ﬁlm is far more complex. Behind the credits, a series of pastel Lindblom's Birgitta Valberg as Katha in Gunnel Paradistorg. 308 —— Cinema Papers, April/June Ironically, while it is the outsiders who disturb the precarious balance of the family relationships, they are linked by their desire to belong, to become a part of the warmth of the gathering, even as they recognize it as “a hollow idyll”. Emma comes to visit, weary and disillusioned, in search ofa haven: “I‘m a hare with the hounds after me.” Privately she r xaggg ' Anja Breien‘s gentle and vicious depiction of male indecisiveness. Games of Love and Loneliness. Stefan Ekman and Lil Tenselius. confesses her despair to Katha — “I surrender to the machinery” — at a time when Katha’s recognition that she cannot forever explain away the ailments of the world as “the pangs of adolescence”, or put them at bay with a prescription, indicates a conscience awakened by the sounds of reality. One of the most attractive qualities of this ﬁlm is its attention to the details of character, especially in the immensely sympathetic portrait of the two women sharing and sustaining an affection in the face of their potentially divisive social attitudes. The survival of this relationship, though it is thrust into the background in the ﬁlm’s second-to- last image, is vital within the pattern of relationships established by the structure of Ulla Isaksson and Gunnel Lindblom’s screenplay. In the absence of the desire for Contact between couples and groups, th[...]is as likely to generate conflict as it is unity, the future will escape the control of those who should construct it. Those whose privat[...]reat from community and those whose commitment to the future is pursued alone are doomed: Tomas’s introspection is self-destructive, and King’s directives to the men from space to destroy “paradise place” re[...]ndamental reconstruction. Though Lindblom closes the ﬁlm on a freeze frame of the isolated King, it seems to me that the thrust of the ﬁlm has been towards Katha’s awakening. The future is not to be found in the unfathomable delinquency of the boy (such pessimism is inexplicable in the context the ﬁlm has established), but in the sort of discovery through others which marks Katha’s progress in the ﬁlm. Norwegian director, Anja Breien, was Goran Stangertz in Jan I-Ialldoff‘s The Last Adventure. The most proliﬁc and successful of the younger Swedish directors, Halldoff is the most critically ignored.
	Lilga Kovanko as the nurse, Mania, in Marianne Ahrne‘s Near and Far Away. invited by the Swedish Film Institute to direct Den Allvarsamma Leken (Games of Love and Loneliness, 1977), based on Hjalmar Soderberg’s novel, The Serious Game. Thematically it is like Paradistorg, in that it seems to have been constructed as a response to the question (articulated by one of the characters in the ﬁlm’s opening sequence): “Do you think we c[...]ilitude. Its formal ironies are most apparent as the f1lm’s visual assertion of the importance of its central character, Arvid (Stefan Ekman), is set against the recurrent references to the significant moments in history (1894-1916) which occur around him. The sequences of images are constantly reducing wide shots to alternating close-ups or two-shots of Arvid and his women, while the narrative movement of the film places those intimate images in the broader context which dwarfs the significance we might want to impose on them. The distancing effect of this ironic mode is further insinuated by the use of the narrator. The voice-over plays with our responses — assuming omniscience, it moves from a simple description of Arvid’s actions to an explanation of his psychological state, appearing to lay open the ﬁlm’s subjective material, but, in fact, remaining subservient to it. Lars Lennart Forsberg‘s study of male alienation Robert and Fanny. With Tommy Johnson. Thus the narrator can observe Arvid’s decision to “let[...]sciousness — “I cannot love but I can perform the acts of love, its monkey games and pantomimes”; but it cannot see that Arvid’s surrender to the fates and his frustration at his inability to feel is a failure to recognize his unimportance, his place in the world around him. (Breien’s use of the narrator here corresponds to Stanley Kubrick’s utilization of the device in Barry Lyndon). The film is both gentle and vicious in its depiction of an all—too-familiar male indecisiveness. It is[...]ns to Arvid; and he is not solely responsible for the failure of his relationships. But we are also forced to recognize his destructiveness in his reluctance to come to terms with his (sexual) restlessness, and his inadequate perception of himself. Notably, at a time when a concern with the female consciousness is so prominent (especially in European cinema, but also in that American cinema which is prepared to look outwards), a number of these Swedish ﬁlms could be described as studies of male consciousness. Certainly, Anja Breien’s f[...]focus, and Jan Halldoff’s Det Sista Aventyret (The Last Adventure, 1975) transforms what, at first, appears to be the material of male romance/fantasy into a reﬂection on that. The central character, Jimmy (Goran Stangertz), appea[...]SWEDISH CINEMA glance to be a familiar figure of youthful audacity. But as his calm exterior chang[...]y and charming disrespect for convention becomes, in retrospect, evidence of his irresponsibility, his way of constructing a rebellious self-image. Lars Forsb[...]alienation. Robert (Tommy Johnson), oppressed by the onset of middle-age and by his social identity, belongs to a life full of unconsummated hopes, of ambitions tentatively held and then shattered. His father, dying of a respiratory condition, reminds him of a childhood of repression: not that of being physically brutalized, but of being denied information (primarily sexual) about the world. His visits to the hospital become journeys into his consciousness, expressions of his resentment at his upbringing. His outbursts t[...]l hostility to his father than his frustration at the barriers to understanding himself, felt but scarcely understood. His affair with the nurse, Fanny (Maria Selbing), reveals to him the immediate inadequacy ofhis marriage, and, more, the fact that he is responsible for that. He is forc[...]ionships. His tragedy is that, while grasping all of this, he is unable to change, his anguish becoming that of a strata of Swedish society quite foreign to that of Bergman’s articulate bourgeoisie, who, if they[...]ive voice to that which troubles them. His place of work is ﬁlled with the everyday pettiness of people dissatisfied with their lives, albeit uncomprehendingly, a place in which the sullen Robert sees he does not belong, but from which there is no realistic escape. Like the murderer in B0 Widerberg’s Mannen Pa Taket (The Man on the Roof, 1976), like Jimmy in Det Sista Aventyret and King in Paradistorg, like the son in Hans Alfredson’s stunning black comedy about ca[...]st! (Egg! Egg? A Hardboiled Story, 1976), like “the mutist” (Robert Farrant) in Marianne Ahrne’s Langt Borta Och Maera (Near An[...]o violence. After Fanny leaves him, he returns to the cottage that had provided a home for their affaire, and, in a particularly disturbing scene, vents his fury upon it. Concluded on P. 381 Halvar Bjork in Vilgot Sjoman’s Tabu, an attempt at laying bare the anguishes of sexual minorities. Cinema Papers, April/J[...]
	[...]NIlBlIlM Respected for her striking performances in many Bergman films, including The Silence, The Seventh Seal and Winter Light, actress Gunnel Lindblom has turned to directing. In the following interview, conducted by Tom Ryan, Lindblom discusses her first feature. Where did the idea for the project come from? I had directed several theatr[...]We decided on this story and started to work on the script. It wasn’t easy to raise the money because many people felt no one would want to see a film about middle-aged women. So you see, even in Sweden the subject was thought unusual. Finally we got Swed[...]How difficult is it for producers to raise money in Sweden? Very difficult. In Sweden there are only nine million people, and it[...]an get its money back there. One can perhaps sell the film abroad, but even this brings in very little money. So in the end you have to count on a loss, and this effecti[...]for filmmakers if their film doesn’t meet with the approval of the Swedish Film Institute . . . Yes, and the Institute has rather firm ideas about the kind of films that should be made. One, therefore, has to try and fit in with that limited approach. Are there many filmmakers in Sweden who want to make films, but can’t find the funds? Yes. That any films are being made in Sweden is in itself a miracle. Last year we made about 20 seri[...]saying we cannot afford more than 12 or 13 films. The situation is very difficult and you have to be strong to get through it. What assistance was Ingmar Bergman in getting your film made? He said he liked the subject. and that is very important because peopl[...]sﬁﬁ. Was he looking over your shoulder while the film was being made? No, not at all. I was free[...]tax and he left Sweden for Germany. I had to keep in contact with him by telephone. 1 don’t know if[...]s helped by a very good crew. Would you say that the way you respond to characters in your film has any similarity with the way Bergman approaches his characters? No, I thi[...]different approaches. He is much more interested in a kind of metaphysic‘, even though religion is in his past, he is very marked by it. We also come f[...]al backgrounds, and I am probably more interested in social problems. One of the things I found jarring in your film was the girl’s dream about Vietnam and the boy watching the Beirut footage on television. They seemed to me an unnecessary movement outside the fiIm’s framework . . . The dream is only a very simple way of telling of people who try to protect their own worlds, their islands, or, if you like, their privileges. The young girl is the one who has contact with the outside world; whereas for the boy television is a kind of stigma. He can’t live the family life he is supposed to live because he’s too hurt by inﬂuences from the outside world. The film sets up two opposed points of view: Emma. who for a major part of the film is rejecting the machinery of repression, and Katha who is an embodiment of that machinery. Do you identify with either of those two PHRHDISTORG En film av Gunnel[...]
	SWEDISH CINEMA characters? I identify with both of them because I think I am perhaps too much like Katha and not enough like Emma. The discussion between the two women is, therefore, really a dialogue I have inside me. I was disturbed by Emma’s surrender to the machinery at the end . . . You shouldn’t see Emma as a heroine of any kind because she has a different kind ofconta[...]fooled and hurt by Katha and is very desperate by the end. The work she has done and still wants to do has made[...]I felt that despair, but her surrender suggests the film is ultimately saying the noble things she said are hopeless and impractica[...]people if you want to do what she does. That’s the main point for me. Yet Emma does have an effect on people, as for example when she spoils the dinner party . . . A lot of what Emma said was truthful, but in her desperation she had gone too far. But then, nobody else is doing anything; the politicians have failed, the man who is ruling the world is a failure, as is the whole welfare society. We have still not managed to do what is most important. So in many ways Emma is right, and we can’t hide; we[...]e a bigger effort to convince people we are going the wrong way. If society is not good enough, then we must change it — we can’t ignore it. The film ends with the shot of the delinquent King, rather than one of Eva who, in many ways, is a—positive character . . . It de[...]t. To me, King is a very important person; a sort of hope. He is very different from Eva because she is brought up in a milieu where people are aware and articulate ab[...]s violently and aggressively. He doesn’t accept the way he is treated and rebelsl and I think that is very important. The shot at the end is the film’s only symbolic image. For me, the two women have surrendered, they are walking away[...]re have no more rights to be there. One can view the summer house as a kind of privilege. The women have misused it and, therefore, must leave.[...]he seeks to do with it. You see, those people on the island are a kind of elite and priv- ileged people. They are educated[...]de to say, “You shouldn’t have people talking in ﬁlms; film is images not talk.” If a film has[...]ossible to read it that way. I have tried to tell the story very realistically so that one could look at it in a larger perspective as well. The retreat ol“‘Paradise Place“ in Paradistorg. In Katha’s discovery of Tomas’ body, and her chase after King, I see an irony, in that she becomes aware only after it is too late;[...]hink it is possible to see it that way. Actually, the ending of the book is different, in that there is a kind of reconciliation between Katha and King. However, I found that impossible and false — I don’t believe in that kind of optimism. So, in association with the author, I wrote a new ending. Did Isaksson argue[...]No, not very much. What about Kiss? He is almost the idealized male, somebody who is outgoing and soci[...]ss is very free and kind, but he has chosen a way of living that is okay only for himself —- he doesn’t attempt to struggle, he just escapes. In contrast, there is Anika’s husband, Kure, who is in some ways a weak character, yet he comes back. Is[...]everybody else? Yes. Kure is very critical about the place, but he cannot leave it. It is the longing for security, of course. When you made the film did you have a particular visual style in mind? No, I only knew that I wanted to tell the story as simply as possible. It is not very experimental in that sense. I notice that in the theatre you have directed plays by people like Sh[...]hey have influenced your approach to film? First of all, what interests me very much about theatre is actors: I love them and I love to work with them. In fact, my only security on the film was that I knew I could work with the actors. I wasn’t sure if my technical knowledge[...]my crew. I consider myself an actress and I work in the theatre much more than in films. And if you are used to working with Strind[...]ho really have something to say, then you must be inﬂuenced. I get very impatient with films that m[...]that are too afraid to say what they are about. In that respect, the theatre has had a very big impact on me. Godard,[...]nto his own form. How do you respond to that sort of filmmaking? Well, I think you can always use Brecht, and in one respect Paradise Place is a kind of Brechtian film. I don’t know if anybody agrees with me. I have even used Brecht in a Strindberg play I did in Copenhagen called The Father. I didn’t even change a word of Strindberg, but it worked very well. And it alway[...]nderstood because after having worked practically in the theatre he wrote his theories only because he fel[...]is ideas clearly. So, you have to read Brecht all the time with your heart and you will find he is not as cold as people think. The story that Kure tells about the women on the train reminds me very much of the “zipless fuck” chapter from Erica Jong’s ‘Fear of Flying’. Was that a deliberate reference? Well that story is in the book, and Ulla Isaksson was well before Erica lon[...]s on you? Well, it took a long time before I had the courage to admit that I was interested in directing. My education was as an actress and dir[...]and she was a great encouragement for me because of her courage. I played one of the parts, in her first film in Sweden, Loving Couples, which had a very difficul[...]which we are going to make next winter. It is for the Swedish Women’s Liberation Movement and should[...]urning to television . . . Well, there are a lot of people watching and it is a fantastic opportunity to reach people who never go to the theatre or cinema. I think they are entitled to have something of value to look at. ~k Cinema Papers. April[...]
	[...]h” original screenplay? an Yes. It began with the idea of four teenagers spending a night on the town, and just extended from that. I decided to t[...]that would involve a fairly wide-ranging audience in the experiences of four sympathetic characters who are battling to get some kind of life going at the lower end of society. Characters whom the middle-class audience generally reads about as numbers in the unemployment ﬁgures, or kids in the juvenile courts. In all, I did 14 drafts of the screenplay. Why was that? Almost all the assessments I received were very positive, but the assessors at the Australian Film Commission felt that while it was[...]: A John Duigan’s “Mouth to Mouth” is the story of two girls who escape from a youth training centre and live in a disused warehouse with two boys. This striking[...]its technical proficiency, and, most importantly, the excellent performances from the mostly teenage cast. “Mouth to Mouth” is Duigan’s third feature, and follows “The Firm Man” and “The Trespassers”. In the following interview, conducted by Scott Murray wh[...]ject, “Dimboola”, Duigan begins by discussing the origins of his screenplay. ﬁnancial potential. I think the film was knocked back three times on those grounds. The Victorian Film Corporation, on the other hand, was very helpful; I had several long and useful discussions with people there. believe The Trespassers could have done with another rewrite. Do you feel a corporation is within its rights in pressuring a writer into reworking a script? ign OUTH The material I write probably needs a lot of rewriting, and I Obviously there are many danger[...]suggest or impose some ofits own concepts on the screenplay, a writer could be dislodged from his[...]else. If comments are directed towards clarifying the writer’s vision, then it can be useful. One cr[...]. . . I don’t accept that as a criticism. One of the most important qualities of the four characters is their terrific vitality and im[...]y. Yet, they do come out with some ingenious ways of solving their problems — the way they steal, for example. As well,
	Director John Duigun and director of photograpliy Tom Cowan. the places that they go to on the spur of the moment, are quite exciting and unusual. But one of the feelings I was after was a real sense of inexorability in the way the action unfolds — the environment creates it. From the moment they escape from the youth training centre, it is inevitable that the girls will be arrested again. That is the pattern in reality. On the other hand, the two guys are on the dole. I worked on a radio program for six months in which young unemployed people talked about their experiences. One of the ‘overwhelming impressions was the feeling of pessimism and of a basic lack of options. And the longer they were unemployed, the more entrenched these feelings were. It seemed important to get that kind of feeling with Serge and Tim — a growing sense of frustration. Yet, one sees in the characters’ actions a partial transcending of the limitations. The film is, therefore, very optimistic . . . I certainly hope people will perceive the optimism which 1S crucial to the film. I wanted to generate a lot of warmth between Serge (Sergio Frazetto) and Jeannie (Sonia Peat) on the roof of the disused warehouse they make their home. Mouth to Mouth. the characters, and while at the finish one of the four characters becomes separated from the other three, even she is not really beaten. But the world is making her very hard. The other three we see still together in the last series of images, and it is clear that they have found a re[...]re a lot about each other. This theme reminds me of “The Trespassers”, where the strongest scenes are those about the relationship between the girls . . . I agree. One of the things I wanted to do in that film was suggest the dichotomy in people who have very respectable and sophisticate[...]whose personal lives are a mess. Also, to explore the implications of rationality, or over-intellectual- ization, on spontaneity and emotional honesty. The characters in “Mouth to Mouth” have that honesty . . . Yes, the four of them are very direct, particularly the girls. It is a characteristic I like very much. In “Mouth to Mouth” highlight the characters’ progression by subtly detaching them from the violence and noise of the soundtrack . . . you The soundtrack is very important, and I think Tony Paterson, the editor, has done a superb job in helping create that ugly sound environment. The four live in a warehouse near a shunting yard, and there is constantly the jarring sounds of trains and carriages jolting into one another, or rushing past. Then there is the pub situation, with the grinding music in the background, and layers of loud pub ambiance. _ The ways in which a soundtrack can enrich an image are becoming clearer to me. In general, Australian films have not widely explored the possibilities. In Bresson’s book, ‘Notes on Cinematography’, there is the much-quoted line: “If you can ever replace an i[...]do so.” . . . That is a good quote. An example of this is when Carrie, the girl who becomes isolated from the other three, walks into the park. She sits on a bench, near the Carlton football ground, and there is the sound of people cheering, wafting over the park. It mirrors the position of the individual in Carrie’s isolation against a huge kind of social animal. The force of the image comes from the incredible noise. Also, there is the cut to Carrie coming into the warehouse before the above scene, which is done on a scream from Jeannie. When one of the boys hits a policeman, she cries out and this sou[...]n whistle. Again, this has resonances linked with the use of trains and machines throughout the film, a world inhabited by generally anonymous people and machines. In one scene, Carrie is picked up off the railway tracks by an old hobo. How do you see his role in the film? Fred is a very important character. Earlier in the film, after the girls have escaped from the youth training centre, they are in a car with a group of guys. They drive past a derelict old man and the guys scream out abuse; this anticipates later events. Carrie, by far, is the most desperate of the four, and senses in Fred the way she is. heading. So she shuns him. One night he finds her in the railway yards, curled up and drunk. He hel[...]
	Carrie has had a very self- destructive relationship. The violence of this act ﬁnally makes her see the sort of person Tony is and she breaks away from this obsessive relationship. Incidentally, Tony likewise is a kind of social derelict, and knows it. When the old man calls him a dero it’s the worst possible insult. In dealing with feminist issues, and difficult ones like prostitution, did you ever find yourself in the situation of being false to yourself in order to avoid exposing a ﬂank to criticism? Not as far as I am aware. A friend of mine worked in a massage parlor for six months: I talked to her a lot about her experiences, and I suppose the events in the film have been colored by this. In no way was I attempting to make value judgment points on prostitution — I wouldn’t want to. The events that occur in the film, and the characters’ reactions in them, are generated by the momentum of the characters as I saw them. One of the striking features about “Month to Mouth” is the performance of the four lead actors. How did you go about casting th[...]ave come to think that casting is as important as the screenplay. I was looking for actors for these ro[...]xhaustive testing. I spotted Sonia Peat (Jeannie) in a Sydney pub. She knew most ofthe people there an[...]less, speedy energy — she seemed just right for the part. On closing time I found out she was living in a nurses’ home. Without using the line, “Do you want to be in a film?”, I contacted her the next time I was in Sydney and we did a bit of testing. What did this entail? Mainly reading s[...]n to her and then make some suggestions. For me, the most important thing in testing an actor is finding whether he or she can[...]ith others, and if he or she can get anything out of the suggestions that I make about delivery and character. Sergio Frazzetto, who plays Serge, was working at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology as a van driver; he had never done any acting, but has great vitality, like the others, which was one of the prime things I was looking for. I thought I would try and get that onto film. The other two people came from agencies and they had[...]ince. Kim Krejus, who plays Carrie, did a year at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts and is now doing some television work. They have impressive futures. So, it was a combination of two totally inexperienced actors and two with some experience. They were great to work with and The brutal attack on the hobo (Walter Pym) by Carrie’s long-standing boyfriend (Michael Carman). Mouth to Mouth. The four: Carrie (Kim Krejus); Tim (Ian Gilmour, Serg[...]. We had a two- week rehearsal period, and during the first week we went down the coast, to get to know one another. We worked intensively in the quiet, and it was very useful. I believe a[...]
	experienced actors on “The Trespassers”. Did you have to change your direc[...]ould prefer to over-rehearse people and find ways of recapturing the freshness, than try to get what I want for the first time in front of the camera. So we didn’t need to shoot many takes o[...]ldn’t afford to anyway. As to shooting styles, the camera movements in The Trespassers were often long, fluid, tracking shots comple- menting the long passages of dialogue. Mouth to Mouth was very economical with[...]Yes, it is a lot more manic — as is implied by the speedier lifestyle of the characters. You had planned to make the film on 35 mm and not 16 mm. Did the changeover affect the size of the crew or use of equip- ment? I don’t think we would have used[...]one more on camera. We would have used a 35BL, so the size of the camera would have been very much the same, and we would have shot at a similar speed. I am very keen on working with crews of the size we had on Mouth to Mouth, which was a little smaller than that on The Trespassers. How many were on location? Eleven, as opposed to 13 on The Trespassers. Did the Victorian Film Corporation have any feelings about the size of the crew? No, other than suggesting that it would be[...]ate to employ 16. At this stage I haven’t seen the blow-up to 35 mm, so I don’t know whether spend[...]stified. It doesn’t Serge and Sonia playing on the beach they escape to. Mouth to Mouth. seem very much money, but it is a lot when you are speaking of a budget of $129,000. That is the final budget . . . Yes, but $44,000 of that is deferments. In terms of straight cash, the film took $85,000 to make — and that includes the blow-up. It would have been nice to have had $150,000, and the film I want to do after Dimboola will probably have a budget of around $185,000. The only reason it will cost an extra $35,000 is beca[...]s a French or German actress. For a hell ofa lot of film subjects $150,000 seems an appropriate budge[...]at time, though I could probably find it now with the contacts I have. But I had all the people lined up for the film and, because of their availability, it was essential to shoot when we did. Do you think your difficulty in raising money was influenced by the lack of commercial success of “The Trespassers”? Yes, I am sure it was. If The Trespassers had made a fortune, the people who had invested in that would have been delighted to invest in Mouth to Mouth. So I hope Mouth to Mouth makes a lot of money; it will certainly make it easier the next time around. “Mouth to Mouth” is one of the few films made on a budget of between $130,000 and $150,000, and the corporations, apart from the NSW Corporation with its JOHN DUIGAN special[...]et films, haven’t expended much effort or money in that area . . . I think it is a very exciting innovation by the NSW Corporation to set up their fund, because budgets of that kind seem to be much more in line with market expectations of Australia. If the ﬁlm is good and is made for $200,000 or under, then in many cases you can get your money back in Australia. Don’t you agree? Perhaps, though isn’t it sufficient justification that this type of filmmaking may produce films of an aesthetic calibre not achieved by more expensi[...]tently made, and its story doesn’t demand a lot of money, it doesn’t matter how much it cost. Audiences are not looking for hairs in the gate, nor do they notice that there are only six extras in a pub scene instead of 50. A good subject will carry them along. Your n[...]right Jack Hibberd has considerably rewritten for the film . . . It would be impossible to recreate on film some of what the play achieves as a live-event. The audience as guests at a wedding reception are automatically implicated in the action; they can get drunk and dance, shout and so on, and it’s all part of the show. The screenplay covers three days, leading up to and including the wedding and reception: the play was simply the reception. It is a much more complex subject —[...]Carrie (Kim Krejus) lying drunk and exhausted in the railway yard, prior to being helped by a h[...]
	Russell Kiefel and Elizabeth Crosbie in Gillian Armstrong’s The Singer and the Dancer. James Ricketson Filmmaking is an expens[...]s. A major problem facing all feature ﬁlmmakers in Australia is how to recoup the money invested in one ﬁlm and make sufficient proﬁt to produce the next. It would be foolish to assume that governme[...]nue indeﬁnitely, and there can be no doubt that the industry, as it is presently structured, would die if the funding ceased. One safeguard against the possible demise of an over-inflated industry would be the development ofa Poor Cinema, one in which ﬁlmmakers work to low budgets with small[...]content rather than technical excellence. I use the term Poor cautiously; like all labels it should b[...]approach to ﬁlmmaking that is as concerned with the content of ﬁlms as with the economics of ﬁlm production and distribution. It is my contention that the encouragement of a Poor Cinema would: (1) make the Aust- ralian ﬁlm industry more economically viable; (2) give rise to greater diversity in the ﬁlms being made; (3) develop more discerning and sophisticated audiences; (4) develop the art (and not merely the industry) of ﬁlm in Australia. Working to low budgets has one distinct advantage for ﬁlmmakers, in that it allows them freedom from artistic constra[...]budgets, enabling them to take risks without fear of making mistakes, or of failing at the box-ofﬁce. Every ﬁlm faces the possibility of box-ofﬁce failure, especially those in which new territory is being explored. Attempts c[...]las. And I believe most feature ﬁlms being made in Aust- ralia fall into this category. Hence the Hollywood-type product that is ﬁooding the market. It is not my intention to denigrate these ﬁlms, but to point out that because of their expense, because the ﬁlm industry is a big business, ﬁlms have to make money at the box-ofﬁce and hence become products geared to a known[...]Papers, April/June Bryan Brown and Kris McQuade in Stephen Wallace's Love Letters From Teralba Road.[...]tation is more often than not an albatross around the ﬁlm- maker’s neck; it limits the types of ﬁlms pro- duced and the way in which they are made. We cannot, of course, ignore the economic realities of ﬁlm production and distribution. But given the amount of money being poured into the industry by the Australian Film Commission and the state ﬁlm corporations, it is distressing that[...]vative or outrageous ﬁlms are being made. With the exception of the Experimental Film Fund (upper limit $6000), we are not using our resources to explore the medium’s possibilities. This results from a lack of nerve in filmmakers and over-cautiousness and conservatism on the part of the various funding bodies — all of which could be modiﬁed by a movement towards a[...]. Film audiences have diverse tastes. At one end of the spectrum is a large audience that wants to be thrilled, held in suspense, made to laugh, cry, be entertained; to[...]e no argument with these ﬁlms, except that most of them have as their basis a very superﬁcial conception of the range of possible human emotions and experiences; they rel[...]las that belie life’s complexity. A steady diet of such ﬁlms in cinemas and on television is probably as damaging to psychic health as a steady diet of junk food is to bodily health. At the other end of the spectrum there are ﬁlms by Ingmar Bergman, Rain[...]Eric Rohmer and many others that explore aspects of human experience on an emotional as well as intel[...]al to minority audiences and are rarely huge box- ofﬁce successes. As with other art forms, the primary reason for their creation is only margina[...]al value. They are made for audiences who believe the unexamined life is not worth living, and should not — cannot - be evaluated in terms of box-ofﬁce receipts alone. Films of this kind are not being made in Australia. I am not referring to ‘art’ or elitist ﬁlm[...]— with what it means or feels like to be alive in Australia. Many ﬁlms have been (and are being) made, Margaret Cameron, Bryan Brown and Linden Wilkinson in James Rickets0n’s Volita. based on stories taken from our history, but few that deal with the ’70s, that examine the structure and fabric of Australian society, that explore unionism, unempl[...]solation, latent (and not so latent) fascism —- the list is endless —— and the way in which these affect Australian society and the individuals that make it up. Audiences prefer to see ﬁlms about the past: it is safe, it has happened — and it cannot be changed. The present is dangerous because any ﬁlm that deals[...]impli- cation, raise questions about real issues of a social and personal nature. The present is too close to home. We are fed illusions by ﬁlms and television, and that actually takes on the appearance of illusion, and vice—versa. Yet, ﬁlm is a social medium — one that has the capacity not only to entertain, but to stimulate and generate social awareness. In a country with a population as small as Australia’s, ﬁlms such as these could only be made on low budgets, with the ﬁlmmakers recognizing the limited and diverse audiences they would appeal to. Until the gap between experimental and extremely low budget ﬁlms (funded by the Experimental and Advanced Production funds) and big budget Hollywood ﬁlms (funded by the AFC) is ﬁlled, it is unlikely that a Poor Cinem[...]icated and diverse audience that will want to see the sort of innovative and relevant festivals or brieﬂy at art cinemas. The fact that such ﬁlms are rarely distributed here[...]e rarely distributed here is not a reﬂection on the quality of ﬁlms, but on the size and degree of sophistication of Australian audiences. Were such ﬁlms made here[...]y viable only if made to relatively low budgets. The double bill of The Singer and The Dancer and Love Letters From Teralba Road, among[...]budget ‘non- commercial’ ﬁlms. Distribution of these ﬁlms (and others that will hopefully foll[...]most impossible to distribute an Australian ﬁlm in Australia; now it is relatively easy. The same could‘be true for the low budget ﬁlms that make up the Poor Cinema.
	[...]Linden Wilkenson (Danny) and Bryan Brown (Mark) in Ricketson’s Volita. New OILHUE o[;Vo9ita Volita deals with the way in which four characters respond to the milieu they ﬁnd themselves in during the latter half of the 19703: with the way they relate to each other, to theirjobs, society and the world in general. The ﬁlm began with four characters, detailed and le[...]ly a germinal script — a framework within which the writer/director and actors could work. It is qui[...]le and common for a theatrical piece to arise out of a workshop situation in which actors and director develop a presentation based on a writer’s, director’s or the group’s idea. The same principle could, I believe, be applied to ﬁlm. The choice of cast was determined by the actor’s ability to improvise scenes based on the character notes. I was more interested in the spontaneity, naturalness and overall feeling of performance than in an ability to work with set dialogue. I did not want the ﬁlm to be merely a reﬂection of my own ideas and intentions — I hoped that we w[...]I found that I learnt more about writing dialogue in this way than from countless nights stooped over a typewriter. The workshop took three weeks and proved to be invaluable from the point of view of performances, integration of scripted and improvised dialogue, and time saved on the set. Ideally, however, it should have been about three weeks longer. Then came the ﬁlming and my decision to shoot the ﬁlm hand-held. This arose out of my experience in making documentaries. In a documentary, it is irrelevant whether or .- «'2- not a shot is entirely steady; it is the content of the scene that is of primary importance, assuming, of course, that the content is sufficiently interesting. While many ﬁlms hide a paucity of content behind technical excellence or lavish sets and costumes, our decision to relegate the technical aspects of ﬁlmmaking to a secondary role, forced us to concentrate on the content. The time saved by using only minimal lighting and by shooting the ﬁlm hand-held, enabled us to complete the ﬁlm in 15 days. For this, cameraman Tom Cowan must take the credit. In order to minimize the need for artiﬁcial lighting, Kodak Reversal 725[...]not designed for having prints struck off it. As the ﬁlm is, at the time of writing, in the process of being edited, it is too early to say whether the time and money saved by using this stock is justiﬁed by the quality of release prints. For my part, the exercise in making this ﬁlm has been rewarding on a number of levels. I have been able to take risks I would no[...]lowed to take) ifI was working to a large budget. The ﬁlm has also provided me with a bridge from sho[...]mmaking. All too often ﬁlmmakers with my type. of background and experience are forced to jump from[...]their skills on ﬁlms made to budgets somewhere in between these two extremes. It is this gap[...]
	STE VN SPLBERG Since you are scriptwriter and director of this film, you must have a certain attitude to the UFO phenomenon. Do you believe in close encounters? I believe in the possibility, in the 30 years of evidence. I am not 100 per cent convinced, and I[...]yourself? Yes; aware that this was one answer to the UFO mystery, that UFOs are extra—terrestrial entities and not just projections of the collective imagination of the world. There appears to be a strong relationship between this and your other films, in that you take a horror that is always with us, and bring it out into the open, presenting it in realistic terms. . . Absolutely. In every film I have made I have taken something whi[...]possible. I enjoy creating a reality from a kind of fantasy. In Duel, for example, there was the challenge of creating a character out of a truck and making it appear like the classic villain in the Western. 318 — Cinema Papers, April/June Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” is at present outpacing “Star Wars” at the box-office and may possibly become the biggest grossing film of all time. If so, Spielberg will have twice achieved that feat; the other time being with “Jaws”. Spielberg graduated from UCLA in 1970 and went straight to Universal where he dire[...]“Marcus Welby, MD”, “Columbo” and “Name of the Game”. He also directed two television features — “Duel” (1970) and “Something Evil” (1972) — the former becoming a cult film and being re-released theatrically in the U.S. Teaming with producers David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck, Spielberg then made “Sugarland Express” in 1973 and “Jaws” in 1975. “Close Encounters”, for producers Michael and Julia Phillips, is his third feature. While in Denmark for the recent opening of “Close Encounters”, Spielberg spoke to Cinema Papers’ Scandinavia correspondent Gail Heathwood about the existence of extra-terrestial beings and the problems involved in mounting this $U.S. 19.2 million project. Generally, I am much more interested in those things when they affect ordinary people, than I am in, say, Spiderman or Superman. How did you research “Close Encounters”? I went to the magazine and newspaper section of the public library and read old copies of Life. For 40 years Life was probably the most popular magazine in the U.S., and it was very interested in UFOs. It followed them_ more closely than any oth[...]ered that many had written books. I read a number of them, and began to meet the authors. Then I talked to four or five pilots fr[...]Air Force officers, even four security people at the Pentagon who, during the early 1950s, had worked in the intelligence corps and were around when UFOs buzzed the capital; there was a great ﬂap in Washington. It sounds like a wonderful science fiction film, but Washington took it very seriously. The best people I talked to, however, were the average family types who never expect anything extraordinary to happen until it actually does. That was the best part of the research, because it supported my feelings about the first two-thirds of the film. The last part isjust my vision, my hope and philosophy. It never really happened. The people who come out from the space ship are similar to drawings done by eyewit[...]Yes. While collecting descriptions from all over the world I realized that everybody reported the same thing. You would think that somebody in the U.S. would report something more chrome-plated than someone in maybe Switzerland who would report something like a grandfather clock. But all the reports are the same — the vehicles, the spheres in the sky. And the extra-terrestrials looked like they do in film, rather than lire-breathing dragons. Do you think that the film would Opposite: The child (Gary Gutfey). “I would describe w[...]
	[...]hey would have been frustrated at not having seen the vision completed. A lot of people think I should not have shown the shark in Jaws, that I should have continued the mystery of the water, so that the water itself became the threat. But that’s my duality — the philosopher- filmmaker and the commercial- filmmaker-entertainer. I try to make[...]ork for each other. Did you consider not showing the creatures? Yes, for a long time, and I personally felt a great disappointment in not knowing what piloted those things. In 2001 Stanley Kubrick considered the same thing because he shot many aliens — but he never used them in the final film. That was fine for 2001, because from the beginning it had promised an esoteric payoff; you[...]’t so technologically intellectual, and because of this it would be wrong not to show the creatures. Why did you choose Dr Allen Hyneck as technical advisor on the film? I knew of Hyneck when I first began researching the film because he was famous for saying how it was all a bunch of bunk. He had been hired by the Air Force to give easy explanations to complicate[...]asily. He found he could explain away 80 per cent of reported sightings, but there was still 20 per ce[...]d he became fascinated by it. Finally, he went to the Air Force and said, “Hey, I think there’s something here; this isn’t just public psychosis.” The Air Force got very nervous and told Hyneck to min[...]ry angry and quit. He then wrote a book attacking the department. I met Hyneck because he was a man wh[...]e man to have on my team because he could give me the feeling that I wasn’t just making a film about[...]stand up under a hot light. At any point during the setting 320 — Cinema Papers. April/June Francois Truffaut as the French scientist, Claude Lacombe, and Bob Balaban as his interpreter. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. up of the film were you more in doubt than not? Sure, when I met a lot of kooks whose stories weren’t consistent the second and third time round. I felt very disappointed, suspecting that maybe only the more intelligent people knew how to make up a goo[...]often. I really found my faith when I heard that the government was opposed to the film. IfNASA took the time to write me a 20-page letter, then I knew th[...]nted co—operation from them, but when they read the script they got very angry and felt that it was a film that would be dangerous. I think they mainly wrote the letter because Jaws convinced so many people around the world that there were sharks in toilets and bathtubs, not just in the oceans and rivers. They were afraid the same kind of epidemic would happen with UFOs. It was the same with the Air Force; they gave us no co- operation at all. So when I was shooting the scenes with the army and air force, I had to do it the old- fashioned way and go into a costume store and buy the army suits and gear. Apparently President Carter has seen the film . . . Yes, Carter likes it very much. He ha[...]FOs on two occasions, and I think hes a believer. In fact, one of his campaign promises was that he would try and find out what UFOs were all about. But the minute he took office and was asked whether he was going to follow through the promise, he side—stepped the issue. Since then, the White House has been very quiet concerning UFOs.[...]resident, including Gerry Ford, who is interested in UFOs, stops being interested the minute they get to the White House. There is something going on which many governments in the world feel that people should not be made aware of yet. France and Brazil are the only two countries whose governments have Who‘s directing who‘? The two “directors” — Francois Truffaut and Ste[...]t really. When Orson Welles did his famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast in 1938, he was not so much writing a radio program[...]a few months away, but Welles‘ invasion was not the Stuka, it was the Martian; it preyed on the vulnerability ofthat time. Today its just the opposite. I knew that if this film was to be popular it wouldn’t be because people were afraid of the phenomena, but because the UFOs are a seductive alternative for a lot of people who no longer have faith in anything. Did you require your actors to have a similar degree of belief as yourself? No. Melinda Dillon believes,[...]Truffaut. When Trauffaut was asked if he believed in UFOs, he said, “I believe in the cinema". . § . } The mysterious light generated by a UFO. While a moth[...](Gary Guffey) is more trusting. Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
	[...]omprehend, Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) recreates the Devil’s Tower, Wyoming. Why did you cast Truffaut? It occurred to me that of all the French people I knew, Truffaut was the most humane. There is a humanist view of Truffaut that I have always held — of his ﬁlms and of him as an actor in his films. He has the face of the young boy grown up. Isn’t it difficult to direct a director? No, because most of the time Truffaut knew what I was about to say before[...]uldn’t even open my mouth .1 Close Encounters of the Third Kind. before Truffaut would say, “I know[...]it down.” It was easier directing Truffaut than the others. Truffaut wrote a book during the shooting called ‘The Actor’. Have you read it? It’s not finished, but when it is, I‘ll get the first copy. Truffaut often looked lost on my set[...]was not used to 200 extras, 90 are lights and all the noise and confusion. He is used to small, personal crews and casts; low budgets. When he came on the set it was the first time he had The child (Gary Guffey) drawn on by a strange glow in the sky. Close Encounters ofthe Third Kind. seen the old Hollywood being run by the new. I think if you had walked on the set of Close Encounters you would have thought of Busby Berkeley, because it was so technically confusing. Lots of technology, but very old-fashioned. Is it difficult to always be in control? It’s hard, but then that’s myjob. Close Encounters was the first time I ever managed a production this large[...]men, a boat and a shark. This film was large from the very first day, and that’s what confused Truffaut. I am sure his book on the actor will have an extra chapter in it. Given a lot of the film’s special effects were done in laboratories, were the actors often called upon to react to non-existent[...]hard Dreyfuss was very upset with several moments in his performance because he feels that had he seen the effects, he might have reacted differently. Did you ever feel insecure about being in control of all these people and effects? I never feel secure doing anything, especially a film like this. The problem is when you have a crew that large you ha[...]ill be there. Now if I have to say it five times, the person I am saying it to goes home on the next plane. Did you change anything as you went along? A lot. The script is only a blueprint. I plot everything ahead of time and before the first piece of film is shot; you can see the entire film on cards. So, when I eventually hired Doug Trumbull, all Doug had to do was look at the ships I had painted, the colors and structures, and duplicate them technically. That’s why I took a credit on the screen for visual concepts. What scenes did you change? In the original there were many more family scenes which[...]didn’t include. There were also more encounters in the first half, but that was changed because I felt I[...]jolt every 10 minutes because it would have hurt the dramatic construction. The elimination was necessary to concentrate on the final arrival. Speaking of dramatic structure, do you have a special formula[...]ension? It seems that you rely on under-informing the audience, letting them be unaware of certain things . . . Yes, l’d agree with that. I believe in not giving the audience what they want, because their collective imagination is much greater than mine. That was why in Jaws I decided to leave the ‘Enemy of the People’ part of the story not that well told. I felt the same way about Close Encounters. The military cover- up, for example, I didn’t want to beat to death because in the U.S. it’s passe. We have lived through Watergate, the CIA, and people already find them redundant. Yet the film is made for an international audience, one not necessarily versed in American lore. Did you find it hard to decide where the point of balance was? I always consider the inter- national market when I make a film. It was obvious to me that I would discuss the film more overseas than in the U.S. In the U.S. I merely discussed the flashiness and the sound, the excitement, the phenomena. Here in Europe I am discussing the story and the philosophy; the symbolism. Concluded on P.379 Cinema Pap[...]
	[...]TIVALS 1978 Gregory Nava’s medieval love tale, The Confessions of Amans, with William Bryan (Amans) and Susannah MacMil\|an This year’s Edinburgh Film Festival seemed freer of the factional in-fighting that had sometimes soured its atmos- phere in the past. It was also closer to providing genuine sanctuary within which different ideologies of, and approaches to, “independent cinema" might peacefully co-exist for their mutual stimulation. All this in spite of the sinister shadow which so many television personalities cast over the festival’s second week, as well as the worrying long-term implication of television choosing Britain's oldest established film event as the site of its economic and political muscle—f\|exing. That there were no major revelations, and that the various retrospectlves (of films by Wim Wenders, Ula Stockl, Marcel Ophuls, Ziga Vertov) proved stronger than any groupings of new works, was a reflection on the current state of international production (Cf, Cannes, with which Edinburgh did not compare unfavorably). As in past years, the groupings which formed the Festival's strongest suits were its selections of low-budget independent productions (predominantly North American) and its round-up of American exploitation films. Most noteworthy among the former was, perhaps, Gregory Nava’s The Confessions of Amans, a medieval love story shot in Spain on an American Film Institute grant and with a primarily British cast. its story, of a young monk who becomes a wandering scholar in the East after fathering a child by the Chatelaine he has been hired to tutor, unfolds with all the measured gracefulness of a 322 —- Cinema Papers, April/June (Lady Anne). formal ballad and the delicate precision of a series of miniatures. The conflicting aspirations of passions and intelligence, revealed primarily through the movements of hands and eyes, locate the film's real action as spiritual rather than historical. At the same time, through the hierarchical rituals glimpsed mainly as domestic details in the corners of the frame, Nava, like the Flemish painters, almost laconically portrays the ordered world against which his characters transg[...]ploitation film and an independent production was the Canadian film Outrageous, written and directed by the Kentucky—born, off- Broadway playwright Richard[...]garet Gibson, a real-life schizophrenic) concerns the growth of a relationship between a schizophrenic girl (newl[...]dresser with transvestite leanings. Encouraged by the girl, the hairdresser starts performing in drag clubs and eventually becomes an off—Broadway star. The girl loses the baby she has been carrying but is nursed back to her own kind of unstable stability by the hairdresser who counters his metaphorical despair with the punch line: “You’re not dead; you're alive and Jan Dawson sick and living in New York like eight million other people." The star of the film is a brilliant female impersonator, Craig Ru[...]is seven-and-a-half minute stage show is probably the film's high point, what makes Outrageous a lot more interesting than a drag show is the way it constantly uses sentimentality and melodrama and showbiz glamor to undercut one another to convey the Impression that life is a mess but decidedly worth living. Its portrait of Canadian provincialism (significantly, the hero has to move from Toronto to New York to make[...]rmer) is less than flattering —— a fact which the Canadian Film Development Corporation, who provided 60 per cent of the budget, seem to have overlooked. Being of a squeamish disposition, I determinedly missed the gorier of Edinburgh's exploitation horror films (at any rate Rabid, David Cronenberg’s tale of a plastic-surgeon victim turned bloodsucker, and Jeff Lieberman's Blue Sunshine, a look at the nasty long-term chromosomal effects of a particular strain of LSD), so it was a nasty shock to find them turning up again in London. Other Edinburgh shockers included George[...]houlish irony. and generally not a patch on Night of the Living Dead); Death Collector, a pale shadow of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, directed by Ralph de Vito and built around the calculated resemblance between its lead, Joseph Cortese, and the younger Robert de Niro: and, most vicious of all, Assault on Precinct 13, which establishes the toughness of its A violent scene from John.F\|ynn's Rolling Thunder. Written by Paul Schrader, the film has “worrying echoes of the National Socialist ideology."
	EDINBURGH AND LONDON FESTIVALS credentials by having as the first victims of its motiveless psychopathic gang a small child, a[...]audience to pin all hopes for ‘salvation’ on the resourcefulness of a convicted mass murderer. Edinburgh has a long tradition of presenting B-feature films. This has rested largely on the festival's well articulated assumption that it is in the variations of the fundamental genre rules, in the discrepancy between treatment and content, that embryonic auleurs might first be discovered. And to the Festival's credit, it pioneered the work of Roger Corman, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma and[...]election with no theoretical framework, merely on the specious grounds that “action films are sometimes ignored by serious filmgoers." Swelling the Edinburgh collection was, at the one extreme, the Yugoslav film The Rat Saviour, by Krsto Papic -— substantially mo[...]an action-packed as it paints an oneiric portrait of a nameless bureaucracy whose model citizens are actually rats in human form; at the other extreme was Rolling Thunder. Written by Paul Schrader who wrote the script of Taxi Driver, it expands some of Schrader’s more worrying obsessions: the corruption and hypocrisy of modern city life (okay). the glorification of mass murder as a form of purification (less okay), the equation of women with flesh and fickleness, and of veteran GI killers with purity and the true America. As with Taxi Driver, the morality of the film's ending is just ambiguous enough for it to be read as ironic. But such a reading takes no account of the extent to which director and camera wallow in the final bloodbath. Once again it is a crazed Vietnam veteran cleansing the world by shooting it up in a brothel; once again, there’s the implicit assumption that whole classes of people, if not whole races, deserve to die, and t[...]requires no additional judge or executioner than the Great American Conscience. The ease with which Schrader’s heroes prefer their guns to their women, and the simplicity of slaughter to the complexity of life, has some worrying echoes of the National Socialist ideology. The director's name this time is John Flynn. The London Festival has always been presented as a Festival of Festivals — a survey of the best of the year's new productions. But in the eight years since Ken Wlaschin took over the Festival's direction from Richard Roud, it has more than tripled in size to the point where it represents, not so much a survey of the best, as a cross-section of everything, good, bad and indifferent. (Including the ‘action films’, 19 of its films had already received their British premiere in Edinburgh.) While it can be, and is, argued that Wlaschin’s programming is a justifiable avoidance of value judgments and marks a respect for the right of the London public to make up their minds on what “best films" actually are, his festival is in danger of being amorphous, oversized and, most seriously, oversold. Hand in hand with his eclectic programming is a hyperbolic prose style which hails equally as masterpieces the latest student film from the National Film School (technically unpolished and[...]lucci's 1 900 or Bockmayer’s Jane bleibt Jane. in such a climate of enthusiastic but undiscriminating oversell, the few really major new films are apt to recede into the wallpaper: Satyajit Ray's Shatranjke Khilari (The Chess Players — reviewed separately below), his first film in Hindi and historical costume, and a radically Brechtian departure from his usual comedies of desperate manners; Hans Jurgen Syberberg’s marathon Third Reich carnival of Hitler, using kitsch and tinselly chocolate-box i[...]y that cannot be visually recorded; most splendid of all. Krzysztof Zanussi’s Camouflage, one of the few films ever to capture in both visual and verbal language all the complexities of intellectual conflict and conscience- crisis, with all the subtlety of Henry James, and a nostalgic, pastoral setting.[...], analyzed, slowly digested and appraised — can in the short term only be damaged by their propinquity to the hollow pretentiousness of Rolling Thunder or the latest student work-prints. The London Festival no longer appears to celebrate the survival of quality in the cinema so much as the fact that the cinema (often in horrendous forms) has succeeded in surviving at all. i THE CHESS PLAYERS An obvious first reaction to The Chess Players is that it marks a radical departur[...]ctor, Satyajit Ray. Not only is it his first film in Hindi, but also (perhaps in part as a logical consequence of his working in a language which is alien to him) its caustic and[...]ntemporary, not a period standpoint), its mixture of film styles and genres (from cartoon to low- key naturalism to stylized tableaux), all create an impression of a film closer in style and spirit to the work of Berthold Brecht than to those of Ray's previous mentors, the Italian neo-realists. Yet these same surface differences that separate The Chess Players from Ray's previous work prove, on closer inspection, to be the signs of a more profound continuity. in this film’s elegiac depiction of human suffering and of the relatively undramatic process of attrition whereby the dispossessed and the culturally disinherited are systematically stripped of their remaining sources of pride, hope or ambition, Ray's reluctance \ to[...]suggest that villains are individuals rather than the anonymous power of economic and political forces) has always led him to oblique forms of indictment: his humanism, no less elegant than it is profound, has invariably led him to depict the tragedy of wasted lives in the form of a comedy of manners. The tension within his films - corresponding to such objective factors as the incompatible pulls of indigenous culture and imposed British influence, of the all-embracing, gentle tolerance of Eastern religion, and the brutal, death- dealing reality of Western economic systems — has found its subjective expression in a distinctive idiom miraculously poised between n[...]ization. Though their detailed, day-by-day study of thwarted hopes and wasted lives may owe much to V[...]rbitrary coincidence that Ray has always composed the music for his films. Their narratives are conceived and approached in fundamentally musical terms: they develop as variations on a theme; and the theme itself is played out in a series of conflicting rhythms which echo and express conflicting social pressures: the paralyzing pulls of a Utopian past and an unthinkable future, between which lies only stasis, inertia — the quagmire in which individual lives and hopes must founder. A[...](Distant Thunder) already marked a turning point in Ray's career, in that — as in his subsequent films — the tragi-comedy of domestic manners are linked to specific historic events: a view of history from, as it were, the unconventional end of the telescope. Critics were not slow to announce that[...]castigate him for his former virtues, finding now in his persistent humanism a lack of partisan commitment. In synopsis, The Chess Players would appear to mark the start of a further stage of politicization, to the extent that political/historical events The Chess Players, Satyajit Ray's first Hindi lilm. have this time moved into theforeground. Yet a glance at the film (as distinct from its table of contents) shows the advance to be less cut—and-dried. Once again, a musical analogy proves the most precise: politics exist, as always, in counterpoint to everyday domestic reality, this time lncarnated in the title characters. For well over half the film's screen time, the camera focuses on the obsessive chess games of Mr Mir and Mr Mirza, equally oblivious to the disintegration of their marriage or their society. it is not so much the proportions (of history to ‘real life’) that have changed, as the tone in which the component parts are treated. Carrying his love of comedy to the verge of slapstick, Flay has — in Mir and Mirza — created a kind of philosopher’s Laurel and Hardy, as rich in symbolic value as they are in wealth. Dramatically, they function as the court jesters to a no less stylized figure, the King, of whose glorious higher vision their lives are but poor, pale shadows. That the King, Wajid Ali Shah, is so frequently represented as part of a ‘tableau vivant’ — set against a background of singers, dancing girls or ornate decorations — is in large measure a consequence of Ray's determination to avoid screen villains. Tracing India's present—day tragedy back to its sources in Victorian imperialism, he maintains his customary tone of more sorrow than anger by presenting the showdown in Lucknow less as a clash of wills or a show of force than as a collision of styles: the lackadaisical, aesthetic philosophizing East meets the philistine pragmatism of the West. Like Jalsaghar (The Music Room), The Chess Players is impregnated with a wistful nostalgia for a beauty that cannot survive the harsh material realities of the world. Unlike Ray's previous films, it accords sc[...]ial suffering, but confines itself to tracing — in the form of a comic parable ~ the genesis of that suffering already so eloquently depicted in Ray's earlier films. In the very tradition whose passing he here laments, Flay — ever the gentleman and philosopher - asserts his humanism by preserving, even in the face of despair, a sense of the finer ironies. * 0 Copyright Jan Dawson[...]
	9 Leon Saunders How long have you been working on the project? Five years. In March 1973, Sue Milliken picked up the book (The Reckoning) in a second hand shop in Oxford St., Paddington. She read it, and thought[...]I also read it, and liked it very much. I thought the mood, and some of the social aspects of the story, would transpose very well on to ﬁlm. What was the major hold-up? There were a couple. In 1973, I was employed by Air Programs International and we were working on a number of projects. I suggested The Reckoning to Wal Hucker and he agreed. It took nine months to sort out the rights; we also had to get a writer. Then in 1974, I worked on The Removalists, which was another nine months out of my life. API waited for me to come back from The Removalists and then they contacted a scriptwriter. Who did write the screenplay? Peter Yeldham, an Australian writer. He went to Britain in the late 1950s and achieved some success working for television — he wrote something like 13 screenplays. In late 1974 I heard that Peter was coming back to Australia, so I tracked him down and discussed the project. He went back to Britain but called me from London and said he’d love to do the adaptation. At that time, 1 found the projects were building up at Air Programs and tak[...]hought, dlie to their particular marketing policy of “pre-selling”. As a result, I was not really ableto get on with the job of making ﬁlms. I decided to leave, and made an agreement with Wal Hucker to take over the rights to The Reckoning. Peter Yeldham wrote the script and delivered it to me around the middle of 1975. What was your next step? The ﬁrst draft was submitted to the Australian Film Commission, but they regarded it[...]r three rewrites before potential investors, like the AFC, realized that it did have cinema potential. The South Australian Film Corporation were the first to come in, though the AFC were already — ’/// // /i J % . “Weekend of Shadows” is director Tom Jeffrey’s sec- ond feature, following his earlier adaptation of the David Williamson play ‘The Removalists’. Set in a small Australian town in the 1930s, the film follows the hunt- ing down of a suspected murderer by the male townsfolk. The film was produced on a budget of $500,000, with investment by the South Australian Film Corporation and the Australian Film Commission. The principal cast includes John Waters, Melissa ‘l[...]Barbara est. Tom Jeffrey, who also co-produced the film with John Morris of the SAFC, has had a long involvement in the Australian film and television industry. Apart from two years spent working in Britain in the 1960s, Jeffrey spent 14 years at the Australian Broadcasting Commission. There he directed “Pastures of the Blue Crane”, and episodes of “Delta” and “Dynasty”. In 1972, Jeffrey left the ABC to direct “The Removalists”. This was followed by the shooting of “Harness Fever” which his company Samson Produc- tions managed for Walt Disney Productions in Australia. J effrey’s involvement in the industry has also included being a chairman of the once Film, Radio and Television Board, and president of the Producers and Directors Guild during 1972-73. He is now chairman of the Film and Television School. Jeffrey was involved in the final stages of post- production on “Weekend of Shadows” when film producer Richard Brennan int[...]m for Cinema Papers. involved because of their script- At present, private investors are writing investment. John Morris (chairman of the SAFC) took first bite of the cherry by coming in as a co-producer, as well as putting up one-third of the ﬁnance. This happened late in 1976. Then in early 1977, the AFC followed with an investment of $200,000. With that sort of impetus, we were then able to approach a number of private investors. Did you find the current tax situation, where film investment can be written off only over a period of 25 years, a stumbling block when approaching priv[...]to them to invest, but this was structured under the present taxation act. The Federal Government recently promised to alter the taxation act to allow private investors to write[...]inance? hanging off because they want to see how the amendment to the tax act is written; whether it is going to be a new section to the act or just an amendment to the clause pertaining to the writing off of copyright. But I think this new legislation should encourage greater private investment in the future. One problem that has caused a lot of nervousness over investment in films, particularly on the Government side, is overages. How did you end up? We came in under budget, and those monies saved in production will be applied to our marketing expen[...]gs, with everything well planned and co-ordinated in advance. We always try to spend money where it counts; if we feel that we can cut corners in other areas, then we do — particularly as regar[...]ll we will spend. How long did you take to shoot the film? Five weeks and two days, plus an extra day[...]delaide, virtually every day was a new location. The story is one of men on a manhunt, and we couldri’t go back to a location if we hadn’t finished it that day, because the next day we just had to move on to a new location[...]proach a ﬁlm with a fairly well worked out plan of how I want to shoot each scene. This enables me t[...]ng as I originally visualized it. I can then keep the ﬁlm moving on schedule, though 1 must say, 95 per cent of the time the whole crew worked like bloody slaves. The script required a good deal of night shooting . . . It took us about four nights, which we did at the beginning of the shoot; it was a really tough way to start out on[...]working through until midnight. You used actors of very mixed backgrounds; some theatrical, some tel[...]ilm . . . What we were looking for was a texture of people to tell the story. Each of the characters was quite separate in the sense that they represented a type of person. We, therefore, looked for actors who could represent those types, and who could play off one another in an ensemble situation. The male actors found that they were able to come to terms with their parts quite easily. TheIn fact, on this ﬁlm I found that I directed the actors less than I had ever done before; I like w[...]One character I found very interesting was that of Bernie. I asked Graeme Blundell if he’d like to play this part. He read the script and said ‘yes’. Even so, I Cin[...]
	TOM JEFFREY really had no ﬁrm idea of who the character Bernie was. I felt that Graeme had a good face, was a good shape, and that he would ﬁt in with the rest of the men in terms of their shapes and sizes. I was looking for a picture of the person, rather than looking inside him and trying to work out what sort of person he was. On the ﬁrst night of shooting we were all in peals of laughter because Graeme was doing these antics wi[...]ve a bag so that he could move more easily around the ﬁre to get to the truck. “Oh no” he said, “I set that up for myself.” I then realized that Bernie was the comic within the group. That set his character for the rest of the ﬁlm. You have worked with a number of producers on other projects. Did you enjoy the autonomy of working as a co-producer? Very much. It has adde[...]I have had a very good working relationship with the SAFC on corporation and individual levels. Various corporations have objected to the idea of the producer and director roles being combined. Has t[...]or any future, projects? Our next ﬁlm will be The Odd Angry Shot, which we hope to begin ﬁlming in July. With that project, I have listed myself as[...]l direct it and because I had a strong idea about the way in which one could adapt this script, I attempted the screenplay adaption from Bill Nagle’s book. I think there was some concern by the AFC, which had offered us a 50 per cent investment in The Odd Angry Shot, that, because I was listed as[...]d not have an ability to retain an objective View of the project. However, since they have seen Weekend of Shadows, I think any doubts they had in regard to my ability as a director have faded. I have already adapted the screenplay, so the only problem remaining is that of my involvement as a producer. But I see that only in terms of initiating the project, which will allow me to concentrate entirely on directing. One of the exciting things I ﬁnd about ﬁlmmaking is that[...]his or her director; a director is dependent upon the inputs of his crew, the actors, and the relationships between them all. Another exciting thing about the Australian ﬁlm industry at the moment, and certainly over the past ﬁve years, is the degree of enthusiasm and willingness that everybody has had — actors and crew, even the caterers — to put up with torrid conditions and still give 150 per cent effort. I rue the day when we start arguing about how much effort we put in and how much money we have to take out because th[...]those problem—bound overseas industries such as in Britain or on the west coast of the U. S. I believe “The Odd Angry Shot” is part of a package . . The leadup time to a ﬁlm that is going to cost about $600,000 is about two years. One of the good things that the AFC agreed to do a couple of years ago was introduce its policy ofassisting with package developments for the producer. There is a certain risk involved with this policy, in that certain ideas might never come to fruition. But Sue and I were fortunate in late 1976 to be given encouragement from the AFC by way of investment in a parcel of Kevin Miles (left) as the Police Superintendent, with Rob George (Constable Forrest) and Barbara West (Helen Caxton). Weekend of Shadows. 326 — Cinema Papers, April/June Graeme Blundell as Bernie, the “comic“ character on the hunt for a murder. Weekend of Shadows. ideas, one of which is The Odd Angry Shot. Our next film after that is hope[...]d had this idea for a light, romantic comedy, set in the city. It has an under-current theme of exploring some of the problems which people, men my age, face around the age of 40 when you tend to wonder where you are going. O[...]hanging relationship as well — with themselves, the people around them, and with their men. The ﬁlm will have a background of elegance in the form of classical music, and we hope to begin ﬁlming in 1979. We are looking now to the latter part of 1979 and 1980 for further projects. The package has allowed us to do this, and that has been a great advantage to us. Music in Australian Films is often regarded as underdeveloped or excessive. How did you and Charles Marawood approach the scoring of “Weekend of Shadows”? We have used a lot of music in On the way to a beer and a bet. Knock-off time at the brickworks. Weekeniof Shadows.
	\ . "_\._ Richard Wallace (director of photography) and Tom Jeffrey (co-producer and director) line up a close-shot on Weekend the film — about nine different themes. One theme i[...]o on. I have known Charles Marawood for a number of years and I respect his work greatly. More than a year ago I gave him the script and we discussed some musical ideas he had. Once we were under way, I brought Charles down to South Australia and we spent a couple of days visiting most of the locations. Later, I gave Charles a cassette copy[...]pent two or three weeks with him while he plotted the music score. Charles works very closely with arranger Alan of Shadows. Dean, who, in his own right, is a very good composer and vocalist. During the final mix, we retained a separation of the music on three stripe, 35mm sprocketed tape to allow us full ﬂexibility in balancing the music to the dialogue and effects. I think this was a great asset. I think the music adds a lot of tension and drama to the story, but whether the audience will want it, I am not sure. Something that worries me is having music coming in and out like strings. That’s the difficulty, getting into and out of the music. However, I think we are close to solving it. There is about 45 or 50 minutes of music and that is nearly 50 per cent of the film; it’s quite a lot. Melissa Jaffer (Vi) tries to persuade John Waters (Rabbit) into joining the hunt. Weekend of Shadows. You’ve had a long association with the film industry . . . Before getting into the feature film area, I suppose my major claim to fame would have been my work with the ABC Television Drama Department. In 1969 I directed Pastures of the Blue Crane, which was an all film serial for tele[...]ick’s father, who came out from Britain to take the role ofthe father of the dynasty. During 1971, we made one film which was a pilot for a proposed series called Devlin — it was one of my less happy experiences at the ABC. I was then offered a consultant’s job with the Interim Council of the Film and Television School. Sol took leave from the ABC and did thatjob for a year. In 1972, I felt there were things happening outside the ABC which were, for me, more exciting and more toward what I was striving for in my work. So, at the end of 1972, I resigned from the ABC and took up the appointment with Air Programs International. In “Delta”, “The Removalists” and in “Weekend of Shadows”, there is a common theme of a TOM JEFFREY person being pressured by his comrades, by his peers, to take a course of action that is regarded as common and usual by all of them, and which he resists. Is this a theme that[...]me to understand is that what I am trying to make in my work is a plea for the individual. So often, as individuals, we are forced into a situation of having to toe the line. We are told so often that something is impossible to do that we say, “All right, we will go with thein Weekend of Shadows there is this plea, but there are other t[...]He is a failed man and he fails absolutely. Also, the relationship of the men to their wives and how they can trigger the men to do certain things. But I don’t think tha[...]rsuing. There was a certain “aggression" theme in The Removalists which I was actually working against. The thing I liked about The Removalists as a stage play, which I thought should work as a film, was the way in which an individual, or a group of individuals, become a sort of a pack and try to assert their authority or their influence over an individual. The intriguing thing in the dramatic form of The Removalists, as David Williamson wrote it, was that the balance, the centre of authority, kept shifting. It would be first with Kate and her sister Marilyn, as we called her in the film, against the Sergeant; then it would be the Sergeant and Kenny against the women, then it would be Kenny and the removalist against the Sergeant. Perhaps one of the reasons the film failed was because 1 didn’t quite come to[...]t do better — it should have. Why do you think the film was basically unsuccessful? There were lots of reasons. But I am glad the film is getting exposure now and a lot of people are enjoying it, though I would be worried if I was a producer and saw the exposure — but I .wasn’t the producer. If Weekend of Shadows fails, I have only myselfto blame, which is the way I like it. ldon’t want to kick anybody else in the arse. as Cinema Papers. April/June —— 327
	Home, a study of the child welfare system. Barbara Alysen There has been a much—vaunted upsurge in “Women’s ﬁlms”, a term used commonly to describe the sudden abundance of serious roles for women actors — from Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda’s laundered politics in Julia, Anne Bancroft and Shirley McLaine’s thwarted ambition in The Turning Point, to Diane Keaton’s new-found sexual licence in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Certainly women want to[...]e seeing, more realistic and identiﬁable images of themselves reflected in feature films. Independent films have, however, b[...]tly, with grant funding more accessible and women in the full-time program and women’s course at the Australian Film and Television School, independen[...]have become more numerous. Late last year, many of these ﬁlms were brought together under the general title “Womenwaves”, and screened for one month at the Sydney Filmmakers Cinema. Currently, the package is showing in similar venues interstate. Assembled by the Sydney Women’s Film Group, theThe categories reflect convenience rather than precise definitions of content. Moreover, no value judgments were made, at least formally, when ﬁlms were submitted for inclusion in the collection; this has led to an enormous divergence in style, content and technical proﬁciency. In Sydney, there were a few cases of titles being shown at double-head stage or with opticals pencilled over the workprint. Yet, despite these flaws, the Co-operative cinema was consistently packed for the month-long season. 328 —- Cinema Papers, April/June Margot Oliver’s The Moonage Daydreams of Charlene Stardust, one of the ﬁlms produced by the Women‘s Film Workshop in 1974. W011 IENWAVISS The enthusiasm with which the 40 films and video tapes were received suggests that ﬁlms exploring women’s lives are in demand and that audiences are not overly discrimi[...]even if haphazardly expressed, is what matters. The chronology of independent women’s production, in Sydney at least — and Sydney leads here, perhaps because of easier access to funding bodies —- reinforces this leaning towards the supremacy of message over means. The Australian founder of the ﬁlm tradition to which the Womenwaves ﬁlms are heir, is Women’s Day 20c. The ﬁlm, made in 1972 by four women, is about the loneliness and desperation of a young housewife. It was shot without sound, as[...]embers completed Film for Discussion (questioning the narrow range of choices open to women in work and at home); Home (made as part of the campaign to change the child welfare system, especially in relation to its treatment of teenage girls); and imported the American Women’s Film because it was judged to ﬁll an important gap in the local product. While these early ﬁlms suffer to varying extents from the technical deﬁciencies that accompany low budget[...]an urgency, a clear raison d’etre, not obvious in some more recent ﬁlms. These ﬁlms are clearly the work of people with something to say (rather than of those with artistic complexes to work off), and c[...]ther, they have to be judged by their utility and the demand that exists for them. In this respect, ﬁlms such as those mentioned above have aged well. The ﬁlms produced by the 1974 Women’s Film Workshop reveal theachanging concerns of women ﬁlmmakers. Among the 10 or so ﬁlms produced, there are titles with a marked feminist leaning — such as What’s the Matter Sally?, (about housework), The Moonage Daydreams of Charlene Stardust (wishful adolescence) and Women[...]ships, and experimental works. A year later, when the women in the ﬁrst year of the full-time program at the Australian Film and Television School ﬁnished their ﬁrst productions, this division was quite marked. Of those ﬁrst full-time program AFTVS ﬁlms, only[...]e is nothing wrong with entertainment per se, but the market for independent films is still largely a n[...]and people who are prepared to set up a projector in their home, school or hall, are still more likely to want to be instructed Margot 0liver‘s,ﬁlm on the problems faced by women_ seeking higher ed[...]
	[...]be interesting to see how individual titles fare in the rental market. Some of the ﬁlms explore the now familiar territory of thethe ﬁlmmakers’ best friends recorded on celluloid[...]e insightful, revealing or frighteningly direct. In Liz Rust’s videotape Definitions/ Redefinitions, the tapemaker and her ex- spouse reveal that their marriage has been a farce; in Barbara Levy’s Paralysis, Levy explains her inf[...]er lover and her breakdown on his departure. Part of the ﬁlm consists of animated stills ofa woman in various states of anguish, accompanied by the sound of her sobbing. While the acme of personal cinema, Paralysis is also a very general ﬁlm, describing the responses of a great many women to emotional loss. Similarly, Debbie Kingsland’s All in the Same Boat is an individual rendition of a much-discussed dilemma. Covering similar ground[...]and Graham Shirley’s A Day Like Tomorrow, All in the Same Boat follows the daily routine of a western suburbs housewife, a mother of two small children who is trapped at home and fru[...]ds her as a good wife, one who simply needs a bit ofin front of the television and they converse during commercials. Her need for something which dulls the senses and quietens the nerves is revealed gradually and confirmed as a chemist counts out the tablets and types up the label - V. A. L. I. U. M. Produced at Film Australia for the Health Departments drug education program, All in the Same Boat doesn’t offer solutions, and anything[...]e inexcusably facile. Instead, it provides a kind of camaraderie between women sharing a common predic[...]een by many schoolgirls, forcing them to question the limited horizons of the career of “homemaker”. Gilly Coote made Getting It On[...]for screening to high school students, to dispel the popular notion that a condom is worn “over two erect ﬁngers”. A combination of animated and live footage, Getting It On takes an effervescent approach to one of life’s most depressing subjects, and is unique in suggesting that men, too, have contraceptive[...](which like Gilly Coote’s ﬁlm was produced at the AFTVS), shows the birth of a child under the Le Boyer method. This method is intended to minimize the trauma for the baby, and the ﬁlm, depicting a relatively easy delivery with[...]and childbirth need not be crushingly painful for the mother, while others are adamant that since it might be, Gentle Birth is misleading. Other depictions of sexuality offered by “Womenwaves” include Rob[...]c feminist pot-pourri We Aim to Please, a collage of doubts and assertions; and, conveying the life ofa girl who doesn’t make her own choices,[...]als with father-daughter incest — his dominance of the teenager and her acquiescence to this extreme form of parental authority. The remaining ﬁlms span such diverse topics as contemporary dance (Dialogue, Rosalind Gillespie), the depiction of women in rock music (Glenda Shaw’s They Call Us Chickens[...]Sarah Gibson’s Ailsa — A Woman Sculptor) and thethe better known polemic in The Carolina Chisel Show, a loose amalgamation of cliches, political manoeuvres and music which has[...]ffend nearly every faction and tendency currently in Vogue. Inevitably, grouping 40 films together involves a degree of thematic repetition, but this, plus some intermittent technical sloppiness, especially in the sound department, is the most notable fault in the collection and probably, given the purpose to which most of the ﬁlms are directed, is a superﬁcial one. The Sydney screenings were punctuated by two formal discussions which, while inconclusive, suggest that the audiences these ﬁlms attract tend to be forgiving of technical faults, if not ideological ones.[...]
	[...]PART 3: EUROPE For those with little knowledge of foreign languages, there are several English-lang[...]ls which provide useful extracts and translations of articles from foreign ﬁlm periodicals. A specialized journal in this respect is CTVD: Cinema-TV-Digest, an American quarterly. First published in 1961, it has translations and summaries from fore[...]ndents and news items. More substantial extracts of foreign articles have appeared since 1970 in the Film Society Review in an inter- national column prepared by Lita Paniag[...]ary, are largely chosen from a sociological point of view, with an emphasis on cinema and politics. Since 1972, the British ﬁlm journal Screen has translated a number of theoretical articles from French journals, such a[...]nema and Cinethique, and has printed documents ‘in translation from early Russian ﬁlm journals such as Lef(1923-5) and Navy Lef(1927-8). The American left-wing ﬁlm magazine Cineaste is a rich source of translated material from European radical ﬁlm j[...]bre Rosse. FRENCH With continental Europe being the first to recognize cinema as a valid art form, ﬁlm journals began to appear in major European countries. In his manifesto, The Futurist Cinema 1916, F.T. Marinetti said: “The cinema being essentially visual, must fulﬁl the evolution of painting.“ This View of cinema as art was soon echoed in many of the French ﬁlm journals ofthe following decade. In January 1920, Louis Delluc, a pioneer of the French ﬁlm society movement, established Le Journal du Cine- Club and then a ﬁlm weekly, Cinea, in which he expounded his theories on the role of the ‘cinematic’ in ﬁlm art. By 1926, the ﬁlm journal Art Cinematographique had been founded in Paris (it was recently reprinted by the Arno Press in New York), and in it ﬁlmmakers such as Marcel L’Herbier (Rose France, 1919; Eldorado, 1922) discussed the nature of cinematography and space‘, and there were entire issues devoted to an analysis of various national cinemas. More important perhaps was the advent in December 1928 of La Revue du Cinema, a journal devoted to the international history of cinema; it was later re-named Cahiers du Cinema. The ﬁrst series of La Revue du Cinema, which with many other ﬁlm journals ceased publication with the Depression years of the early ’30s, is rarely found in Australian libraries. But this is not the case with the second series which began in October 1946 and continued until the death of editor Jean-Georges Auriol in 1950. These post-war numbers have much in common with the American journal Hollywood Quarterly (ﬁrst published in 1945) in terms of scholarship and range. La Revue du Cinema became Cahiers du Cinema in April 1951 and adopted an editorial policy favoring American cinema. The new editor-in-chief was Andre Bazin, and, during the following years, Bazin developed a theory of ﬁlm realism to counteract the prevailing critical emphasis on Russian theories of montage. ._,,The _i;_1terest,i;1 tbeories,_i;elating to.,fili,1;_.[...]t Cahiers du Cinema a polemical stance, and with the influx of aggressive young reviewers in the mid-50s (Truffaut, Rivette, Domarchi, Godard, Scherer, Chabrol, etc.), the journal achieved an international standing. Bazin‘s theory of realism gave way to Truffaut’s “politlque des auteurs”, and the auteur theory provided an impulse to the beginnings of the French New Wave at the end of the decade. In the U.S., the concept of the auteur theory became well-known in the writings of Andrew Sarris, ﬁlm critic and teacher, who joined the editorial board of Film Culture in 1955. The work of Sarris led to a revaluation of the nature of the Hollywood ﬁlm, and the establishment of a hierarchy of ﬁlm directors on the model of Caniers du Cinema. Sarris also became editor of the Cahiers du Cinema in English series which was published in New York from 1966-67, and included reprints of many earlier articles. In Britain, the auteur theory became known through the contributors to Movie in the 1962-63 series. During the ‘60s, Cahiers du Cinema concerned itself increasingly with structuralism, and as a result of the political events in Paris in May 1968, when revolutionary theories abounded, it made a complete break with its previous philosophy of ﬁlm criticism. The new policy was announced in an editorial in the October/November number of 1969, entitled “Cinemal Ideology/Criticism”. In this editorial (reprinted in trans- lation in Screen, vol. 12, no. I, 1971), the writers Jean- Paul Comolli and Paul Narboni decla[...]ery ﬁlm is political . . . there can be no room in our critical practice either for speculation (com[...]retation, de-coding even) or for spacious raving (of the ﬁlm columnist’s variety). It must be a rigidly factual analysis of what governs the production of a ﬁlm (economic circumstances, ideology, demand and response) and the meanings and forms appearing in it, which are equally tangible." The events of May 1968 also led to the founding of a new French theoretical ﬁlm magazine, Cinethique, which claimed that it, and not Cahlers du Cinema, had the only correct interpretation of Marxist theories as applied to cinema. Even the radical cinema of Godard was found to be lacking (“When art uses as its subject matter ideas that oppose the cominant ideology, their subversive content is de[...]d to limit its reviews to non-capitalist ﬁlms. The argument with Cahiers du Cinema was largely resolved when Cinetlzique took a Maoist turn in 1972 in support of “the great Chinese proletarian cultural revolution”. The appeal ofthesejournals is now limited to the Marxist wing of the growing ranks of semioticians. The French periodical Posirf, which began publication in May 1952, challenged the polemic of Cahiers du Cinema and argued for social commitment in ﬁlms. It stood against censorship and was anti-clerical in tone. During the early ’60s, Positif was regarded as being the most overtly far-left of the French ﬁlm journals, vehemently anti-Caltiers and anti-Bazin. In recent years, its political stance has been, relatively[...]lengthy reviews and articles include discussions of directors and ﬁlms from all periods and countries, and it maintains a high level ofﬁlm scholarship. French ﬁlm societies have be[...]ﬁlm periodicals: Image et Son, ﬁrst published in 1946, and Cinema in 1953. Image et Son has a cultural and educationa[...]sound”. Although it contains reports on methods of ﬁlm education, its value lies in lengthy, scholarly studies of ﬁlm directors (e.g. Robin Wood’s 113-page study of Howard Hawks) and national cinemas (“History of the Japanese Cinema”, February 1969), as well as re[...]with French ﬁlm directors. There is also news of cinematographic events, dossiers on cinematic themes, studies in techniques, and new ﬁlms of the month. Cinema 78 (each number has the year of publication included in the title) has experienced a chequered career. During the mid-60s, the American journal Film Quarterly referred to it as[...]ﬁlms, amateur ﬁlmmaking, etc.", but last year the International Film Guide concluded that Cinema 77[...]ther dull patch". One reason for this change was the appearance of Ecran 72, a more radical journal which came about through an exodus of most ofthe editors and writers of Cinema to the new and more independentjournal. During 1970-71, Cinema, which is the ofﬁcial magazine of the French Federation of Film Societies, had many interesting articles on[...]ban, Argentinian, Cinema and Politics, Cinema and the Amerikkan Way of Life, etc.). But as an ofﬁcial journal, its political stance was forcibly muted. One of the best deﬁnitions of Ecran was given by Peter Cowie in International Film Guide. He said: “Taking a ﬁne blend of information, documentation, opinion, and historical sense as the criteria by which to judge a ﬁlm magazine, one must regard Ecran as the best periodical of its kind in France. Not as strong as Positifon theory and dee[...]still bright and extraordinarily wide- ranging." The original aims of Ecran were extremely idealistic: the editorial policy included “fully independent an[...]on, ideological and aesthetic pluralism, coverage of all aspects of cinema”. There was to be a “denunciation of the ‘dream factory’ and the pushers of ﬁlmic drugs . . . an affirmation of the cinema as an art, an entertainment, and a source of speciﬁc pleasure". In the second issue (February 1972) each editor stated his principles. One found the average ﬁlm critic to be “an intellectual parasite . . . a go-between for lazy consumers of culture”. Another felt it was necessary to promote a kind of art within and outside the system to serve the working classes”. The dominance of Hollywood-type cinema was denounced, as was the American monopoly of world distribution. Today, the idealism of Ecran has been partially replaced by an impressive range and coverage. The journal is crammed with short extracts from the dialogue of ﬁlms, interviews, reports ofﬁlm events in France and overseas, directorial studies with ﬁlmographies, historical studies, reviews of new ﬁlms with mini-interviews, lists ofcurrent[...]book reviews, reports from ﬁlm festivals, notes of coming events, and even a necrology of ﬁlm personalities. The 80 pages (26cm x 18cm) contain many illustrations. The French monthly, l'A vant-scene du Cinema, is a useful guide to the ﬁlm scholar. It is not a critical journal in the usual sense, but a collection of deﬁnitive director and editor’s versions of screenplays. l'A vant-scene (there is also a Theatre and Opera edition ofthisjournal) publishes the complete scripts of new and classic ﬁlms from all countries, with an emphasis on French scripts. The scripts are generally accompanied by theme-related articles, and excellent illustrations. The journal also publishes a series, Antliologie du C[...]is glossy and expensive, and appears every month. The interviews and articles deal with current French[...]comments by French producers and ﬁlm importers. The notes on the economics of ﬁlm are brief. Cinema de France, on the other hand, is packed with industry statistics and production news. The economic strategies are well documented, and distribution in the various regions of France is carefully analyzed. Theatre designs (“la politique des complexes") is also a concern of this distribution-orientated journal. ITALIAN _ During the ’30s, in the era of Italian fascism, ﬁlm journals in Italy came of age. The ofﬁcial ﬁlm journal was Cinema, a monthly which began publication in July 1936 under the editorship of Luciano de Feo. In 1937, the Duce’s son, Vittorio Mussolini, was appointed co-editor, but the journal did not become reactionary. Instead, it s[...]cist orientation, for political ferment went hand-in-hand with an aesthetic revolution. Important. among_the.y.Q1.1ng, contributors to Cinema
	[...]langelo Antonioni, who were later associated with the Italian school of Neo-Realism. Cinema ceased publication in 1966. The Italian ﬁlm school, the Centro Sperimentale de Cinematografia, was set up in Rome in 1935 as an independent body (it was previously attached to the Rome Academy of Music), and two years later it started to publish Bianco a Nero under the editorship of Luigi Chiarini, the critic and ﬁlm theorist who was responsible for the foundation of the Centro. Chiarini remained with Bianco a Nero until 1951, and in the following year founded the Rivista del cinema italiano. Bianco a Nero has a serious tone which makes it something of a counterpart to Film Quarterly and Sight and Sound, and it carries lengthy, well-documented articles. The style of writing has been described as “undigestible (si[...]haracteristically Italian, and is equally present in journals of philosophy and art criticism. The journal has been traditionally conservative, but in a recent special issue (July/August 1973) it published rep[...]inema which had been presented at a confrontation of Italian ﬁlm periodicals held in Bologna in December 1972. Early numbers of this journal (1937-43) became available in an Antologia di Bianco a nero which was published in four volumes in 1964. Filmcritics, first published in 1950, is a slim, ﬁlm journal with short ﬁlm reviews and analyses of current ﬁlms, reports on Italian festivals, sho[...]is frequently quoted by CTVD: Cinema-TV—Digest, of which this extract from a Fllmcritica review of Bene’s Salome is fairly typical: “The corrosion of ritual takes on poetic form due to the awareness of the parallel and complementary dissolution of myth, exemplarily stated from the first sequence of the ﬁlm . . . the anxiety for authenticity, negatively translated into the impossibility of egress from the mythological universe, brings man to the deegest desperation when his consciousness becomes uci . Many of the left-wing Italian ﬁlm journals are less poetical. Cinema nuovo, which began publication in 1952, is a respected leftistjournal which also co[...]is aimed at an intellectual audience. Cineforum, the journal of the Italian cineclubs, is published by the Federazione ltaliana Cineforum, a non- ecclesiastical Catholic organization with membership in northern Italy. It frequently publishes round-table discussions by ﬁlm critics on topics such as “The New and the Old in Hollywood Films” (February 1971). Cinema Sessan[...]NT PERIODICALS CONSULTED: F interests (“Cinema in the School and University”, “New Legislation and the Cinema”) that include industry reports and statistics, plus reviews of non-Italian films. Ombre Rosse (Red Shadows) is a quarterly review which discusses films from a Marxist-Leninist point ofin Cineaste, Autumn 1969), and on the Brazilian Cinema Nova. Cinema a cinema, which appeared in 1974, is a good mixture ofﬁlm studies and interviews; the special number on the Italian cinema (September 1976) had material on P[...]d are studies on Russian intellectual productions of the ’20s, D.W. Grifﬁth, Robert Altman, Sydney Pol[...]singer. GERMAN German film periodicals are rare in Australian specialist libraries, but several are available at the state libraries of the Goethe Institute. Filmkritik first appeared in 1957 when the German ﬁlm industry was recovering from the Allied Occupation; it soon allied itself with the German counterpart of the French New Wave. It is a polemical magazine, and covers more than one aspect of the visual arts. Kino was founded in Berlin by Andi Engel in the mid- ‘60s and includes well-written, informative articles and interviews in German, French (Truffaut) and English (Buster Keaton). Filmwissenschaftliche Beitraege (Contributors to the Science of Film) and Information are from the German Democratic Republic, but they do not appear to be available in Australian libraries. The oldest Austrian German-language film review is Filmkunst, first published in Vienna in 1949. Switzerland has recently brought out Cinema, a Zurich-based periodical printed in‘ French and German. Issue 69, for example, was entirely devoted to the work of Werner Herzog. OTHER Since the National Library in Canberra became a member of the International Federation of Film Archives, it has attempted to acquire foreig[...]rnals. It subscribes to current ﬁlm periodicals in Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish,[...], Rome, Italy. Bi-monthly. L.15,000 p.a. Indexed: In t. lnd. Film Per., Film Lit. Ind. CAHIERS DU CIN[...]sues p.a. L.8,000. Circulation: 5,000. Indexed: In t. Ind. Film Per., Film Lit. Ind. CINEMA 78. .[...]ed: Int. Ind. Film Per., Film Lit. Ind. Indexed: In t. Ind. Film Per. FILMKRITIK Filmkritiker-Kooper[...]lm Lit. ind. FILM PERIODICALS Yugoslav. Many of these countries also have English- language journals. Of the Scandinavian film periodicals dealing with film history and criticism, the Swedish Film 1nstitute’s Chap/in is most impressive. It is a bi-monthly and includes reviews, interviews and program details of the Swedish Film lnstitute’s ﬁlm society. The magazine of the Swedish Federation of Film Societies, Filmrutan, has a variety of articles on world cinema. The Danish film journal of note is Kosmorama, a publication of the Danish Film Museum in Copenhagen. This quarterly has been in print since 1955, and apart from reporting on the events arranged by the Museum, and reviewing ﬁlms, has conducted surveys on the changing nature of Danish film criticism and its sources. In Holland, the two critical ﬁlm journals are Skoop, which is published in The Hague, and Skrien, published in Amsterdam. Skoop is a well-illustrated magazine w[...]distinguished by its concern with ﬁlm history. The journal of the Norwegian Film Institute is Fant, a polemicaljournal with a small circulation. Film a doba (Film and the Epoch) is a Czech ﬁlm journal with summaries in English, French and Russian. It features varied short articles and reviews, and concentrates on ﬁlms from the Soviet sphere. Filmkultura, the journal of the Hungarian Institute of Film Sciences which has summaries in English, Hungarian and Russian, contains in-depth articles. Ekran is a Yugoslav journal‘,[...]eane/Cinema & Theatre is a quarterly published by the International Union of Students in Prague in French and English. Poland’s ﬁlm monthly is Kino, published in Warsaw; Film Polski another publication appears in English and French. Film, which is only in Polish, covers the world sceneand, for example, featured a lengthy review of Picnic at Hanging Rock. The leadingjournal in the Soviet Union, lskusstvo Kino (The Art oftlie Cinema) is the ofﬁcial organ ofthe Ministry of Culture and the Film Industry Workers’ Union; it has a circulation of 40,000. There is also the Sovetsky Skran (Soviet Screen), a pictorial fortnightly, which has a circulation of 250,000. It is a large-format (25cm x 20cm) publi[...]and new, unﬁlmed scenarios. Films are discussed in terms of their themes, and ﬁlm workers and directors are allowed to write about their current productions. The journal is also a vehicle for ofﬁcial policy, which was summed up by critic V. Razumny in 1959 with the words, (ﬁlm criticism) “is not the passive recording of facts, but effective interference in the practice ofﬁlm art”. There has been a full and useful discussion of lskusstvo Kino in a 10-page article by Steven P. Hill, “Soviet Film 1C9rgt6cism", in Film Quarterly, Volume 14, No. 1, Fall ISKUSSTVO[...]ome. SKOOP Boekencentrum NV, Scheveningseweg 72, The Hague, Netherlands. SKRIEN Postbus 318, Amsterdam[...]YOUNG/JEUNE CINEMA & THEATRE International Union of Students, 17 November Street, 11001, Pragu[...]
	[...]and step-printing photography, it captures - _ the beautiful movements of young dancers, at a ’ ‘ii " ballet class and in open fields. Made on 16 mm and utilizing material[...]d 8 mm by its director Lisa Roberts, it succeeds in experimenting with movement and time in a more innovative way than, say, David Hamilton does in his short ballet ﬁlm. At times, images resemble Marcel Duchamp and others, but it is the momentum of the cutting that impresses. Images click on, repeat, then disappear. The tone ranges from faint tinting to full color, and the superimpositions ﬂicker in and out. Lisa Roberts: “I ’m a painter more[...]t that led me to film — and partly explains why the film hasn ’t a finished look. I simply wanted to see a , series of images stretched out in time; yet the kinds of aesthetic and conceptual decisions made felt the same as in painting. Also, the subject matter (movement) had to be done o[...]
	GUIDE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN FILM PRODUCER: PART 9 MIS CELLANEOUS AGREEMENTS In this ninth part of a 19-part series, Cinema Papers contributing edit[...]s Leon Gorr and Ian Baillieu discuss a miscellany of agreements which the producer will encounter during the course of production. A. location Ilelease Australian ﬁ[...]shooting than those made by most other industries in the world. This is partly due to the lack of studio facilities within the country. In ﬁlming on location, the co- operation of owners or occupiers of premises hired or otherwise provided is vital. To forestall later problems, the producer should ensure his agreement gives him the following rights: (i) to represent the premises by its own name or a ﬁctional name; (ii) to move in and out equipment and personnel and to build sets; (iii) to present the ﬁlmed material in the completed ﬁlm and to precede it and follow it with other ﬁlmed material; and (iv) ownership of any still photographs taken during the ﬁlming; (v) the right to bring (and if appropriate charge a fee for) spectators onto the premises to view the ﬁlming. The owner of the premises, or his legal representative, will warrant that he has full legal rights to contract with the producer to indemnify him against any proceedings[...]rsonal injury, (and/or death) omission or default of the producer. In some instances, the owner may require the producer to provide evidence of his public liability insurance, or even to have the owner/ occupier included on the policy as a named insured. Alternatively, the owner may require some security bond to be provided as a guarantee that the premises will be cleaned up or repaired after the ﬁlming. 8. Film Stills Some problems arise in this area. Firstly, it might be wise for the producer to endeavor to obtain releases from any non-contracted persons who appear in publicity stills taken by the unit photographer in the event the producer’s publicist proposes to have them published. Secondly, the unit publicist will frequently invite journalists[...]ma Papers, April/June television cameramen, onto the set or location for promotional purposes. It is[...]r who attends, and who uses ﬁlm not supplied by the publicist, sign a photo-release which vests copyright in any photographic material featuring the film’s personnel in the production company. This is particularly important if any of the ﬁlm’s actors are potentially merchandizeable by way of posters, T-shirts and the like, as certain less reputable publications have[...]produce unlicensed posters, etc., which will put the producer in breach of any merchandizing agreement of the producer or the star. The release form gives to the publication for which the journalist works a limited licence to use the photographic material in its pages, but not for any commercial gain. c. Equipment Hire There are a number of specialist ﬁlm equipment hire companies in Melbourne and Sydney. The larger of these organizations generally have fairly standar[...]ons which they will not deviate from. Generally, the producer will be given the option of accepting an insurance cover on the equipment provided by the hirer, or providing evidence of his own insurance cover. Frequently, the producer will be able to better the rate offered by the equipment hire company under his total ﬁlm insurance buy. The equipment hire company’s terms are generally fairly onerous and heavily weighted in favor of the renter. For example, the hirer is not entitled, without consent of the renter, to use camera equipment in a privately hired plane. The hirer will frequently claim that any equipment hired is in good condition when it leaves the renter’s premises. If the equipment is transported to the hirer’s location by air, the onus is on the renter to establish that any malfunction or damage to the hired equipment took place during transportation. The hirer’s only power is his market place strength[...]is, this is not very strong. I]. studio Rentals In the U.S., the major distribution- production entities have their own studios in Hollywood and if they are involved in the ﬁnancing of the production via a production- distribution agreem[...]described — they will want any interior work on the production to be put through their facility. This enables them to provide work for their facility and in some instances to charge a “production overhead[...]around 10 per cent, which is added to every bill the studio complex renders and is budgeted into the production. It is charged on top of the actual cost of studio facilities. Depending on their strength in the market place, the major studios increase or decrease their overhead from time to time, and in some instances remove it altogether. In Australian studios and most non-U.S. facilities, the producer can structure a deal with an independent[...]rticular requirements. Generally, he can make use of some, or all, of the equipment or facilities the studio has to offer, or he can bring in his own gear and personnel. The studio hire rate will generally vary between time[...]ing and striking (ie. breaking down and removing) the necessary sets. Frequently, the construction and striking rate will be around 50 per cent of the ﬁlming rate. Generally, Australian studios do not have a set hiring agreement, and rely on an exchange of letters. It is important for the producer to provide: (i) that he can have access to the studio for a guaranteed period over and above his[...]s a day with provisions for parking, etc.; (iii) the question of power bills, phone access and biling, etc. need to be settled; (iv)in a large multi-stage complex the producer will need to be protected from noise and interference from other productions; (v) the extent of insurance cover (if any) the studio requires; Concluded on P. 383 All the topics covered in this part are covered in more detail in thein Cinema Papers as part of the “Guide for the Australian Film Producer”. See notice at right.
	[...]on) Leon Gorr B. Juris., LL.B., (Mon.) M. Admin. The Australian Film Producers and Investors Guide is now in production and mailings have commenced. An updated and improved version of the continuing series of Cinema Papers articles entitled "Guide for The Australian Film Producer”, the new Australian Film Producers and Investors Guide[...]rly expanding and updating subscription service. The Australian Film Producers and Investors Guide will be an invaluable aid to all those involved in film business, including the producer trying to set up his first film; the investor contemplating financial participation in a production; the writer about to sell his first script; the lawyer, accountant or distribution executive who finds himself confronted with new problems as the local production industry grows. A chapter dealing with the foreign producer in Australia will also be included. Prospective subscribers should note that in most instances subscriptions to the Guide are tax deductible. The authors of the Service, all practitioners with experience in this field, will also draw on a number of specialist consultants. The combined information will provide, for the first time, a comprehensive reference work on the subject of film financing, production, distribution and exhibition in Australia. Set out below is an abbreviated table of the proposed contents of the Service that subscribers will eventually have at[...]substantially completed by June 1981, after which the contents will be updated when necessary. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT Need for preliminary analysis of project aims and project feasibility. Estimating the costs, technical problems and risks of the production. Estimating the monetary returns from a proposed film. Safeguarding concept from piracy during the preliminary assessment stage. Laws hindering production or exploitation of the proposed film: defamation, passing-off, censorshi[...]copyright, location permissions, etc. Assessment of chances of project progressing to the production stage. ORGANIZATION OF THE PRODUCER Considerations governing choice whether[...], partnership, etc. Costs and formal requirements of each form of organization. SECURING NECESSARY RIGHTS Producer’s acquisition of necessary rights to complete screenplay and to ma[...]various rights. Establishing exclusive rights to the project: title registration, trademark registration, goodwill, etc. SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT _ Different forms of screenplay for different types of film. Stages in the creation of a screenplay. Choice of screenplay writer. Agreement commissioning the writing of a screenplay. DEALING WITH A COMPLETED SCRIPT Nature and protection of rights in a completed screenplay. Assessment and valuation of a completed screenplay. Agreement for acquisition of a completed screenplay. PREPRODUCTION . _ Different meanings of “preproduction". Additional work which producer[...]des acquiring rights _ and developing screenplay, in order to bring project to point where production[...]for production. Usual item classifications. Rules of thumb for estimating certain items. Special items[...]ture timetable and cash-flow statement. Treatment of deferments. Examples of Australian film production costs. The Australian Film Producers & Investors Guide Subscription Service FINANCING A FILM. INVESTING IN A FILM Explanation of terminology. Similarities and differences in financing of preproduction and financing of production. Methods of cost reduction: economies of scale; trade discounts; contra deals; deferments, including service partnership formed by investors. Forms in which finance may be provided: producer's own money; direct payment by investors; various kinds of loan; various kinds of presale; various kinds of equity—sharing. The terms of an equity investment agreement. Financing coverages. Sources of finance: government, trade and private; policies and statistics of government film corporations. Solicitation of finance: government film corporation application[...]islative provisions; prospectus requirements; use of an agent. Check-list for intending investors. Special issues arising for an Australian proposing to invest in a foreign production. PRODUCTION Different production methods and stages for different kinds of film. Production insurances. Engagement of production executives, crew and cast. Special issues arising with engagement of foreigners and other special classes of personnel. Distinction between employees and inde- pendent contractors, and its consequences. Problems of producing in a foreign country, e.g. New Guinea, Indonesia, Ne[...]ealing with spectators Catering. Film stills. Use of pre—existing film footage. Film music: technical procedures and necessary agreements. Use of laboratory. Editing, crediting, dubbing and subti[...]ction reports and accounts. Retention and custody of preprint materials. Production reports and accounts. Production of trailer. Various kinds of package productions. Coproductions of various kinds. Extent of financiers’ rights to control or interfere with the manner of production. ACQUIRING A COMPLETED FILM Investigation of vendor's title and credit—billing obligations.[...]tribution rights. import formalities. EXPLOITING THE FILM Nature and protection ofrights in a completed film; practical and legal remedies for prevention of piracy. Relative importance of Australian and foreign film markets. Australian f[...]theatrical, television, 16mm and other. Directory of Australian cinemas. Alternative methods of releasing film in Australia. Decision by producer whether to undertake own di[...]nting film P. R. Film registration and censorship in Australia. Choice of exhibitor and various types of exhibition contract. Choice of an Australian distributor. Terms of an Australian distribution contract. Examples of gross and net returns achieved by films in Australia. Film markets overseas: theatrical, television, 16mm and other. Relative importance of various foreign territories. Methods of promotion to foreign distributors. Export assistance grants. Assistance from Department of Trade, government film corporations, foreign publicists, and sales agents. Choice of a foreign distributor. Terms of a foreign distribution agreement. Examples of foreign earnings of Australian films. Extent offinanciers' rights to control or interfere with producer's exploitation of the film. Directory of Australian and foreign film festivals and film awards. EXPLOITING ANCILLARY RIGHTS Nature of ancillary rights, compared with rights in the film. Exploitation of the production as a spectator attraction. Documentary about the production. Book about the production. Publication of the screenplay. Book of the film. Music sales. Merchandizing. Stage presentation. Sequels. GUIDE TO THE PRODUCER Edited by Peter Beilby THE EXHIBITOR Registration of cinemas. Regulations affecting cinema operation. Economics of cinema operations. TAXES AND DUTIES Australian income tax law and practice as it affects the Australian film industry. Comparison with overseas tax systems. Overseas taxes payable on earnings of Australian films. Payroll tax. Sales Tax. Stamp d[...]ift and death duties as they may affect investors in a film. REPORTING, ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING Vario[...]stors. Record—relention obligations. Inspection of accounts. Distri- bution of film proceeds. Retention of moneys to provide for future expenses. Reports. Special audits. MISCELLANEOUS Glossary of terms. Frequently encountered clauses in contracts. Exchange control applications to Reserve Bank. Effect of Trade Practices legislation on the industry. Listof useful books and periodicals. Fi[...]cs not easily classifiable under other chapters. THE FOREIGN PRODUCER IN AUSTRALIA information of particular use to a foreign producer planning to mount a production or co-production in Australia. INDUSTRY SURVEY AND WHO'S WHO General observations on current issues of importance to the future of the industry. Cumulative catalogue of films produced in Australia; giving production details. Directory of government film corporations, and their board members and executives. Directory of Australian film schools. Alphabetical Who's Who of the Australian film industry. LEGISLATION Copyright Act, Acts incorporating the various government film corporations, and extracts from other legislation of particular use or relevance. Regular readers of Cinema Papers should note that in the future no further precedents, forms, tables or schedules will be provided in the quarterly Cinema Papers articles. The Film Producers and Investors Guide will provide t[...]ogether with a more detailed and expanded text on the problems and circumstances discussed in the magazine articles, which have inevitably been restricted by limitations of space. Subscription Rates For subscribers joining during 1978 the subscription rate up to June 30, 1979, is $A150, which comprises an installation fee of $A75 and the current annual subscription rate of $A75. Subscribers who are prepared to prepay thei[...]in concessional rates, and are invited to contact the publisher for further information. To subscribe, please fill out the order form below and mail it with a cheque for $1 50 to The Australian Film Producers and investors Guide, 143 Therry Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Please note that the print run of the Service is limited. ORDER FORM Please record my order to The Australian Film Producers and investors Guide. My[...]ty Ltd is enclosed. Name Address Postcode To: The Australian Film Producers and investors Guide, 143 Therry Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia Cinema Papers, April/June — 335
	[...].78 TITLE :2) SYD. MLB. PTH. ADL. 10109111510 The Lastwave 238,602 183,608 45,388 SAFC /RS 71,516 98,149 1 83,289 99,191 Storm Boy 71 ,692 The Mango Tree GUO 1 1 6,861 127,71 3 16,137 22,074[...]40 1 05,584 \l P U) 1 03,299 66,297 Abba — the Movie‘ N/A Blue I-‘ire Lady N/A 84.171 N/A D[...],225 Picnic at Hanging Rock 13335 4,078 7,444 The Picture 6,578 Show Man 81398 1 Summer City N/A I[...]dual films have been supplied to Cinema Papers by the Australian Film Commission. ° This figure represents the total box-otlice gross of all ioreign films shown during the period in the area specified. Not Available. =Continuin[...]
	Q Q From the beginning I knew what I wanted. To capture t e calm before the storm. The wild, untamed...ancl the gentle. « ‘ The warmth...ancl the cold, harsh reality‘) Geoff Burton. Winner 197[...]Color Negotive film 5247 Photograph by courtesy of David Kynoch. ' j1——..:.—4..—.[...]
	Geoff Burton. Director of photography “Storm Boy.” “Storm Boy” . . . first there was the book, with magnificent illustrations by Robert ln[...]pastel colour washes. They were all so evocative of the awesome and majestic wilderness area — yet incredibly romantic, in keeping with the story of a boy and his pelican companion. So when the opportunity came for me to shoot the feature, I knew I wanted my pictures to look like[...]ssed with lngpen’s work. These drawings became the basis for our thinking. Photographically, we felt we needed to wash out the strong colours, reduce the overall contrast generally and carefully control the density to achieve the time/weather progress throughout the film, building up to the final storm sequence. Butl wanted more than that. I wanted the interiors to be warm and comfortable to contrast with the cold, threatening weather raging outside. What I was doing most of the time was “down grading” the photographic image with the use of eavy filters, minimal light and extremes of colour temperature. To do that I had to start wit[...]could count on under extreme filming conditions. The work the lab. did speaks for itself, as does the excellent quality of the high-speed Zeiss Lens I used. What's not so obvious, is the third of these elements — the Kodak 5247 stock. But then film stock isn't meant[...]around as much as you dare. I like to “use“ the negative a lot. Work it to its extremes to produce a particular look or effect. It's the reliability and consistency of Kodak 5247 that makes it so attractive for this style of shooting. In fact Ijust can't imagine how I could have[...]
	“Dawn!” is the personal life story of Dawn Fraser, the world’s greatest ever woman swimmer. Produced by Joy Cavill and directed by Ken Hannam, the film has been shot in a wide range of locations from Tokyo, Japan, to a Balmain pub; from the Melbourne Olympic P001 to the palm groves of Townsville. Budgeted at $764,000, the film is now in post-production. PRODUCTION REPORT Bronwyn Mzlckay-Payne in the lead role of Dawn. Cinema Papers. Apri\|7Junc — 337
	THE SCRIPT To tell Dawn’s complete story would hav[...]s, so one ofthe hardest decisions was to nominate the most interesting period of her life. I selected the years 1955 to 1970. I believe this period tells in the most colorful and dramatic way the story of the individual. Perhaps bigger things happened to her[...]t want to make a sporting ﬁlm, I wanted to make the story of the individual; that she was a champion swimmer was of secondary importance. As a producer, I could see the production value of the Olympic Games as the background, yet I was really only interested in that person as a character. This was one of the hardest things I had to overcome in raising finance, because every time I mentioned the name Dawn Fraser, people said sporting ﬁlms were death at the box—ofﬁce; that is one of the reasons why it took nearly three years to get the ﬁlm off the ground. Since Rocky, things have changed and everybody now wants to make the personal life story of a sporting champion. So, I think the timing has been good. “Rocky”, however, does[...]sporting personality without a reasonable amount of sport in it? My marketing sense said there had to be some sporting events, so I chose the ones I thought most interesting. Obviously her ﬁrst gold medal at the 1956 Olympics was one, because it changed her whole life and opened up the world to her. I also included the Tokyo Games because that was where her swimming e[...]ng met at airports by reporters, it all cut out. In between these two Olympics, I selected a few spor[...]L PRODUCERI WRITER Joy Cavill has been involved in the film and television industry, in Australia and overseas, for 25 years. She produced two feature films before “Dawn!” — “The Nickel Queen” and “The Intruders” — and worked on several television[...]. With “Dawnl”, Cavill is handling a subject of great personal interest, and one she filmed before in a documentary made in 1964. This was at the time of Dawn Fraser’s car accident which badly damaged her neck. The press was sceptical that she would ever race again — but she did. And in that dramatic 100 m freestyle final at the Tokyo Olympics, Dawn Fraser achieved the “impossible” — her third gold medal. In the following interview, conducted by Peter Beilby an[...]avill discusses working with director Ken Hannam, the story behind the film’s production, financing and marketing; she begins with the screenplay. «gar after races. So there is sport in Dawn!, and it is important. But it takes second place to the story of Dawn Fraser, the individual. The high point of Dawn’s career was 1964. Since this occurs two- thirds the way through the film, don’t you run the risk of ending on an anti-climax? No, I don’t agree. U[...]tion and her only qualiﬁcations are that she is the greatest swimmer in the world. That is what makes the last part of the ﬁlm so interesting. Then, it isn’t a down-beat ending. . . No, anything but that. THE FINANCE When did you begin approaching potential backers? I had just finished the ﬁrst draft when I went to Adelaide to temporarily replace John Morris — he was sick — as head of production at the South Australian Film Corporation. I was there fo[...]e asked me ifl would like to stay on and work for the corporation. I turned down the offer and said I had a script I wanted to produce[...]was very excited. He then offered to put up part of the ﬁnance: at that stage, $250,000. On the basis of this SAFC money, I applied to the Australian Film Commission which subsequently put in $250,000. ATN, the Channel Seven Network, came in with most of the balance. Did you have a director and key creative personnel when you talked with John Morris? No, only the script. And the AFC? I had not ﬁnalized anything with Ken Hann[...]bly be directing it. I had to be very honest with the AFC and told them they wouldn’t have any star n[...]to be able to find an established actress to play the role. I think one of the main reasons the AFC committed themselves to the ﬁlm in the early stages was my past record in the business. I have been making ﬁlms for 25 years,[...]putation for integrity, and for bringing projects in on budget. I feel they trusted me, despite having a loose package. I appreciated their conﬁdence. Did the SAFC request a production role in “Dawn!”, or were they merely investors? They[...]ht investors, but have a credit as co- producers. The contractual billing is “Aquataurus Productions in association with the South Aust- ralian Film Corporation.” The SAFC put up the ﬁrst money and handled the initial ﬁnancing. Jill Robb was then at the SAFC and she was responsible for getting the ATN investment. Other than that, they have not i[...]nd therefore better if I handled it individually. The SAFC and the AFC granted me complete and ﬁnal creative control on the ﬁlm. The SAFC’s next major role, which will be a very important one, is in the promotion and marketing because that is the area in which I don’t profess any expertise. They, howe[...]sults with their productions. Was your deal with the AFC the
	standard 70/30 split with the production company? That is the sort of ﬁgure. Is that also the deal you have with the SAFC and the Seven Network? As far as the investors are concerned, their equity in the film is in relation to how much they put in. But there are the investors and the producers, and the producers are Aquataurus and the SAFC. So the SAFC is getting a bit both ways . . . They are,[...]to it. I appreciate there has been some criticism of this, but investors and producers are two differe[...]eir equity as an investor. Similarly, ifthey come in as a producer, they are entitled to their equity as one. Is the Channel Seven deal an advance against a network s[...]have a large investment plus they have purchased the television rights. What is the hold-over period? Three years. Did the SAFC request you shoot in South Australia or employ a number of South Australian personnel? They did ask us to do some shooting in South Australia. One of the main locations in the script was a pub in Balmain, NSW. You can’t easily shoot in city pubs because of the lost trade, noise, and so on. So we decided to make the pub a set, and this was built in South Australia at the Norwood Studios. Ross Major designed it. Apart from the pub, we also did a number of location sequences in Adelaide, and were there for 10 days. As for crew, I was asked to use as many people from South Australia as I could. That wasn’t a problem; South Australian technicians are very good. Shooting in a studio in Adelaide must have been more expensive than in Sydney . . . It was, but I felt I had a commitment to do some shooting in South Australia. _At the same time, the construction people did a magnificent job, and the set was faithfully reproduced. I can’t say I regret the decision. You have also shot in many Coach Harry Gallagher (Tom Richards) loo[...]h two policemen. different locations . . . Yes. In one scene, for instance, Dawn meets her future husband in Townsville. There was some criticism of my shooting there, but I maintain that Dawn meeting Gary in Townsville created a different relationship than meeting him in Sydney. A number of people said it was ridiculous and that I should twist the story a bit and have them meet in Sydney. After all, people over- seas, and here fo[...]I can assure you that Dawn meeting John Diedrich in the tropical setting of Townsville, with this Hawaiian shirt and 1964 pin[...]s an atmosphere that could not have been captured in Sydney. It is not a very long sequence, but it was worth every penny in the final analysis. These are the sorts of decisions you have to make, despite the criticisms, because some people are inclined only to add up the dollars and don’t see the value on the screen. Australian films that have been logistic[...]Blacksmith”, have gone drastically over-budget in the travel and transport area. How did you cope? I am delighted we came in under-budget in that area. I budgeted very carefully and was guided by the fact that a number of people in the past had under- budgeted. WORKING WITH A DIRECTOR There has been some criticism made of producers being writers. How do you react to that[...]r and I discussed this with Ken before he took on the film. I told him I would be on the set every day because, as a producer, I like to involve myself in the production. Anyway, Ken accepted that, and we wor[...]ggest problem was whether Dawn was going to be on the set every day. I knew that I couldn‘t stop her,[...]reciate how he felt, because not only did he have the producer and script- writer breathing down his neck, but also the person whose life story he was ﬁlming. What happened on the first day’s ﬁlming, however, was a complete a[...]recognized that Dawn was a tremendous advantage. The crew also seemed to work a lot better when Dawn w[...]red her greatly. Doesn’t a producer/writer run the risk of inhibiting the director? I never tried to inhibit Ken when he was directing. In the U.S., for example, producers are gaining more con[...]all Street money men but creative people who have the final responsibility for the overall film. A producer is also the only person who is really aware of all the problems and facets of a particular film. I think directors need producers as a sounding board because — and I should be the last to say this — they can tend to get too clo[...]But I am also aware that when you employ a number of people for their creative talents, you have to le[...]TION REPORT — DAWN! gave Ken complete rein, in that he could direct the script the way he wanted to; that was where he put his creative talent. I let him edit the film to that direction, in collaboration with the editor, Max Lemon. It was only then that I looked at the film. I had been away for several weeks, so I thi[...]sh approach. A film can only be cut according to the way it was shot. If you don’t influence the shooting, how can you influence the editing? That is not strictly true. A film can be edited in a number of ways, irrespective of how it was shot. A director who shoots a film which can be cut one way is dictating to the editor and thereby depriving him of his contribution. As a producer, I am strongly opposed to this limiting of talent. As far as the shooting is concerned, I looked at the rushes and daily discussed them with the director. Ifl felt that a particular artist neede[...]unconsciously slipping into a tele- vision style ofthe need to be more objective, where your involvement[...]ith -your role as pro- ducer? I was always aware of it, but I think lcoped. At the moment, the film is too long and some sequences have to be cut. So I have the struggle within myselfof knowing that to keep the pace I will have to cut one of my favorite scenes. That is very hard, but deep d[...]a writer second. Did you ever consider directing the film yourself? It was strongly suggested by the AFC, the SAFC and several other people that I direct the film; I was very tempted, because ifthere was any film I could have directed, this would have been the one. Every shot was in my mind and I had lived with it for so long. But that is the very reason you need somebody else to come in and bring their talents. I felt that between the writer and producer I needed a director, and I still believe that was the right decision. Concluded on P. 347 Cine[...]
	Did you contribute much to the screenplay? No, by the time I became involved, the script was pretty well ﬁnalized. There were a f[...]tion, and Joy and I worked on them. We made a lot of minor changes. Was the film already financed? Yes. I was still working on Summerfield, and in fact Dawn! should have gone earlier had not Joy k[...]a very mild winter; otherwise, we might have been in a lot oftrouble with the weather. One criticism you have made of Australian producers is that they often go ahead[...]A ﬁlm cannot be a time and motion exercise, but in Australia they have become that. Instead, writers should be[...]wever, there are many pressures put on a producer in this area. For instance, money is made available[...]ies and distributors for a limited period, and if the ﬁlm doesn’t get into at least pre-production in that time, it will be taken back. The producer is, therefore, often obliged to go ahead[...]opefully, a producer will also involve a director in ﬁnalizing the script before proceeding. I think the problem could be due to misplaced benevolence by the funding bodies, which, knowing that producers don’t get a fair return on the work they put * The Age, January 21. 1978. 340 — Cinema Papers. Ap[...]nam’s fourth feature. After a successful career in television where he directed episodes for several series, including “Z Cars”, Hannam returned to Australia to make “Sunday Too Far Away” in 1975. Critically acclaimed worldwide, “Sunday” was the first Australian film to be shown in the Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1976 Hannam directed “Break of Day”, a period love story written by Cliff Green. This was followed in 1977 by “Summerfield”, also for producer Patricia Lovell. Scripted by Green, “Summerfield” has been the centre of a controversy in the film industry over the relationship between writers and directors, and the quality of Australian writing. In the following interview, conducted by Scott Murray an[...]sses his attitudes to scripts and screenwriters, the problems of shooting a logistically complex film like “Dawnl”, the role of the producer/writer in the Australian situation, and, finally, his previous[...]n Hannam instructing camera operator John Seale. in, keep backing new projects. The solution, therefore, is in making the producer’s return such that he or she is not forced to rush into a new ﬁlm. The same goes for writers: if they were paid more, on[...]However, there is a tendency to assess scripts on the way they are written, and not on what they say; i[...]reads as beautiful prose, it has a greater chance of getting money. There has been too much emphasis o[...]changing. Ideally, who should assess scripts for the funding bodies? I don’t know, but it is a shame ifit falls into the hands of failed or bitter people, whether they are writers or not. I have similar feelings about directors assessing the work of other directors for the Australian Film Institute awards. It is very dif[...]r whether you are making a skin-flick or an epic, the ﬁlms that really mean some- thing are those that show a passion in their making. It’s not a question of social or political statements; if you have a burning desire to make a statement, it will come across. Take The Devil’s Playground: this was Fred Schepisi’s story and it had to be told. What comes over on the screen is the compassion and passion with which he tells it. T[...]id development between Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave; this was because he became his own man, and made his own statements. In Australia, we are at the stage of making ﬁlms as if playing with new toys. Sure you have to go through that process, but we have reached the stage where we should have a pretty good reason f[...]is not someone we can escape; she is not a piece of history. The script makes no effort to white- wash her; it tells the other side of her story. People may not be shocked, but they will be surprised. “Dawn!” is a different type of film for you, in that it involves a lot of sport and action. Did you have any reservations[...]tion ﬁlms and I have done a considerable amount of action material on television. Certainly there is action in Dawnl, but I think you will be surprised by how l[...]is. What generally interests me about ﬁlms is the relationships between people. I am not a director on a vast landscape; such things interest me in other people’s work, but not in my own. I think the main reason I was attracted to Break of Day, for example, was that I had been in television for a while and felt I had lost my cin[...]lose-up, and visually different to cinema. Break of Day called on me to do two things: to work very
	intimately with the actors, and to make a beautifully lyrical ﬁlm.[...]knew I had to try. There is considerable debate in the industry over the producer/ writer, and director/ writer. What are your feelings? I think the producer/writer is the most dangerous combination. On Dawnl, however, it[...]happy relationship because Joy has been involved in many facets of the industry and is extremely objective. Yet I can’t help feeling that a lot of producer/writers only become producers to protect[...]ving a son or a daughter and having to face up to the fact that one night they are not going to come home. It’s the same with a script: it is ﬁesh and bone, and pe[...]t some stage it’s got to get up on its own, and the writer just has to let go. As for director/writer, this has worked very well in Europe. The argument against it is a possible lack of objectivity, and ifl were a writer/director, I wo[...]there are certain writers who are able to control the machinery and the money, and this is the best way to express themselves. Fred Schepisi is[...]ﬁlming, but they had every right to be. During the last four weeks we were doing four minutes a day[...]underscheduled ﬁlm, and we were very lucky that the weather was as good as it was. How closely were you involved in planning the schedule? Well, you ﬁght as much as you can. I[...]Far Away, and he is remarkably good. He organized the schedule with the production manager, though we all talked about it[...]to shoot, then left him to it. You tend to live in a fool’s paradise: you know damned well that it[...]n (Bronwyn Mackay-Payne) for a race after a bout of illness. Director of Photography Russell Boyd lines up the special rig designed by John Scale and Ross Eriks[...]possible and just wander around, getting to know the feel of the landscape. Did you have this time on “Summerfi[...]and location? I had about a fortnight there, and the art department was based on the island. Mike Molloy came out from Britain to shoot the ﬁlm three weeks before we started, and that was[...]ﬁlm. But it’s no use bringing out a director of photography six weeks before the shooting if he and the director don’t have something to say to each other. So thethe time to make films as a communal effort, and I do[...]t much to be gained, anyway. Somebody has to make the statement, and it should be the director on behalf of the writer and producer. Otherwise, there is a danger of the statement becoming grey. PRODUCTION REPORT — DAWN! That is part ofthe problem with the documentaries made here. A good documentary must have a degree of bias. IfI don’t like you, and I am making a ﬁ[...]can then make a film attacking me, if they like. In Australia, there is a habit of following a bad remark with something nice, and all you end up with is a grey mass in which you have made a lot of statements, and said nothing. Actually, I believe one of the reasons Joy wanted me to do this film was because[...]ts — but nothing maudlin or over-emphasized. At the same time, the last thing she wanted was a documentary. The ﬁlm is about Dawn, and at no time during her li[...]ok back; she always plunges forward. That is part of her magic, part of why she survived so long as a champion. The approach I therefore employed was to try and get inside her character. THE SHOOTING How did you handle the swimming sequences? There are three swimming events. The ﬁrst, the 1956 games, was easy because the Melbourne Olympic pool was still there. We opened this scene out in a big way, and managed to make some hundreds of people look like thousands by moving them around.[...]and exciting. We don’t cover Dawn’s swim at the Rome Olympics, but there is a sequence at the Fina carnival in Naples where she was forced to participate in an exhibition race. The third event is the Tokyo race. We ﬁlmed this as a swimmer would feel, see and hear it. To do this, John Seale (the operator) and Ross Erikson (the grip) spent several days developing a peri- scopic device for the camera, which enabled us to ﬁlm under water without having to submerge the camera. The scene starts with the girls above water, follows them as they dive in and then tracks along under water behind them. It is so good, in fact, that it is a bit of an anti-climax; you sit and think, “Oh yes, now we are under water.” In leaving out important events, such as the Rome swim, are you running the risk of disappointing audience expectation? No, I think[...]ttract people, it is a personal story about Dawn; the Cinema Papers, Apr-il/June — 341
	The only specialist negative matching company in Australia now celebrates its ﬁfth year of service to the Film and Television Industry. An exclusive range of specially imported equipment for 16mm invisible s[...]ecials, shorts and documentaries. Take advantage of our negative examination plan. Ask your laboratory to progressively supply the negative to us each day. Your original wil[...]
	[...]already know about. So, although we don’t cover the Rome swim, we cover other aspects of her trip there. W h at a b o u t characters? the other The character I am most fond of is Gary, Dawn’s husband. It was very bold of him to allow us to tell his story; and though he starts as a sort of villain, in the scene where he leaves Dawn, he shows a real honesty. It is something all of us have at some stage wanted to do, but not had enough strength. Len, the man who comes into her life later on, emerges as[...]ho is attracted to her but suddenly frightened by the intensity of her feelings. We never know whether he is seizing an opportunity to get out of the relationship, or whether what he says is true. MARKETING How do you feel about the way your previous films have been marketed? Marketing is the area that has still to come of age. It is strange that many distributors are willing to invest in films, but are hard put to know what to do with t[...]be hard to sell, they should nut it out and avoid the situation where films have been thrown into the market place with a helpless shrug of the shoulders. No wonder they often disappear without[...]peal to a wide age range. What Joy and Hoyts have in mind is to run separate campaigns geared towards various facets of an audience. It is going to be very interesting t[...]f — I am sure they will. SUMMERFIELD and BREAK OF DAY “Summerfield” and “Break of Day” don’t always indicate the passion you talked of earlier. Was that because the films needed to be low key? I think Cliff was brave with Break of Day; what he did was very interesting, but perhap[...]ers never stop talking. What I admire enormously in Break of Day — which, inci- dentally, Ithink is my best film — . , , new X 4‘ The recreation of the 100 metres freestyle final at the 1956 Olympic Games in the Melbourne Olympic Pool. Dawn and her friend K[...]use she had no more than 60 or 70 lines, and most of those were “Thank you", “Goodbye” and “Pl[...]to be terribly liberated, have a marvellous sense of humor and be very sophisticated. She says nothing to indicate any of these things and nor does anyone else till her fr[...]and even they don’t say much. Cliff also left the bohemian group for us to develop. What I imagined was that she had had an affair with John Bell, but left the commune when she found the group so inﬂuencing her work that she was no longer sure of its value. Her move to the town was a transitory experience, and she was selfish enough to imagine that he would feel the same — but he was not used to meeting people like her. So, when she found the key to her painting, with his help, she was happy[...]action as selfish. What people miss about Break of Day, and perhaps this is because we didn’t do i[...]t non- confrontation. It doesn’t matter whether the audience wants the two women to confront one John Diedrich as Dawn’s husband, Gary, in his Hawaiin shirt and pink Cadillac. Dawn! another; they can’t — because of the period, the place and the circumstances in which they live. So it’s got to be bloody low key, doesn’t it? Yet, an audience may ask if this lack of confrontation is deliberate or whether there shou[...]Summerfield is a film that interested me greatly. The problem was that the script wasn’t quite ready — it should have had six months more work on it. However, Pat Lovell (the producer) was in a position where she had to go; the people funding the film thought the script was very good and wanted her to start. Again, probably because of my ego, I thought I might be able to strengthen the things I felt were weak. I don’t think I was ab[...]ys glad when audiences enjoy Summerfield. I think the actors, indeed everybody connected with the film, put in a tremendous amount of devotion and love. “Summerfield” is probably the most consistently acted of the recent Australian features. John Waters’ performance, in particular, is excellent. . . And Nick Tate, who[...]ders into a situation and makes a great cock—up of it. John’s part was easier, and very nicely ta[...]s a film that sharply divides audiences; “Break of Day” doesn’t. . . That’s true. The most disap- pointing thing about Break of Day is that it can be said to have made no impact[...]ut I am not attacking anyone but myself. Ifl felt the script needed more work, I should have said so. Then it would have been up to the producer and writer to agree with me, or choose someone else. Many critics have found the ending of “Summerfield” unrealistic. The Abbotts are obviously very wealthy and could have[...]e or overseas to protect their name... I suppose the ending is a device. In fact, it was not the way Cliff had written it, although I heard Cliff agreed with what I did. In the original, after Nick had returned to the island and seen them through the window, John rushed out, shooting madly into the night. Now, I don’t think a man who was so gent[...]ding was going to work, I felt we had to convince the audience his act was purely momentary. If[...]
	How would you define your role on the film? A production designer should co—ordinate the look ofa ﬁlm. But on many Australian films, one is the art director as well. This means you are designin[...]arate art director whom you brief, just as you do the wardrobe or make-up people. The designer also has the responsibility of viewing the film from beginning to end and you can assist the look and flow of a film greatly by keeping your backgrounds fairly even. On Dawnl, I tried to simplify a lot of these backgrounds into plain areas of color, and on locations I tried to paint everything I could. This way I could keep the background moving at an even pace instead ofjumping. We see Dawn‘s house, for example, over a period of 15 years; so by grading the colors, I subtly altered the background without it ever being obtrusive. When[...]rs, such as costumes or cars? Not as much. A lot of the clothes were, of necessity, certain colors — uniforms and so on.[...]t them against a background that didn’t clash. The wardrobe created the period more than my backgrounds because I used ve[...]eriors. Dawn’s parents, for instance, had lived in their house for many years, so it looks more 19205 or 19305. There was the odd 19505 furnishings, like new curtains, but the period comes from the hair and wardrobe. In terms of color, I found the 1950s a particularly unco- ordinated time and, an[...]rt matching scarves to wall colors, and that kind of thing. So as long as something didn’t clash vio[...]hange it. Did you use foreground color as a way of isolating something within the frame: Dawn, for 344 — Cinema Papers, April/Ju[...]hitecture course at university, Ross Major joined the ABC as an assistant designer. He then went to Britain where he was assistant designer for the BBC on the series, “Lorna Doone”. He also worked at Bristol television and on several plays at the Edinburgh Festival which were televised on London television. Returning to Australia, Major freelanced, doing occasional work for the then Commonwealth Film Unit, and sets for the Community Theatre. Since then, he has worked in television and commercials. Major’s first feature. “Dawn!” is In the following interview, conducted by Peter Beilby and Scott Murray, Major talks about the overall design, construction of sets and the liaison between an art director and the key creative personnel. Production designer, Ross Major, breagting the bar of his set of the Riverview Pub, almain. example, in a crowded games stadium? Lighting is a help in those sorts of situations. But Dawn was the biggest help, because in Rome she insisted on wearing a white track suit,[...]an that unkindly — and she often placed herself in such situations. Apart from that, we did watch colors in track suits and so on, and made sure hers stood o[...]Then, with about eight weeks to go, I started on the pre- production. ' In retrospect, I don’t think this was long enough because I didn’t have time for the kind of supervision I would have liked. For example, Judith Dorsman had more or less started on the wardrobe when I came along, and though we worked[...]her, I might have taken a slightly different view of it had I had more time. If most of the key personnel could start a little earlier, you w[...]on shooting stages. Did Cavill define a look for the film? In a way, but it was more.a question of me letting Joy know the kinds of things I wanted to do. Two pertinent questions I asked at the outset were: (a) Was she making a documentary? (t[...]she looking at an inter- national market or just the Australian one? Both affected the way I approached things. What was your involveme[...]started a fortnight before shooting; by then most of our locations had been established. What I tried[...]done as we were shooting, because Dawn! wasn’t the kind of ﬁlm you could line up completely beforehand. Did you participate in the selection of locations? Yes, though a lot of swimming pools had been teed up with councils bef[...]s, photographed them and selected those I thought the most suitable. Later, I went around again with Ken. THE PUB SET What sets did you design for the film? The Balmain pub is the only set in the ﬁlm; the rest are more supplements to a location, like the addition of a wall. The set is also seen over a period of 10 years and because it was based on an actual pu[...]t was quite a problem, so as soon as I started on the film I measured it up and sent the drawings down to Adelaide for costing. The set wasn’t constructed in Sydney? No, it was entirely built by Herb Pinter in Adelaide. The building period was four weeks: fourteen men full time, plus the odd tiler and glazier. Did you use the same materials as in the pub? _To a degree. Old-fashioned tiles, f[...]
	the look. The Balmain tiles are light cream, yet they appear much older and darker from years of smoke and grime. On film, however, they would have been too light, so I had to use darker ones to get the same murkiness and tone. They also helped Russell in lighting the set. To what extent did you design the set to suit Russell Boyd? The pub is sited on a corner, facing north, so the sun comes in all day. This gives it a lovely feeling and it was obvious we would light the set the same way. I just made sure during the building that there was enough space behind it to place the main light source. From all accounts, the set is a perfect replica. What techniques did you[...]were building it from scratch. Then you duplicate the little bits and pieces that add to theThe more real things you use,.the greater the chance of getting the reality ofthe set across, which was important in this instance as the pub was the only set in a film of real locations. What about pub fixtures or glasses? We got some old counter units and bar ﬁttings from the breweries in Adelaide. As for glasses, I always wonder about the necessity of having every detail exact in a period ﬁlm. As long as they are obviously not wrong for the period, I don’t tend to bother. Did you use ol[...]s which you had to age? I didn’t do any ageing in the film. It doesn’t matter if the materials aren’t the same, as long as you get the right effect. The heavy architraves were stained and varnished to get a worn look without ageing, and I aged the interior of Dawn’s house more by the choice of furnishings. I chose old and shabby pieces, but o[...]ght switches; I didn‘t think it was necessary. In Rocky, for example, a lot of the ageing of the sets was very bad — you could pick it up instan[...]r and Mrs Fraser (Ron Haddrick and Bunney Brooke) in their Balmain home. The period is 1950s. Dawn! I subtracted quite a bit on Dawn! because of the plain wall areas I wanted, which is in direct contrast to films like Picnic at Hanging R[...]verywhere. If, for instance, we had a shot where the operator wanted to move a picture to get a better[...]keep things as minimal as possible. Were you on the set all the time or did your responsibilities as designer mean you had to be elsewhere? I went to Adelaide a number of times to see the set being built, but I was mostly at other locati[...]uld certainly prefer to spend all my time next to the camera. BUDGHING On “Dawnl”, you controlled[...]know how much is left. By keeping a running cost of the staging, it became apparent very early on that the budget was too low; but this wasn’t a problem because I kept everybody informed. Then as costings came in, we would change things to suit. For example, I reduced the estimate on the pub by taking three metres out of the middle. Were you involved in deciding the budget, or was it given to you as a fait accompli? The budget had been set, but from the outset I think even Joy felt it was a bit low; sh[...]er about it. Did you find yourself restricted by the limitations of your budget? PRODUCTION REPORT — DAWN! Not really. In fact, I wouldn’t even mind working on a low- budget film provided everybody involved was aware of the inherent limitations. What budget should a film[...]is doing a budget, just to talk things out. A lot of art directors are given an amount of money and have no say in the ﬁgure. However, things are improving all the time and art direction is an area in Australian ﬁlmmaking that is now being taken seriously. STAGING THE OLYMPICS You restaged the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. How did you do that? First, I looked at all the available footage and that made me realize there was no way we could copy it. The people, the flags and all the paraphernalia were too much._ Fortunately, the original pool in Melbourne was available. As for the Rome and Tokyo sequences, Ken decided to concentrate on the swim, and the Tokyo swim was actually done in the Melbourne pool. Of course, the building was not like the one in Tokyo, but I wasn’t trying to recreate it. Sometimes you have to forget the overall and concentrate on the details,_and if you make the small elements very accurate, the audience tends to forget that on a wider scene it[...]a scene with 10 people clapping, but when you mix in 2000, it has an entirely different feeling. Do you get a master shot of the stadium? You do, but on the day before the race. Then you cut to the event. Dawn goes through the film in a lot of wide shots, but as her life is swimming, I think it is quite valid to go in close. Exteriors for scenes such as when Dawn walks to the swimming pool in Rome, or leaves in a bus for the Tokyo Cinema Papers, April/June — 345
	[...]! IJPSHHDIIIJS NEWSFRONT \|_oN= w==K=N= THE MANGO TREE COIOHEH m A SPECIAL KIND OF ‘ LABORATORY SERVICE FOR AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH EAST ASIA. COLORFILM PTY. LIMITE[...]
	[...]really hard to ﬁnd. I had to look for buildings in Sydney that architecturally could be Japanese, or whatever. For the 1960 Rome Olympics, I looked for very modern buil[...]cture is much more advanced than ours. What were the problems involved in shooting in Japan? Working through interpreters — it took ages to have an instruction translated. We had a scene inof pens and pads and pencils on the desks — the kind of paraphernalia one would expect — but the Japanese just didn’t understand. They don’t p[...]elationship with Ken? Very good. We talked about the ﬁlm at length before we started ﬁlming, then he left me alone. Having spent a lot of time in advertising where I am so used to people being critical, of people asking you to constantly justify your deci[...]nobody said anything negative or otherwise about the sets. It was a nice surprise, because compared wi[...]can do, then left to do it without people coming in and having their ﬁve cents worth. In advertising, storyboards are often used. Would yo[...]would be really fantastic to design a ﬁlm with the director and cameraman, scene by scene, frame and[...]’s an indulgence, but it’s certainly a luxury in Australian production. Actually, I tried to storyboard the ﬁlm as we went along. I had all the photographs of the pools on my wall, and after a while I got quite potty about swimming pools. The Sydney Olympic pool, for example, is an amazing piece of work with its art deco relief work. All po[...]acters, but there is something about each that is the same. And sameness provided the visual in . Do you find that production designers and art directors in Australia are limited by the availability of resources? Special effects in Australia is a very weak area, although I think those in The Last Wave were very good. One thing lacking here is glass painting. The painting done for ﬁlms like Earthquake is impec[...]ique that could be a great help to period ﬁlms. In Caddie, for example, you could have changed the whole Sydney 9° ' - .2s< Japanese police interrogate Dawn after she has been caught stealing the Olympic ﬂag from the Emperor's Palace grounds. Dawn! Joy Cavill C[...]TRIBUTING AND MARKETING Who will be distributing the film? Hoyts. It will be one of their few times out as a distributor. Have you b[...]holding back until they see a print? Paul Davies of the SAFC and I have already had sessions with their agency about how the ﬁlm is to be promoted, but we are holding back at the moment. Basically, it is a summer ﬁlm and we don’t want to release it in the middle of winter. With a budget of $764,000, the film must break the overseas market to recoup its cost. Are advance notices going out to major distributors in the same way Fred Schepisi has done with “Jimmie Bl[...]? Yes, but I don’t think we are approaching it the same way as Fred. The ﬁlm is not going to the Cannes Film Festival; it could have been ready in time if we had shortened the post-production period, but I decided that was cr[...]m and hold it back, than spoil it with haste. At the moment, the plan is to go with a London opening. I think this will be just as successful as premiering in Cannes. How valuable, then, do you consider the Cannes Festival as a market place for Australian films? It depends on the ﬁlm; some ﬁlms do very well there, while for others it is a waste of time. With this ﬁlm, I am not worried that it is not going to be there. What do you see as the major markets? I am not an expert on this, but I think Canada will be a good market, and, in a funny way, the U.S. I know every producer says he will crack the US, but I am hopeful with Dawnl. Japan is obviously a very big market, and that was proved by the interest when we were there shooting. They all remember Dawn from 1964 and are anxious to see the ﬁlm. Germany is also becoming a good market for Australian ﬁlms. And, strangely enough, when I was in Moscow 18 months ago I spent a lot of time at the Mosﬁlm studios, and one of the leading directors I met there was fascinated by the story‘, he had never heard of Dawn Fraser, but that didn‘t matter, he loved the character. Last week, I heard that the AFC had received an inquiry from Moscow. They had asked if the ﬁlm was ﬁnished, because they were interested in seeing it. This could be quite a breakthrough. iv[...]is would save money and give far greater value on the screen. Do you have a new project to work on? I[...]onger period which, as I said earlier, could save the producer money. Also pay them more, so that they don‘t have that awful feeling of having to go out and get work straight- away -—[...]able to coast for a few months at least. I think the industry owes that to its people. ‘A’ DAWN![...]rl Kevin Manser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Ofﬁcial Audine Leith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]ction Associate. . . . . . Gloria Payten Director of Photography. . . . Russell Boyd Editor . .[...]
	[...]EIJIIIPMENT HIIIE- INDLIIDING DYNALENS CONTACT THE CORPORATION FOR FILMING IN OR OUT OF TASMANIA 64 Brisbane Street,Hobart 7000 Tasmania[...]SERVICES (my old name was adina film services) the same fast efficient neg matching at reasonable ra[...]\| I \| I - : I a If you shoot handheld, you need The Academy Award Winning* TEADICAM Because with ST[...]lution- ary filmlvideo camera stabilizing system, the handheld moving camera ﬁnally comes into its ow[...]ter-free, handheld moving shots with a steadiness of image never before achieved on the screen. ‘Class 1 Academy Award for Technical Achievement for the 1978 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. (The first to be awarded for ten years). MOTION PI[...]orrespondence: P.O. Box 199 Artarmon, N.S.W. 2064 Australia
	PRODUCTION SURVEY 35mm PRE-PRODUCTION THE BLOODY HALF MILE Prod Company . . . . . . . . .[...]. . . . Scripting and Pre—Production Synopsis: The confrontation, in the streets of Sydney, between American and Australian troops du[...]. . . . . . . . . . . .. Sonia Borg Adapted from the novel by Colin Thiele Producer . . . . . . . . .[...]na boat — Blue Fin. Clumsy. gaunt and something of a misfit at school and in the community, he has his finest hour when “Blue Fin" far out at sea is wrecked by a waterspout and the remainder of the crew lie injured or dead. Excitement, adventure, courage and endurance. Gives a highly readable insight into the tuna fishing industry and the lives of the fishermen.[...]Captain Matchbox. Synopsis: A comedy that traces the unusual social history of a small country town over the three days that lead up to the marriage of Maureen Delaney to Morrie McAdam. Cinema Papers[...]. . . . . . . _ . . . Pre—Production Synopsis: The epic story of the Anzac landing at Gallipoli. THE HOUSE UPSTAIRS Prod Company. . .. .[...]on Synopsis: A young lawyer decides to save a row of terrace houses from a developer of an office block complex. To his dismay he discovers illegal activities in two of the houses. MAGGIE Prod Company. .[...]on (shooting June 1978) Synopsis: An examination of the values and social attitudes of an insular rural town in Australia in 1978. MY BRILLIANT CAREER Prod Company. . . .. M[...]rst novel about a gifted. original and witty girl in the bush who doesn't see why romance must lead to con[...]e ties and preclude an adventurous, creative life of freedom. THE ODD ANGRY SHOT Prod Company. . .. Samson Producti[...]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Jeffrey From the novel by William Nagle Producers . . . . . . . .[...]. . . . . . . . . .. Pre—Production Synopsis: The story is about an SAS commando patrol on a year‘s tour of duty in Vietnam. SIMMONDS AND NEWCOMBE[...]lay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Ken Cameron. in association with Les Newcombe Producers . . . . .[...]. . . . .. Pre—Production 24 FRAMES A SECOND OR IN LIKE FLYNN Prod Company . . . . . . . . . .. Scimitar Pictures Australia P/L Director. . . .. ... Allen Bickford Screenpl[...]Synopsis: Based on extensive research carried out in Australia, the film is an action- adventure—comedy. It traces Errol Flynn’s early life in Australia, to his final exit from this country. Several of Flynn’s close friends are featured in the cast. THE uNKNowN \|Npus1'mA\|_ j Runner _ ‘ _ _ V V _ _ _[...]-~ "°5“P'°"“°“°" Ken Cameron. Based on the novel by David Ireland Producer . . . . . .[...]To be announced. Synopsis: A futuristic drama set in a tairground. 35mm IN PRODUCTION LITTLE BOY LOST Prod Company .[...]s Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. In Production Cast: Lorna Leslie, John Hargreaves, John Jarrat, Gulpilil. Synopsis: Based on the real—\|ife story of a four-year old boy lost in the bush. No further details available. THE MONEY MOVERS Prod Company. . South Australian Fil[...]. . . . . . . . . .. Bruce Beresford Adapted from the novel by Devon Minchin Script Editor . . . . . .[...]y suspect an inoffensive—seeming recruit though the robbery is actually being planned by an old employee. The elaborate robbery is planned to take place when most of the staff are at a Union meeting and only starts to go wrong when Martin notices a flaw in the replica armoured car which is the key to the attempted theft. DAWN! See Production Report pag[...]eorge Till. THE NIGHT THE PROWLER Prod Company . . . . . . .. Chariot Films[...]rkpatrick, Terry Camilleri. Synopsis: Exploiting the furore surrounding her attempted rape, a young woman emerges from the claustrophobia of a wealthy conservative family and turns from victim to criminal, stalking the streets of Sydney by night in a relentless pursuit of her own liberation. MAD MAX Pro[...]Cadard, David Cameron, Jonathon Hardy. Synopsis: The gladiatorial road culture. A few years from now.[...]any . . . . . . . . . . . .. Yarra Films P/L for the Victorian Film Corporation Director.. ... .. Eric[...]. . . . . . . . . . .. Post Production Synopsis: The coastline of Victoria is an area of spectacular contrasts. The film aims to capture this unique beauty and to create an awareness of what it has to offer. PRER, DIRECTORS and PRODUCTION COMPANIES Include your current and future proiects in our production survey listings. Forward de[...]
	PRODUCTION SURVE 35mm AWAITING RELEASE THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH Prod Company. . .. Film House Australia P/L Dist Company.[...]an Hardy, John Bowman, Michael Carmen. Synopsis: The story of a young half-blood aboriginal, who is made conscious of his white blood by a missionary. He leaves his tribe to find a place in the white man's world where he seeks acceptance because he lives by white standards. He falls through no fault of his own and explodes In e fateful "declaration of war" — the white man's way. he has learnt, of acquiring a licence for revenge and violence.[...]t. Synopsis: What was Patrick's secret? What was the strange influence he possessed? A hospital. a relationship, a sense of the usual are turned upside down in a thrilling emotion charged experience. 35mm IN RELEASE - WEEKEND OF SHADOWS[...]. . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Yeldham From novel The Reckoning Producers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]ogress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. In Release Cast: John waters. Melissa Jaller, Graem[...]involving a hunt for a murder suspect by a group of men in a small country town. THE ABC OF LOVE AND SEX — AUSTRALIA STYLE Prod Company . . . . . . . . John Lamond M[...]ress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . .. in Release Cast: Katie Morgan, Leon Cosack, Robyn E[...]ed Iook at all manners pertaining to love and sex in alphabetical order. 16mm PRODUCTION SURVEY AFTER THE BREAK Prod Company... .. Bi[...]Synopsis: German. Japanese and Chinese versions of the documentary After the Break. ALBRECHT FOR YOU Prod Company. . . . . Ho[...]. . . . .. $10,000 Length . . . . . . . .. ...30n1in Color Process. . . . . . Eastman Progress . . . .[...]e, Keith Foote. Synopsis: A man wins a seat in Parliament and finds a few surprises in store for him. BALANCE (Working Title) Prod Comp[...]. . . . . . . . May 1978 Cast: Patients and staff of Gladesviile Hospital, Sydney; Maggie Fitzglbbon‘, Serge Martich—Osterman; Bridget; stars of Michael Edgley Circus International. Synopsis: Patients In a mental hospital go through workshop situations in which they confront themselves, aiming to gain se[...]edom. Using parallel situations from life outside the hospital walls, this film seeks to relate these aims to the society in which we live. Reality versus dream throughout th[...]d, happy — sometimes even hilarious — picture of basic human dilemma. THE CAR STRIPPERS Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . .. The Film Factory Director . . . . . .. . Hans Stammel[...]ss. . . . . . . . Eastman Progress . . . . . . . in Production Cast: Colin Borgonon, Cliff Sanderson, Colin Armstrong, Mucky Duck. Synopsis: The stripping of a late model car on a dusty, remote Australian highway. THE CONFESSIONS OF RONALD BIGGS Prod Company. .. The Grundy Organisation Dist Company. . . . . . . . .[...], Christine Dupont. Synopsis: A documentary shot in Brazil, France, England and Australia on the re- telling of the Ronald Biggs story by Biggs himself. It traces the story from the Great Train Robbery to his life in Brazil. FIRST THINGS FIRST[...]st: Carmen Duncan, Tony Bonner. Synopsis: A study in infatuation.[...]Narelle Martin, Sonia Martin. Synopsis: A film on the cycle and all its uses in today's life style, ranging from children's bikes to the businessman, racing and tour cycles. Part of the film-is on the restoration of a BSA winged wheel cycle which is the only one left in Australia. GOLDEN NATURE (Working Title) Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . .. The Film Factory Director . . . . . .. Hans Stammel[...].. .. June 1978 Synopsis: Musical documentary of the return to nature of a gold mining district Nature left to itself will remove or cover up most signs of man’s intrusion or destruction of the district[...]lddell. Peter Drouyn, Peter Nelsen, Ian Goodrell, the Kapo Brothers. Synopsis: Surfing In Hawaii and Europe featuring contemporary Hawaiian[...]. . . . . . . . . . . . . January 1978 Synopsis: The life and times of Australia's first Victoria Cross winner.[...]ng Lesley Tucker. Synopele: Passionate love story of immodest emotions forcing dramatic changes in an idyllic relationship. which after much heartbreak, reaches new heights. THE KING OF THE TWO DAY WONDER Director . . .[...]
	[...]ofdlsls - - » - - - - < < - - -- Pllll Sllfllngi THE NEWMAN SHAME Costume/Wardrobe.. ... Gabrielle Dal[...]l Gill pidducllcne John Phillips Prod Company... The Grundy Organisation Sound Ediidr _ _ _ i _ _ _ ,[...]chnical Adlriedr _ _ _ _ i _ i __ John Maeierecni THE 1-Hm EDGE Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]er ' H Mike Jacob Robertson. Ron Watkins and with the Boom Operator... Trevoreaines 0dldrprdceee__ Ea[...]_ih0r0grarj'h'y" Zhigniew Friedrich participation of Peter Sumner. _ Clapper/Loader“ . Simon Ackerma[...]cror " ‘r r i H Mike Hudson Synopsis: A writer of “pulp" detective Galfer . . , , . .. . Robbie Young Casi: Bub Buriorh members or the NrS_w_ Edrror .. .. Cris Barson Sound Rec6rhr.S.r[...]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pre-Production THE LAs.r.l.ASMANlAN Assistant Editor . . . . . . .. ..D aiheg rigp using abstract images to link the Sound neCOruisl____ Billlaaxlei Synopsis‘: Siu[...]Butte’/set Dle-959" 3V‘ '05. Y transformation of human beings through A in l Michael R0 ere i ii inslilulioh arlei. dcih an[...]rgr e hrornrl a d h b em regrabrrrrarron Pty Ltd in association with Tasmanian 3rd Assl Direclcrr Law[...]vr_iraUroErl/rel 0 -up an er su sequ . Department ofthe most important Ga gr‘ " drew de Grcdi WOMAN S[...]engln H _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ H 93 rnin deveiohrriehr in Science in Cause ihe hrsi Contlnul y. .. n D Vrd Gomerr P d[...]azenby, Joan Bruce, Dianne seven lrarlelcrnlancne in all Bridger S4500 Phologranhyr I H John Laurie[...]Buflo“ vice syndicate. Ex-Hong Kong police PORT OF FREMANTLE — Cl’°9rreD$-rri-dr -Mii-Chéi-i-[...].. Charles R995 inspector, John Brandy, is called in to assist wssremi AUSTRALIAthe bank rnanagefls Wld°‘”‘ (W0ll<l”9 Tlllel[...]tammel Jacquie Gardner Synopsis: Mutualrstrength in the face of the developmern an e opera ions 0 e o ehuul a person[...]lements alienating industrial complex which could of Fremante. SCilulReSeaich_i___ H Hanesiammel Elec[...]. , . .. LembltLaats ranntzrngjarly does destroy the two people UNDER THE STEAM Lenglh A i _ _ _ _ _ _ i i _ _ _ V _ _ __ l[...]. . . . . . . . . . . .. Pri_:3rreMRobin Producer THE 3WAGMAl:mOn Dekker grpgcgrmnany . . . . .. Drarna[...]' ' ' ' ' ’ ' ' ’ ' ' ’ ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' " ' of W.A. Sound Recordist. . .. .. Mario Vinck NOT JUST THE OBJECT Photography. . . Anton gelr:lr:er Srcorgrernglrayu -jam ligrljrtig Synopsis: Docurnenlary in Cnunler Camera Asst... Adrien Fortis Director .[...]ton ekker Photo rabrry» »-liameserani vandalism in edhcaiionai insiihriiionsr Continuity. . . .. ..[...]esel Continuity. .. ...Caro\|yn Howard For details of the following 16mm films Photography . . . . . . . .[...]lse Still Photography. . . . . John Delacour arm: the N'e.5e' Len in “ _ r i _ _ _ i i_ 23 rnin Camera Asst . . . .[...]--i;:ri- ii '“'” Richard Muiphei John Le,‘ _The,Ba\|\|et Dancer Graphics Designer . . . . . . . .. Bernard Lodge synopsis:iThe study of two craftsmen and Color Pr_ocess..r . . . . -Fir[...]rint for Survival DavidrBookman Dorrough working inThe Business ofrC_o-operation Sound Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Mick Audley jeweller. Produced for the Crafts Council of bad luck but comes good in t e end. or no re-rum Dernciiiicn Asst Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Joherrl Allrrirrrtson. Australia. ' A1_rI:r)roE;:e!tl=:c;.igrrh Tied en orris e n 0 c oos Kate Grenville THE Sc“-P MERCHANT ULTRA SOUND Ever Care But No Res[...].. Les McKern 1 00,000 l-lGl'lTS_ Prod Company... The Grundy Organisation [working Title) y Fer west r Budget. . . 5122.605 Prod Company. . . . . .. The_Film Factory Dist Company . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]rod company I r I r I i r H Bill Gill prdducllcne The Grayedrgger and thereirl Length . . . . . . . .[...]nr_ A i _ _ _ _ I _ _ _ _ __ Bill Gill Hansfofd _ the cor-npemor Color Process... .. Eastman 7247 Prod[...]n phclddrapny , , , , ,_ . . Hans Stammel Harvest of Rate Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Post[...]oger Mlrarns Edlldr _ _ _ _ _ H i_ Hans slarnrnel The Importance ofrKeeplng Perfectly Still Out: Anthro[...]to Paradise supported by past and present natives_of Editor . . . . . .. . Hans Starnmel Editor . . . , . . . . .. Tim_ el urn Prod Assn Janelprahce The Last aullet Tasmania, with some French and Engli[...]r. . .... Keithrspice Assl Edilcr _ Gale Johnsten The Last ofthe Leviathan-is appearances. Progress . .[...]th . . . . , , . . . . . . . . . .. 12 min A Mill of Hooks Synopsis: The extermination of the Tas_- Release_Date.. . .. May_1973 P’°d 39°"[...].. Eastman Not Only Pipes manian Aboriginals is the only case in Synopsis: The memory ofa_relationship_iust C0stume/ ardrobe. .[...]. . . . Shooting Reg-Perry_ Remembers recenttimes of agenocide so swift and total. pasthin the lights of a big city. Shot entirely Sound Recordist. .. . .[...]' - ‘ ‘ ‘ ' " ‘James Parker’ Synopsis: The documentation of rail flaw Teaching neadlnﬁ J°h“ Ea5l°" detection by means of computer technology A Young Girl Dreams of the Last Cowboy LIFE CLASS _r_iNG Camera Operator . .[...]- . P r ss . . . . . . , , . . . . . . . . . . .. In Production Makeup . . . . . . .. . Leslie Nichols[...]er students. Sponsor. . . .. Lamb Marketing Board of W.A. Special Effects. .. .. Monty Fleguth Photograp y. om owan r _ I pa y Synopsis‘ Documentary on the export of Electrician..... . Perry Sandow Editor . . . . .[...]Childrens western Australian lamb products, from the Runner. .. Peter Leidimier Sound Recordist. . . .[...]rney Media Workshop. MONDAY MOURNING producer on the land to the consumer in the Length. . . . . . . . ..90 min Mixer. . . .i . .[...]erimental Film and box hidden by a prison escapee in a remote Color Process. . Ektachrome Rever[...]
	[...]you need it! Wherever you want it! For any length of time at negotiable rates - that's Eastbern Truck Rentals. The full range of Landcruisers, 2-3 tonne moving vans (easily adapa[...]need it. For all your location shooting, anywhere in Australia, Eastbern’s got the right vehicles at the right prices. Short or long term rentals or even leasing arrangements (to take advantage of that 40% Tax Investment Allowance) are all only a[...]1161 Please Supply me with literature regarding the rental of your fleet of Land- cruisers, commercial vehicles and air-condi[...].................................. ..post . . . the friendly alternative. GA482 FGDEEZMll[D)[...]nmekn nu» Scum) COMPLETE lama OuTFF‘ Fl(.i.'S in/:1-H 400‘ Mass clzys-rm. Syivc. Name F4f’S1[...]ated films SPECIIUSEI ll . iiiéﬁli HIIIMHOI OF PUPPEYS OR 0915(1)‘: fﬁfﬂll EIFECYF. HIT I[...]a Wild Pony Caddie 0 Harness Fever 0 Barney Land of the Morning Calm (Korea) ‘ Complete range of equipment, any format. Can offer processing facilities. Available in B/W and color. 168 PACIFIC HIGHWAY, NORTH[...]
	[...]ldren. Synopsis: Five television pilots aimed at the 5-12 year age group. each program is designed to encourage children in the following ways —— Rainbowman — to open their eyes and discover the world around them. The Rainbow Tribe — to go out into the environment and enjoy practical activities. Rainb[...]w World — a children’s media world — run by the children themselves Make Your Own Rainbow — a c[...]mme. AGAINST THE WIND Prod Company . , . . . . . Pegasus Productions for The Seven Network Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]e hour all-film episodes. A historical series set in 1797- 1809, tracing the life ol Mary Mulvene who is transported from Irel[...]psis: Bailey. an ex-Australian war pilot opts out of life in the Western world and remains in South East Asia. operating a one- man, one ‘pla[...]g from anywhere to anywhere. His son. Nick. born in South East Asia follows suit and runs away from school in Australia to join his father. Days pass with Bailey threatening to send the boy back and Nick inventing every possible excuse to remain with the South East Asian friends he grew up with and in the environment he knows and loves. Bailey's adventures with his trusty Mallard Seaplane and those of his son with his Asian friends make the exciting. sometimes lunny and sometimes near disa[...]rd. CHOPPER SQUAD Prod Company. . . The Grundy Organisation Dist Company. . . . . . . . .[...]ss . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Second series now in production Release Date . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . .. Perth Institute of Film and Television Producers . . . . . . . . .[...]hrome Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. In Production Synopsis: A series oi 13 children's t[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . . .. Perth Institute of Film and Television Producer . . . . . . . . . .[...]island. which is threatened by sand-mining and is the reported site 01 an old Dutch shipwreck. LOSS OF INNOCENCE Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]ress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. in Release Cast: John Fitzgerald. Ronald Falk, Moni[...]bould. synopsis: A tour part drama series tracing the life of Peter Robinson from boyhood in the depression to manhood in the 1970s. STOPWATCH Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . .. Perth Institute of Film and Television Directors . . . . . . . . . .[...]n Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. in Production Synopsis: Stopwatch is a series of documentary and drama programs produced specially to fill the demand for Australian shorts for the 12-14 age group. The series will be released as supports for children'[...]nings and for television programs. For details of the following TV series and films see the previous issue: Because He's My Friend Kirby company Nolan At Sixty Run From the Morning Twenty Good Years AVEC FILM UNIT jw THE MAKING OF ANNA Prod Company. . .. A[...]on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Education Dept of Victoria Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]A documentary for students ol media which follows the progress of Esben Storms In Search oi Anna. The work of crew members and the development by the director are observed in detail over the 1000km covered during shooting. A HISTORY OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION (Working Title) Prod[...]on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Education Dept of Victoria Director . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. P[...]. . . . . . . . . .. .... Eastman Progress.. . . In Production Synopsis: An animated film tor secondary and technical students of graphic communication which explores the profound influence oi visual communication at every stage in the development of Western civilization. FILM AUSTRALIA BABY TALK Prod Company . . . , , . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. . Film Australia Director . . . . . . . .. .. Karl McPhee Screenpl[...]Process. . . . . .. Eastman Progress . . . . .. . in Production Release Date . . . . . . . . . . . . .. April/May1978 Synopsis: Children talking in entertaining situations — designed to encourage[...]F Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. . Film Australia Director . . . . .. Dietmar Fill Producer. . ..[...]m Color Proces Eastman Progress . . . . .. . , , In Production Release Date . . . . . . . . . . . .. September 1978 Synopsis: A microscopic look at the Great Barrier Reef. ECOLOGY 1 AND 3[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. . . Film Australia Director . . . . . . . David Barrow Producer.. ..[...]. . . July 1978 Synopsis: Fundamental principals of population ecology.[...]NG Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Film Australia Dist Company. . . . . . . . . . .. Film Australia Director. . . . . David Haythornthwaite Producer.[...]Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In Production Release Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 1978 Synopsis: Prawning in the Gulf ol Carpentaria. HARBOUR Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Film Australia Dist Company. . .. Film Australia Director . . . . .. ... Dean Semler Producer. . .[...]. . . . .. April 1978 Synopsis: Seasonal aspects of Sydney Harbour. HERITAGE TRAIN Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. . .. .. Film Australia Director . . . . .. Michael Pearce Screenplay. .[...]Process. .... . Eastman Progress . . . . . .. .. In Production Release Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. July 1978 Synopsis: A documentary on the Royal Silver Jubilee Train, showing the life on board this mobile museum. as well as describing some of the priceless relics on show to the Australian public PRODUCTIVITY IS PEOPLE Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. . ... Film Australia Director . . . . .. . . Michael Robertson Scriptw[...]. . . . . . . . . . . .. David Huggett Synopsis: In a case study followed over a period of several months at a Sydney lactory. we see a spec[...]roductivity improvement. Initiated by management, the productivity improvement project is taken on by factory personnel in a creative process of problem finding and solving. PROJECT “A"[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. .. Film Australia Director . . . . . . . . . . Greg Reading Produce[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Director . . . . . . .. . Graham Chase Producer.[...]. . . . . . . . . .. Eastman Progress. . . .. .. In Production Release Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1978 Cast: The people of the Solomon Islands. Synopsis: The people of the Solomon Islands become an independent nation on 7 July 1978. Film Australia will cover this historic event and show the lives 01 the people of this shattered country. We will study the cultures, crafts and the changing way ol the life of the people. The film will have a "unifying" effect on this new na[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . .. .. Film Australia Dist Company. . . . . . , . . .. Film Australia Director . . . . .. . . . David Roberts Producer.[...]. . . . . . . . March 1978 Synopsis: A film shot in Bamyili where Gulpilil lives in the Northern Territory. lt observes three dances, “The Emu" “The Kangaroo" and “The Fish". The first two are solo performances by Gulpilil. The third is a group dance with some of the children from Bamyili. WALYA NGAMARDIKI, THE LAND MY MOTHER Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Film Australia Dist Company.. Film Australia Director. . . . David Roberts[...]. . . . . . . . .. March/April1978 Synopsis; The relationship between Aboriginal people and their land in both historical and contemporary contexts. WHAT[...]Prod Company . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Film Australia Dist Company . . . . . . . . . . .. Film Australia Director . . . . . . .. . . ... Janet Isaac Scr[...]March 1978 Synopsis: Trigger films on innovation in the N.S.W. Education Department. WILDLIFE PATROL Prod Company . . . . . .. . . . . Film Australia Dist Company. . . . . . . . . .. Film Australia Director . . . . . . . . . . .. David Haythornth[...]. .. Eastman Progress . . . . . . . . . . . .. . in Production Release Date . . . . . . . . . , .[...]8 Synopsis: A trip with a wildlife patrol officer in the Northern Territory. We study in some detail the wildlife of the area. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FILM CORPORATION j ADUL[...]or . . . . . . . . . . .. State Library ol South Australia Synopsis: The film aims to show the general public the advantages of libraries. particularly to those who do not use libraries. It also aims to recruit people to the library profession. CONDITIONING FOR SPORT Scre[...]. . . . . .. Videotape Synopsis: To demonstrate the various methods of conditioning for sport. e.g. oxygen transp[...]
	THE SPECIAL LOVE STORY OF PADDY DOOLAN AND HIS FAMILY.TI-IEY WILL BE TORN[...]BlF. Adapted from lhn novel "'\|'l-IE. lRlSHMA.\"' In’ ELIZABI-1'l‘H O'C().\'NER A Forest[...]
	@2'£lm%2 THE IRISHMAN Susan Dermody Tlte Irishman is a film[...]rames, and puts on record certain Australian ways of life, and their accompanying bric-a—brac, that are all but locked in the recent past. It carries out its refurbishing and cataloguing work with exquisite care. and if you share the films fascination with early 20th century technology. transport and streetscapes, richly set in resonance with northern Aust- ralian countryscapes, then you will feast, frame by frame. The Venus Battery, the corrugated houses on stilts, the outlook through wood-slatted verandahs, the shade—wells of shop awning and town interiors — they are not just set in but set off by the ragged shapes of Australian trees. odd hillocks and boulders, sleekly—curved sandbanks, banks and streaks of cloud in the bluest possible sky. If you were to see The Irishman in another country in the middle of winter. you would want to come home immediately; but there is so much hunger ofthe heart in it. because it is a world you cannot come home to. It is a past that can hardly ever be pried open again for the eyes or the imagination. And, conse- quently, there is a kind of quiet exotica made available through the film. an exotica that has to do with pastoral and artisanal elements of Australian life lost in our transition to the centralized. consum- erized, Fraserized present. The narrative of The Irishman, however. tends to slip too frequently back to the status of pretext for the powerful picturesque essay of the film. And this is unfortunate because the lilm is structured towards narrative. It promises the expected set of gratiftcations and then too often fails, falters, or tries too hard, leaving the audience grumbling and vaguely deprived, even willing to get nasty about the way the rich pictorial and historical values have been approached. (“What a cheat — they just used the one camera angle down into the street in the town, again and again . . . Nothing really happened!“) In fact, much has happened - whole cycles of people‘s lives went by — but plainly, too plainly, the audience could see the over-careful cogs of script within those cycles, could sense the occasionaljolts and resistance of the parts, and became embarrassed and unforgiving. Ob[...]ive to rich, almost literary material like this. The story has to be urgently present, exploding outwards so that it doesn't merely display the riches of this particular conjunction oftime and place, and[...]ationships between objects, landscape and story. The most obvious comparison is The Picture Show Man, and the most obvious contrast, Caddie. In each case one is placed at one or more nostalgic removes from the present. But while The Irishman seems to me more densely peopled and detailed than The Picture Show Man, and while the superseded life that is its subject «has more body, it is missing the simple fail- proof ‘drive-mechanism‘ plot of Caddie. Paddy Dool-an (Michael Craig) leading his team of Clydesdales. Don Crombie‘s The Irishman. Caddie has a central ﬁgure. a lone woman battling and surviving the odds. with true-life and human-interest fascin- ation for its audience. The Irishman would appear to share some of these plot characteristics; instead. it is about a slow fading of a life (and way of life) into the landscape. Furthermore, this process is decentra- lized by focussing on the two sons (and to some extent the wife) of Paddy Doolan, the Irishman, the last tcamster in the gulf country. In particular, it follows Michael, the younger son. as he necessarily shifts about for p[...]se his own eludes him, until he swings decisively in the direction of Dalgleish (replacing untrustworthy Irish with dye-straight Scots). Will, the elder son, reflects his father‘s pig-headedness back at him in a way that Paddy cannot tolerate. driving him to a near murderous attack on his son. This, in turn, becomes the wedge that drives Paddy away — or. so we are asked to believe. This is the most dislocating and unmoti- vated development in the plot; one that severely undermines the sense of under- stated-because-understood family bonds the opening phase of the story has meticulously built up —- particularly in the ﬁnely handled opening sequence which takes us through the return of Paddy with him teams and up to nightfall ofthat day. Suddenly, the plot asserts that Paddy is at heart the kind of Australian father whose allegiance is not to family but to something else — in this case, something incompatible like 14 Clydesdales and the life of the roving teamster. But the characterization of Paddy has left us unprepared for this development — possibly because it has been relocated into the point of view of Michael (and the characters of both sons) — but not quite consistently or with[...]ot development appears to be unacceptably lacking in psychological motivation in a film that has set out to be a kind of psy- chological study. How can Jenny, or Michael, or the audience, abruptly accept that there is for Paddy, nothing to come back to"? The device of Michael (and the perfor- mance of Simon Burke) saves the film from becoming completely unhinged by this shift. But it is only if you notice that the lilm is not about the colorful. obstinate, time-locked Paddy, but about[...]n Michael, who looks, listens, and takes to heart in a way that is slightly gauche and immensely graceful. The death of his father turns out to be the platform from which his maturity can spring. and Michael rides off towards the job with Dalgleish, but on one of the Irishman‘s Clydesdale horses. All four leadin[...]though Robyn Nevin and Michael Craig suffer from the films inability to decide between its grounding in the pictorial. and its pull towards story. The part of Jenny, and of the Irishman himself, tend to belong to the first, but dragged along by the second. They are well cast, but Craig — and Robyn Nevin in particular. — seem to have too much energy and[...]they are. I am not sure that this split between the narrative and the visual is sufficient to account for the failings of the film as a story -— especially since there seems[...]tory and quite richly worked scenes within it. Or the opening sequence‘ I have already mentioned, that so well articulates many ofthe l'ilm’s themes. Or the use ofthe two grandparents to introduce a peculiarly apt mixture of black comedy and real mortality. Even the minor notes, such as grandmother Mary. are complexly worked in. Perhaps there is danger in channelling the film through Michael‘s adolescent viewpoint, in that it seems to eliminate too many important facts, or possibilities of plot, as if a G-rated world view had been created, safe for all ages. But again, this sense of being somewhat confined to a cramped and unexpansive view of the world within the film may result from the priority it gives to the pictorial record. rather than the narrative possibilities, of its material. Either way. the pictorial values of the film emerge as its greater strength, and if this has unbalanced the film, then it is still a pleasurable way to lose one’s balance. The use of golden-toned Agfa-Geva- color seals the film into the past like a patina of age on the images. Composition within the frame is at once highly formal in its arrangement oftones, and meticulously casual in its framing of objects — like the paintings of the Heidelberg School to which it so often alludes (even down to the Tom Roberts-style tents in so many back- grounds). The cinematography is particularly sensitive towards the way that light falls within the cavernous corrugated-iron interiors ofthe ﬁlm,[...]ung up to dry. and walls and objects slightly out of plumb, as if everything is settling slowly with the earth. It seems to me to be reasonable and defen[...]role — oflovingly putting on record some aspect of the visual store of the immediate past — even at risk of slightening its narrative force. We are a society[...]mory, and quick to discount what we have as being of little value. Films like The Irishman, with a sense of historical seriousness towards the visual store they‘re prising open, may help locate Australians in their own country. ‘It is culturally boring to live in a society that remains vague and mistrustful about its past, and cynical about any version of the future, as if Australia is just a temporary measure for maximum short-term proﬁt. To quote the Irishman, “that‘s about as much good to anybody as tits on a bull.“ The Irishman: Directed by Don Crombie. Producer: Anthony Buckley. Screenplay: Don Crombie. from the novel by Elizabeth O‘Conner. Director of Photography: Peter James. Editor: Tim Wellburn. M[...]ributor: GUO Film Distri- butors. 3.5mm. ll0 min. Australia. 1978. Cinema Papers. April/June — 355
	[...]TO MOUTH Jack Clancy “You say y0u’ve seen it in the movies; This movie ’s just begun. " The lyrics that accompany the ending of John Duigan’s new ﬁlm are true enough, in one sense; we have seen stories of “young love” before. But in another very important sense, we have not seen anything like this in Australian ﬁlms. 356 — Cinema Papers, April/[...]o ﬁnd an Australian ﬁlm with this combination of compassionate observation, social concern and behavioral truth. One thinks immediately of Pure Shit, then perhaps 27A, Office Picnic and touches of The Removalists or Don's Party. But it is impossible[...]ustralian ﬁlm which so boldly tackles a subject of urgent social concern, and so triumphantly brings it off. The subject is the young unemployed and, more especially, those who[...]nd Tim (Ian Gilmour). two young country boys down in the city to ﬁnd work. The four are carefully delineated — Carrie tougher and more aggressive than Jeannie; Tim with a kind of cow-chucks country boy’s self- consciousness, a[...]ly caught as they agree, warily, to set up a kind of domesticity together in what looks like an abandoned power station. At ﬁrst the bonds are closer between the two girls — and the two boys — than between boy and girl. The initiatives lie always (in a way that recalls Duigan’s earlier The Trespassers) with the worldly wise and temporarily employed girls, and their mixture of deﬁant bravado and giggling intimacy is too muc[...]h Carrie still harking back to a previous lover. The differences are underlined, perhaps too heavily. by Duigan and his cinematographer Tom Cowan, in purely spatial terms. in fact, one of the more impressive things about this ﬁlm (and here The Trespassers forms a contrasting reference point) is the way the script is spare and functional, while the burden of the narrative and the shifting emotional patterns is carried visually.[...]y technical or aesthetic point: it has to do with the way the ﬁlm communicates a sense of its characters’ lives‘, forces us to see[...]tand, before we condemn or sympathize. Obviously the performances, particularly’ of the four principals, are directly relevant here, and in his four youngsters Duigan has discovered, and made use of, what are potentially considerable talents. The performances seemed to me, not surprisingly I suppose, to achieve degrees of excellence in proportion to the demands the roles made on them. Kim Krejus as Carrie is extra[...]zeto and Ian Gilmour almost equally so — as are the others in the cast, particularly Michael Carman as Tony, the former boyfriend, and Walter Pym as Fred, the old “derro" who shares the place with them. Having established the four teenagers in this precarious, vulnerable domestic arrangement, the ﬁlm moves forward with a sense, if not of doom, then of inevitability. The girl’s temporary jobs finish and the boys are still unable to get work: the girls steal food and clothes from stores, the boys copy them; the girls, again with attitudes of bravado, begin doing escort work; the boys resent it but cannot stop it. Jeannie can‘[...]lf to continue, Carrie does so, deﬁantly. with the old man‘s death, and the arrival of the credibly unsympathetic police, the delicate structure of mutual survival (this, as well as the sexual overtones, is suggested in the ﬁlm’s title) is broken apart. One can foresee possible objections to this ﬁlm. The ﬁrmly realist mode can seem too like a television style‘. yet the reply is surely that we could do with more television, or ﬁlm, drama with the feeling and acute observation to be found here. The ﬁlm is bound to encounter charges that it encourages too great an identiﬁcation with its characters; the sort of criticism made of Pure Shit, and an equally misconceived one. There will probably be an opposite claim that the ﬁlm is not sympathetic enough — another charge emerging from a failure to perceive the delicate balance of detachment and sympathy. One’s hope is that middle-Australia, with its dole-bludger mentality, at least gets a[...]question. There are minor criticisms to be made of aspects of Duigan‘s treatment of his script. Besides the heavily pointed spatial arrangements of particular scenes, the sequence on the beach evokes one of the heaviest of romantic and anti-romantic cliches, And I wasn’t too happy with the end—title song; its reiterated “the more you love, the harder you fall” seems intended ironically, but its foregrounding takes it well beyond the level of the transistor “junk" that has been recurring throughout as an index of the characters’ view of reality. Honesty and concern are not guarantees of a ﬁlm, though they are necessary prerequisites.[...]ure, and a visual quality that would be admirable in a ﬁlm with four times this ones extraordinarily[...]an, Jon Sainken. Screenplay John Duigan. Director of Photography Tom Cowan. Editor Tony Paterson. Art[...]or Roadshow. 35 mm (blown up from 16 mm). 90 min. Australia. 1978.
	JULIA Keith Connolly This is a nostalgic film, in style, subject and sensibility. It employs the technical skills of today to evoke the recent past, exuding that air of knowing rectitude characteristic ofthe early Fred Zinnemann in The Seventh Cross, The Search, and Act of Violence. With Alvin Sargent‘s dutiful screenplay under his arm, the 70 year-old director gallantly escorts fellow sep[...]by Jane Fonda, back into a rose~colored afterglow of recollection. Not altogether surprisingly, Julia is a very nice-looking exercise in deja vu, a wedge of romantic melodrama of didactic mien. It is based on an episode in Pemimenlo, the second volume of Lillian Hellman’s autobiographical trilogy in which she recalls a heroic friend, identiﬁed on[...]merican who studied at Oxford and then with Freud in Vienna, became “a premature anti-fascist” and[...]rld War 2. She is seen to be as knowingly certain of her path as Lillian is confusedly hesitant - although the writer responds when the whips of conscience crack. lfthis indicates a certain ambivalence of attitude, it is a characteristic reflected in Zinnemann and Sargent‘s approach to their source material, evident from the opening sequence ofthe ﬁlm. Over a shot of Fonda's silhouette hunched in a ﬁshing dinghy (presumably in the present day). she is heard quoting the first paragraph of Pem/‘memo: “Old paint on canvas, as it ages, sometimes becomes transparent and it is possible to see the original lines . . . the old conception, replaced by a later choice, is a way of seeing and then seeing again." A few scenes later, however, in another voice-over extract from the book, she says: “I have always known about my m[...]both ways — a charge also ﬂung at Ms Hellman in the ﬂurry stirred by Scoundrel Time, the third volume of her memoirs. She is bitter about the way many Americans behaved during the McCarthy terror and says so, frequently, in pungent prose and speech. (Her critics, in reply, accuse her of blindness to far greater sins on the Left.) Lillian Hellman, however, remains a perpe[...]to many who either remained silent or bayed with the McCarthyite hounds. She castigates them: “I had believed . . . that the educated, the intellectual, lived by what they claimed to believe in: Freedom of thought and speech, the right of each man to his own convictions.” Such a spirit of indignant recrimination, however justified, arouses certain misgivings about the way Julia is depicted, in both book and film. One begins to suspect that, assurances notwithstanding, Julia is painted in theof school friend Julia, who lives with ossiﬁed, filthy-rich grandparents (much married mother is into the British aristocracy). Julia goes on to Oxford an[...]r lover, writer Dashiell Hammett (Jason Robards). The only time the two friends see each other is when Lillian dashes to Vienna after Julia is critically wounded in an Austrian government attack on the workers‘ district. The storyline turns on the risky deed Lillian performs for her friend in 1937. Zinnemann here is at his facile best, tightening the tension imperceptibly, then channelling the narrative into a sequence of wistful pathos. Lillian smuggles $50,000 of Julia’s own money to her friend in Berlin, on behalf of the anti-Nazi underground. When they meet, a wan, severe Julia (she lost a leg in the Vienna siege) explains that thein Alsace. Later, after Julia‘s death. Lillian vainly seeks the child (in her memoirs, Ms Hellman reveals that William Wyler, a native of Alsace, helped in the unsuccessful search). Even for a Hollywood still savoring a honeymoon with radical chic, the casting of Fonda and Redgrave in parts so close to their personal political procli[...]It works quite well. Fonda convincingly suggests the gritty, vulnerable intelligence of Hellman, while Redgrave, in the lesser role, is a brisk, bright zealot. What doesn’t come through, and this is a serious flaw, is the nature of the deep bond between the two women. (The ﬁlm retains a scene described by Ms Hellman in which she reacts angrily to a sneering suggestion[...]nst Evil. Her dedication and untroubled rejection of riches and comfort are contrasted to Hellman’s[...]n a sable coat or “give it to Roosevelt." (Most of Lillian Hellman‘s plays concern struggles between good and evil in the human personality.) What Zinnemann and Sargent might have developed further is the teacher- pupil nature of the relationship, particularly in its adolescent phase. They do, however, suggest how Lillian‘s outlook is affected by the money- smuggling mission and Julia‘s martyrdom. Although the film is less than briskly paced, some things are skipped over that might have been elucidated — the Right- wing attack in which Julia was maimed and Julia. “a thoroughly well-intcntioncd evocation of liberal humanism in the face of a totalitarian extremism.“ Lillian (Jane[...]
	JULIA THE MANGO TREE the Nazi persecution of university Jeyvs were not exactly the same movement; Lillian bawls at Hammett: “It‘[...]— but not everyone has read and remembered all the credits of The Maltese Falcon. The only signiﬁcant departure from Hellman‘s own[...]es Julia‘s death so that it immediately follows the smuggling episode. giving a false (but dramatically—sharpened) impression of cause and effect. lnevitably, the ﬁlm says a lot more about Lillian than Julia (s[...]matic figure, as does Hammett). Referring to them in an epilogue which returns to the opening shot. Lillian says of the two people who did so much to shape her life: “I am stubborn. l have not forgotten either of them.“ Their importance to Lillian is emphasized constantly. Hammett subtly goads her into writing “the best play anyone‘s written in a long time“, Julia advises: “Don‘t let people talk you out of your anger“. Like Hellman‘s plays, the ﬁlm‘s basic thematic concern is with the moral implications of human conduct. When Hammett tells Lillian, distressed by the cold-blooded indifference of Julia”s grandparents: “They were only interested in her money!“. he might be describing the venal characters of The Little Foxes and Another Parr 0,/'1/we Forest, wh[...]power. Zinnemann establishes a nostalgic patina of modishly-moody recollection, in that peculiar vein of Hollywood-verite which pays due regard to the salient features of the period without quite achieving verisimilitude. (I had much the same reaction to Hal Ashby‘s Bound for Glory.) The scenes in hotels, trains, ships. stations, cafes and the hospital — all photographed with ﬁorid richne[...]locombe —— are apposite enough, although some of Anthea Sy\|bert‘s striking Costume designs have a foot in two epochs. (Here one can‘t but be reminded of Hel\|man’s immortal rebuff to the McCarthyites: “I cannot and will not cut my con[...]ite passing obeisances to commercial imperatives, the ﬁlm is a thoroughly well-intentioned evocation of liberal humanism in the face of totalitarian extremism. In the twilight of his career, Zinnemann, the European ﬁlmmaker who fled the spreading Nazi shadow for a career in Hollywood, achieves a certain pentimento of his own. .l l'l.\|A: Directed by Fred Zinncnia[...]Julian Dcrodc. Screenplay Alvin Sargent. Director of Photography l)ouglas Slocombc. litlitor Waller Mu[...]20th Ccnturv-Fox. 35 mm. ll6 min. U.S. i977. THE MANGO TREE Brian McFarlane So much of The Mango Tree is very attractive that it seems churlish to begin on a sour note. The trouble is that what goes wrong is at the heart ofthe ﬁlm —- or, rather, where the heart of the ﬁlm seems meant to be. As in several recent Australian ﬁlms (The Getting of Wisdom, The Devil's Playground), an adolescent’s response to the pains of growing up appears to be the 358 — Cinema Papers, April/June central preoc[...]tor (here, Kevin Dobson). This is certainly true of the Ronald McKie novel on which the film is based; but the film never decides whether Jamie Carr (Christopher Pate) is to be a spectator or a participant in the ﬁlm’s action. It is never clear how he is meant to be changed by his observation of, or his involvement in, the incidents which make up the ﬁlm”s straggling plot. Neither Michael Pate‘s screenplay nor Christopher Pate‘s performance help in this respect. The screenplay wanders disconcertingly from one episode to the next, from one point of View to the other. One is usually more interested in what is happening to someone else than to Jamie. When Mrs Plover (Carol Burns) is taken off to the “loony bin”, for example, it is the woman’s blank disorientation and her daughter’s angry held—in grief that interest -— and move — us, not what the observing Jamie makes of it. But if Pate pére cannot adjust his focus to give the ﬁlm a logical coherence, neither can Pate /ils[...]him, but nothing seems to happen inside him. Only in the obligatory scene of sexual initiation (with Diane Craig‘s touchingl[...]n authentically adolescent clumsy gentleness; and the scene is done with tact and restraint. As he leaves Bundaberg at the end of the ﬁlm, I thought (and probably unfairly) of Paul Morel at the end of Sons and Lovers. It is unfair to compare a modest ﬁlm with one of the great English novels of growing up, but the comparison does point out the ﬁlm’s weakness. For all the novel’s faults, Lawrence makes us feel that Pau[...]lity is its centre — however much we may resist the overwrought introspectiveness of some of the writing — and people and incidents take on a sp[...]ility. Christopher Pate looks too old for 18 (“the devil's year“, not that anything very devilish happens to him) and doesn’t make us care what becomes of Jamie at what are presumably the crucial moments of his adolescence. He is too limited an actor to ﬁll in the gaps in the screenplay, let alone pull its episodic narrative habits into line by creating a sense of a developing consciousness. All the drama about the crazed preacher (extravagantly overplayed by Gera[...]ble. At ﬁrst his hellﬁre proclamation that “the devil works in all things” promises an interesting moral tension between its brutal life-denial and the evidence of luxuriant life that Brian Probyn‘s camera so lovingly details. After that, and until his violent death in the mill, the sub-plot involving him, his niece and her boyfriend, is peripheral to the ﬁlm’s — and our — main concerns, and is indeed gratuitously melodramatic, providing the wrong kind of excitement for an essentially gentle ﬁlm. It is never made to seem part of the texture of Jamie’s life, or ofthe life surrounding him. But lets turn to the credit side of the ﬁlm. Visually, it is ravishing; Bundaberg in 1917 looks an idyllic place to grow up in. Probyn gives us beautifully muted interiors (wit[...]aneﬁelds, Geraldine Fitzgcruld as Grandma Carr in thc perform-.mi:e that is The Mango Tree's strength - and weakness. weatherboa[...]morning riverscape, and much more. It is perhaps the best-looking Australian ﬁlm so far, scene after scene unerringly composed and lit, and yet resisting the temptation to linger over the astonishing beauty it finds in the Queensland countryside and its recreated township. What really gives The Mango Tree its distinction, though, and makes us forget its deﬁciencies, is the performance of Geraldine Fitzgerald as Grandma Carr. In 1945, James Agee in reviewing Siodmak’s Uncle Harry wrote that he was excited by “the beauty, intelligence, and ability of Geraldine Fitzgerald, and by seeing her after years ofcriminal neglect in a role which, though not by a long way good enough for her, does give her room to move around in and things to do, and ought to guarantee her role[...]erald has played such roles on stage (Mary Tyrone in Long Day's Journey [mo Night, for instance) but rarely in ﬁlms, though she was invariably ﬁne when she did turn up in subsidiary roles in Ten North Frederick, as a viciously ambitious wife or, more recently, in Harry and Tonto, where she had a heart-breaking moment or two as Art Carney’s old ﬂame. But not until The Mango Tree has she had a part “good enough for[...]aphoristic lines sound as if she has just thought of them, and even her patriotic speech at the towns war-time rally sounds as if it belongs to the character. Fitzgerald has style and warmth, shar[...]woman” (as one character sums up Mrs Carr). But the controlled intelligence of her playing persistently refuses the script‘s invitations to cliches of matriarchical wisdom or pioneering hardihood. Sh[...]s for easy sympathy: nor is there anything stagey in the performance. Instead, every effect — whether she is chuckling over a good story in the Bible or, in her ﬁnal scene, reliving with dream-like clarit[...]ago with a handsome bushranger — appears to be the result of knowing quietly and exactly what the woman she is playing is like inside. It is important to stress that Geraldine Fitzgerald’s performance is the ﬁ1m’s strength; but it is also its weakness.[...]is her grandson whose development should provide the ﬁlm’s dynamic end, but it does not. There is nothing ungenerous in Miss Fitzgerald’s performance, but no one else in the ﬁlm can match it. Certainly not Robert Helpmann as a stereotyped remittance man with a “dear lady" turn of speech, though in fairness it should be said that he merely goes where the script leads him. In minor roles, Maggie Millar, as a fallen lady help[...]d Gloria Dawn is a solidly convincing presence as the housekeeper. The Mango Tree is an honorable addition to the nostalgia school of Australian ﬁlmmaking. Kevin Dobson clearly feels for the milieu he has created, and he is admirably assist[...]ral principles. There is a lot to be grateful for in the incidental pleasures of recent
	THE MANGO TREE THE LACEMAKER Australian ﬁlms, but the industry urgently needs something tougher and more coherent. THE MANGO TREE: Directctl by Kevin Dobson. Producer M[...]iltictioits. ll)9ist7ributor GUO. 35 mm. 110 min. Australia. THE LACEMAKER Inge Pruks Claude Goretta, born in Geneva in 1929, began making documentaries for Swiss television in the 1950s. He also made numerous literary adaptions a[...]fore undertaking his four feature ﬁlms; Le {cm (The Madman — 1970), L’Invitation (The Invitation — 1973), Pas si mechant que ca (That Wonderful Crook —- 1975), and now La dentelliere (The Lacemaker — 1977). Goretta is interested in the modest and the unexceptional in life, and it is not Surprising to ﬁnd that some of his favorite writers are Maupassant, Gogol, Chekh[...]e admires, he has named Vigo, Renoir and Becker. In his ﬁlms he concentrates on what the French call the“quotidien“, the details of every day reality and the tensions which often lurk behind the curtain of all that is mundane. The tone of his films is one of understatement, and it is created by a certain refusal to engage fully in either the comic or the tragic, to caricature or to over dramatize. He is a documentarist at heart. The Lacemaker is about a crack-up, to quote one of Goretta‘s favorite Fitzgerald stories. The process is slow and undramatic (“Of course all life is a process of breaking down,“ says Fitzgerald), but it is nonetheless painful and devastating for both characters in the ﬁlm. Beatrice (Isabelle Huppert) is an apprent[...]. an older and more experienced girl who works at the same salon. Beatrice, also nicknamed Pomme, is ge[...]ene is business- like, bright and talkative. Even in these early scenes with Marylene, Goretta is preparing us for the force of the ﬁnal image of the lacemaker, contained in the last close-up as well as in the closing words of Pascal Laine’s novel: “And so he passed by he[...]t to her, without seeing her. Because she was one of those souls who make no sigh, but who need to be[...], whom you have to know how to look at. An artist in another age would have made her the subject of a genre painting. She would have been a seamstress, a water carrier . or a lacemaker”. In other words, Pomme is cast as a “secondary” character, lacking the individuality of a Mona Lisa or a Madame Recamier, or even the girl in Greuze’s “Broken Pitcher", but possessing a gentleness, a willingness to serve which links her to all the youthful maidens who posed in anonymity for painters who needed a model for the[...]le role is emphasized again and again: it is part of her job to sweep up the hair on the salon ﬂoor. Goretta contrasts this lightly with Marylene who collects the tip from the client at the door. At Marylene’s lszibcllc lluppert as Beatrice in Cluutlc (ioretta‘s study of ti crack—up. The l.act'In'.ikcr apartment, Pomme is asked to fetch the shower cap. She also answers the telephone, and even holds it for Marylene (who is luxuriating in the bath). In another scene she asks Marylene, who has thrown her huge teddy bear out of the window in a tearful crisis, whether she wants her to get the bear. Leaving this scene in the air, Goretta quickly cuts to another where the same idea is carried over: Pomme is bringing a handful of melting icecreams for her workmates. There is nothing ignoble about this servility, and Pomme enjoys the role. She willingly peels a peach for Francois (Y[...], there is something unpleas- antly condescending in the word used by Francois’s mother to describe Pomm[...]ve servant, and worse than non-committal. This is the first indication that Pomme‘s servility will soon become a handicap for her, The little lacemaker figure. whom Goretta pushes into the dramatic centre of the ﬁlm, is set apart from the rest of society by her dress and her bearing. In contrast to Marylene, who is having her share of troubles with men, Pomme is distinctly non-sexual in her self-concept and brushes away any contacts wi[...]e eats apples, and chocolate ice-cream, and licks the remains of the chocolate mousse in a bowl her mother hands her. She is homely and wholesome, and it is not hard to see why the pinched, lean and earnest Francois is at first at[...]first meeting, Pomme herself does not look up at the stranger who has come into the cafe, but Francois notices her at once, and the beginning of the end is set in motion. It is interesting that Francois is obviously ill at ease with the very sexual Marylene, and it is probably Pomme’s lack of self—awareness that appeals to Francois, makes[...]g to him — but ﬁnally also more frustrating. The Lacemaker is a love story, but its settings are far from romantic and no one utters an “I love you“ in the whole course of the ﬁlm. Goretta is more discreet than even Truffaut, and allows us to only see, not hear, the lovers whisper on the beach. There is a curious awkwardness in the relationship: Francois is polite and tensely serious (witness his sententious reading of theof-the-road intellectual, earnest and lacking in imagination and intuition. Pomme, on the other hand, is almost a mute character, and in this respect is not unlike the central character of The Invitation, the man who invites his ofﬁce colleagues to his beautiful chateau. Often c[...]etimes sympathizes with her though, as is evident in his slight caricaturing of Francois” friends and their pseudo—intelleciu[...]iet with Marylene. She just does not seem to feel the need to talk, and it is ﬁnally this character[...]she hope to get from life? lsn’t she interested in anything? These are questions which she never answers for Francois, and the break comes quietly, without drama. In fact, Goretta avoids the confrontation by cutting Fran- cois‘ speech in the room with scenes of Pomme wandering through a fruit market. At one stage Francois even addresses him- self in a mirror; Pomme is always absent. Rarely has a love story been set in such desolate surroundings. and this adds to the feeling of doom and emptiness — especially when accompanied by long periods of silence on the soundtrack. The hotel room with its embarrassingly thin walls, the run—down cafe, the empty beaches, the American cemetery, the windy precipice, the grey and cheerless Parisian outskirts. the rain and mud ofthe season‘s end. Does it all reflect the inner landscape of these two ill—assorted lovers? It is hard to te[...]s up to Francois, and only momentarily perhaps to the audience. Ironically enough, Pomme is at her most lucid in the hospital. when Francois visits her. Amid the sadness and yet serenity of the fallen leaves and empty park benches, Francois as[...]ants to hear, fabricating details about a holiday in the Greek islands. For once it is she who initiates c[...]calling their first night together, recalling too the one moment of attention bestowed upon her: that night in the restaurant, when Francois had gone to get her shawl for her. It is the only moment in the ﬁlm when Pomme asked for something for herself. The Lacemaker is also the portrait ofa child-woman, but it is, of course, limited by the nature of the subject matter. Goretta happily avoids too much emphasis on the gi,rl’s home life with her mother which could easily have sentimentalized the little-girl side of Pomme. 1 found the short inserts (mother with daughter at First Communion. mother kissing daughter in bed) somewhat superfluous; but these are minor blemishes on an otherwise beautifully executed work. The last shot, especially. has a painterly quality of its own, without any obvious striving for such an effect as in, say, Rohmer‘s Marquise von 0 . . .. Here the angle of the face, the absence of back- ground detail, the lighting, and the Cinema Papers, April/June — 359
	prettyri .i “THOSE WITH A DISCRIMINATING SENSE OF HUMOR WILL PROBABLY GET SICK ALL OVER THEMSELVES[...]len/VILLAGE VOICE John Waters’ earlier efforts in bad taste. . . FEMALE TROUBLE plus PINK FLAMINGOS (DIVINE in thein “MULTIPLE MANlACS” — ‘A hiply sleazy mon[...]‘ biography on Oscar Wilde starring Peter Finch THE MAN WITH THE GREEN CARNATION ideal for Repertory, University,[...]GIRPLAG. ADELAIDE. PHONE: (08112 45 TO PREMIEE T THE MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY FILM FESTIVALS Michael Rubbo H. HATE TO LOSE — 1 hr. — The political process in Quebec is featured in this brisk suspenseful ﬁlm. ’ , THE WALLS COME TUMBLING DOWN — 25 mins. _— ‘j The ﬁght by some residents of a large city to save their historical buildings. Others want progress! I Plus a host of others. Information on these and other recent productions available at National Film Board of Canada 50 Bridge Street (9th floor), Sydney 2000 Telephone: (02) 231 1366 The Urban Council, Hong Kong presents 2"‘ International Film Festival of Hong Kong %:E§%ﬂ%%%n 26-6-78-9-7-78 Internat[...]ival Coordinator, 2nd International Film Festival of Hong Kong,City Hall, Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong[...]EALTHEATRE JUNE 2 —;. JUl_\\|E”1_7,Q j197at THE WORLD'S NEW FILMS 45 Australian premieres GALA[...]une 2 — A major new Australian feature EVENING OF NEW FIIENOH FILMS June 7 EIIENING OF NEW SPANISH FILMS June 14 GREATER UNION A[...]
	BLUE FIRE LADY The scene of reconciliation between Jenny (C'atl1r_\'n llarristin) and her lather (Lloyd Cunnington) in Ross l)irnse)‘s Blue Fire Lad). serenity of Isabelle Huppcrfs face com- bine to give a ne\v.[...]to this _voung and solitary character. But it is the camera which. ﬁnally, shows us how to look at the lacemaker, and not pass her by. LA l)ENTF.l.l[...]lay Pascal Lainc. (‘latitle (ioretta. \|)irector of Plititograpltt Joelle van iilifenterc. Mttsic Pie[...]Fire Lady. is a pleasant surprise. and while not the children‘s ﬁlm Storm Boy is. compares favorably with recent Australian releases. The story is simple: Jenny Grey (Cathryn Harrison) is forced to leave her home because of her unsympathetic father and tries to make a living as a stable hand. In a world where money overrules all humanist considerations. Jenny’s love of animals is severely questioned. But in the horse Blue Fire Lady, she ﬁnds a symbol of the need to value something. and to be herself valued. One of the ﬁlm’s sub-plots is the abandoning of innocence, and this is generally well handled. When asked by the trainer McIntyre (Peter Cummins) whether she has[...]ell cared for". Her apprenticeship soon shows up the naivete of that remark; but. more impor- tantly, instead ofJenny merely blaming an obvious villain in Mclntyre, she recognizes her own involvement. Another reference to a gained maturity is during the over-pretty scene where Jenny and Barry (Mark Holden) are out riding. Here she talks of the deliberate stifling of individualism in the turning out of racing champions — i.e. racing machines. She al[...]how winning can be a backward step. Not that any of this is subtle. but it is done with commendable restraint. and in one scene with Mclntyre, Dimsey injects a nice touch of humor. in exasperation over Jenny‘s pleading for the stable dog. which is about to be destroyed, Mclntyre exclaims, “Animal lovers will be the end of me“. A difﬁcult line to carry off. but Cummin[...]unately, there are too few other memorable lines. the dialogue being very sparse and functional. One exception is the argument between Barry and Mr Grey (Lloyd Cunnington) near the end where Barry remarks, “She's trying to save[...]— I guess you understand that Mr Grey". Given the deliberately shadowy way Mr Grey‘s perpetuation of his dead wife‘s memory is drawn, and how this has hampered his handling of Jenny. the dialogue is not as simplistic as it may read. It is an effective scene. and the emotive level of Barry’s remark prepares one just sufficiently for the father/daughter recon- ciliation in the next scene. It is fairly difficult to evaluate a[...]ly aimed at an aesthetically uncritical market. A review, therefore, becomes more a consumer reportthan a[...]m this viewpoint. Blue Fire Lady fares very well. The scriptwriter. Bob Maumill. and Ross Dimsey know t[...]e cleverly tailored their film to suit. There is the effective. though somewhat cute. humor (the scenes with the deaf dog are particularly good): the understated but touching scene of reconciliation; and, of course. plenty of visual material on horses. Part of Dimsey‘s style is to use montages. and the best of them give potted histories of the background of horse training, the preparations involved in a big race day meeting. and the jungle- like rule of thumb of big time racing. These montages are well complemented by Mike Brady‘s music, two good examples being the military type intro- duction to the boarding school sequence, and the music track over the early morning training which aurally links with the snorting of the horses. At times. however, this montage technique is over-used and in the early scenes is rather clumsily employed to evoke[...]Jenny‘s argument with her father about visiting the neighbors. and the threat of being bundled off to boarding school. for example[...]or by Jenny. This compression is too severe. and the inevitable “Pack your bags young lady", is resultantly limp. And inthe audience and is clearly there to invite sympathy. This identif- ication is then compounded with the military music over the school. The best scenes in Blue Fire Lady. though. are those dealing with the UNE SALE HISTOIRE relationship between Jenny[...]rry. John Wood gives an excellent performance as the affectionate Gus. which strongly contrasts with the stereo- typed evil of the stable foreman. Charlie (Gary Waddell). But Gus’ humanness comes essentially from the performance. and not the stagey context in which he plays a “goodie“. As a result, the bond that develops with Jenny is convincing. As for Jenny and Barry‘s relationship. its virtue is the restraint with which it is handled. Instead of becoming “gooey- eyed". as Mrs G. (Marion Edwar[...], they remain firm, though independent. friends. In their best scene together. Barry offers to drive Jenny to the horse sale. “No". she replies. “I shall take a tram.“ In many ﬁlms that would be a cold dismissal; here it shows a new strength. and one which is understood by the partner. There are many other good things about[...]deliberate opening. an over-quiet soundtrack and the odd structural mystery. Where. for example, is Je[...]e were still at a motel. why would she have boxes of books with her‘? However, these criticisms tak[...]cer Bill Fayman. Screenplay Bob Maumill. Director of Photography Vince Monton. Editor Tony Patterson.[...]Company AIFC. Distributor Filmwavs. 35mm. 96 min. Australia. 1978. UNE SALE HISTOIRE Meaghan Morris Pornography can be a ponderous topic of conversation in Paris. Several cultural passions converge: for discussing theories of representation and discourse, for discussing sexuality, for psycho-analysis. for various politics of desire directed against the latter. In an environment where more adventurous forms of feminism have had some trouble making themselves heard above the language of the class struggle. this means one can be treated to[...]conference I heard a wonderfully earnest paper on the politics of pornography. in which it was laid forth that porn is fundamentally subversive because in showing anonymous parts of bodies. it acts to deconstruct the phenomenological subject. Even better. in filling the screen with giant female genitals. porn pushes re[...]se what could be more unrepresentable than. . .? The climactic moment was an analysis of Deep Throat — most subversive of all. because it deconstructs the representation of The Mouth as site of emission of the Logos. At this point I let loose and laughed. but[...]ickered with me. I subsided. wondering as to when the female mouth had been endowed with such an august function in the cinema. Jean Eustache‘s new ﬁlm, Une[...]
	[...]me they combine to produce an extraordinary piece of work. This is by'no means a unanimous opinion —[...]grumbling at having spent 10 francs on 50 minutes of trash. Of all these reactions. that the ﬁlm was at one stage threatened with seizure seems to me the most interesting: because in a city where live and filmed porn thrive tranquil[...]ople talking. Literally and exclusively talking. The story is certainly in dubious taste, as they say. but we only 'see‘ the telling and listening of the story, and this ‘representation‘ aroused more ofﬁcial interest than any real porn palace has for some time. In this sense, the ﬁlm‘s social reception bears out rather curiously a number of assertions made within the ﬁlm about the story itself. At this stage I should say what Une sale histoire is about, or at least what the story is: but the ﬁlm deﬁes linear description. An innocent viewer who has read nothing about the ﬁlm in advance might start walking out half-way through, because Une sale histoire is made tip of two ‘ﬁlms‘. each complete with titles and credits, presenting the same situation, the same story. told in almost the same words. and yet not the same. In the ﬁrst ﬁlm, a man (Michel Lonsdale) recites a story to help a ﬁlm- maker friend, who provides the room and the audience. The tale is of a time some years earlier when the character played by Lonsdale frequented a cafe near where he lived, and where he had to make a lot of phone calls. Comments made by the barman. and advice from a professional pervert fr[...]im to discover that there is a hole — or a kind of hole —— at ground level in the door of the womens toilets (the latter being almost always of the hole—in-the- ground type in Paris cafes). The clientele of the cafe wait in the hope that the women who pass will drink lots of tea or beer. then the_v follow them down to the toilets and watch. The rest of the recitation is about the life of a voyeur: from the stage of idle cttriosity to that of passionate addiction, until breaking the habit which was starting to consume his whole life. The story is punctuated with much analysis of what it all means about sex and sexuality, and wi[...]but which women always refuse to hear or accept. The story over, the ‘audience’ gathered by the filmmaker (mostly women) react to it in ways which are rejected by the storyteller. The ﬁrst ‘ﬁlm’ over. the second begins. It is identical, except that there[...]nd different people (including Douchka, who acted in The Mother and The Whore). The decor is different, the ambience different, this ﬁlm is in l6 mm, the narrator is Jean-Noel Picq (as himself). bttt the story is the same — almost word for word — from beginning to end. This is dizzying enough, but the film comes replete with a history of the making ofthe ‘‘story‘‘. It was widely adv[...]e. including interviews and articles pasted up at the cinemas screening it — that the film had been made in the following way: the second part was made ﬁrst. Eustache invited fri[...]Jean- Noel Picq, who had been telling this story of his for years - no one knowing if it were true — was invited to tell it again, in front of female friends, some ofwhom had heard it before. The proceedings were written up and given to Lonsdale[...]hich they then realized, thinking that theirs was the real and only ﬁlm. The two ﬁlms were then juxtaposed. Whetltcr this story of the making of Une sale histoire is true, one has as little way of knowing as with the tale itself. In other ‘words‘, Eustache manages to make a small masterpiece out of the most banal paratloxes of contemporary non- commercial cinema: fiction and reality. acting and acting oneself, and the paradox that the paradox docsn‘t matter. I emphasize “words“ deliberately, because it seems to me that one of the triumphs of the ﬁlm is the way it imposes the difference — as a film which one might tend to describe, and just how loosely the ﬁlm itself locates. as a film “made-up“ of words — between the emptiness of descriptive discourse about cinema and the fullness of the speciﬁcally cinematic. Writing “fiction and[...]I simply want to see it again. This is not a way of paying sentimental tribute to the ﬁlm, but of identifying, what seems to me, an essential element in its construction. The juxta- position of the two ﬁlms also juxtaposes what constitutes identity in writing — ie. the script — and difference in cinema. Apart from ‘the words‘, everything is different: lighting, deco[...]ichel Lonsdale with director Jean Eustache during the shooting of Une Sale Histoire. 362 — Cinema Papers, April/June gestures, intonation and thus emphasis, the physical substance of the ﬁlm itself. One is remorselessly brought to see, quite literally, how everything in it which traditional ﬁlm writing would describe in terms borrowed from literary criticism - psycholo[...]ation — is produced by precisely those elements in ﬁlm which share nothing with literature. For while one could spend hours detailing all the differences. the one which is most immediately obvious on a ﬁrst viewing is the way the interpretation of the script produces a characterization-effect. Lonsdale/Picq (cultivated, sophist- icated) is not the same “character" as Picq/Picq (would-be mondain, humorous) and so his identical story is not the same. He emphasizes different aspects of the story, his gestures are different and ﬁlmed in a different way —— and there is immediately, in the polish ofthe ﬁrst part, a kind of Lonsdale—effect which carries over from the roles that an actor plays in such classic avant-garde ﬁlms as Duras‘ India[...]l Hanoun’s L’Hiver, and which signiﬁes from the beginning that what is about to follow will lay claim to a certain profundity. The contrived amateur film effect of the second part places the story — and its teller — in a different and more idiosyn- cratic light. Another obvious difference is in the reactions of the women. The “women being ﬁlmed“ of the second half are animated, aggressive, talk all at once: the “actresses” of the ﬁrst part interpret their lines gently, politel[...]y to make contact. Their position, as deﬁned by the story, is very interesting —- they are repeatedly named by the teller as the desired receivers of the story, and just as repeatedly described as incapable of receiving it properly, and of course in the event all the womens remarks are found wanting — with suavity by Lonsdale. with irritation by Picq. The story is to be the expression of an exclusively masculine desire. which the teller craves that women accept while forbidding them to do so. In this sense, the communication relations in the ﬁlm rigorously parallel the relation between the sexes posited by the story, and on several levels. Male desire is presented as expressed in gazing (which we hear in the story) and in discourse (which we see in the ﬁlm) - no touching allowed. The agent — and object —— of male desire is what is constantly referred to as The Hole. At one stage the teller suggests that The Hole (in the door) assumed such importance that it was for him as though the hole existed ﬁrst, and the cafe was built around it afterwards; this dislocation of architectural hierarchy finds its equivalent when he announces that the traditional hierarchy of female beauty is misconceived — eyes, legs are “not very serious" and the woman‘s sex should be the ﬁrst criterion. This because he kept ﬁnding that beautiful women had horrible genitals and vice-versa. In the communication situation, the hierarchy of the female body is appropriately re-ordered and the women are reduced to another kind of ‘hole‘ — they are ears. The male is the teller and the women are the told—to,just as in the toilets the male is the gazer and the women are the gazed—at. Fttrther, the decreed impossibility for women to accept or participate on the verbal level is built into the sexual level when the teller says that he was not interested in looking at “domestic" (i.e. consenting) genital[...]). Then when one ofthe women proposes that she do the same and become a voyeur in her turn, the teller brusquely replies that she must stick to exhibitionism; “there's no reciprocity between the sexes. . . " This is also an example of another prerogative of male desire in the ﬁlm - judgment. The voyeur and the teller see and hear women in a mode which is primarily one of assessment and, when necessary, deﬂation offemale pretensions. As in the ﬁlm the teller puts down the women who ‘pretend‘ to have responded to his story/desire, so in the story is there a particularly unpleasant incident in which he humiliates a beautiful woman (“a luxur[...]ts her know he looked. These Iordly cuffs aside, the dominant characteristic of male desire in Une sale histoire is its closure — the only relation to its (very literal) object is one of imposition and intrusion. That is the only source of pleasure, and any response from the object spoils the effect. But the object absolutely has to be there‘, stuck there, caught in the ﬁlm, where the need to tell the story seems to have replaced the act. The women are to listen right to the end; to be told, afterwards, that they can have no part in a story to which their presence is indispensable. In an interview in Ca/tiers clu Cinema (No. 284 January, 18) Eustache gives the distinct impression that his desire to make the ﬁlm was of the same order as that of the teller to tell the tale: “I felt the need to make the ﬁlm in order to tell that story right to the very end and make sure that it was heard." The ﬁlm itself would then be conceived of as a form of imposition, and thus the censors — and feminists - who reacted with hostility, were very much caught in the game. But. of course. in a game with such closed rules there is no way of not being caught: remarking, for example, that it’s a banal story about a garden voyeur would amount to the denial that the teller predicts. So does just not going to see it[...]from a female reviewer. This closure seems to me the power of Une sale histoire, and l use the word power advisedly: it is a model of the kind of power exercised by the form of male desire it represents, which works by exclusion ofthe other in deﬁning "it" as precisely that. Paradoxically, Eustache seems to me one of the few male ﬁlmmakers who are genuinely interesting to look at from a narrowly feminist point of view. He constructs what is supposed to be an exclusively masculine mode of perception in his ﬁlms, and in incorporating women does not suppose to do otherw[...]ictably enough, I find myself constrained to play the game, deny the story, and say that for me the‘ most interesting aspect of identity and difference in Une sale histoire is not the sexual but the cinematic. The ﬁlm creates its own voyeurs; once caught, you go back obsessively again and again to see ifthe words are the same. But the language ofthe two ﬁlms is so different that yo[...]n Eustache. Screenplay: Jean- Noel Picq. Director of Photography: Dominique le Rigoleur (35mm):[...]
	Hunter the Lion (Wyn Roberts) and fellow derelict (Syd llcylcnl in llenri Sal'ran‘s Listen to the Lion. LISTEN TO THE LION Basil Gilbert From a market research point of view, Listen to the Lion is something of a paradox. for it seems intent on breaking every rule of commercial success. For a start, the ﬁlm is a 53-minute short. This means that, like many of the Australian ﬁlms made with the assistance of the Experimental or Creative Development funds. it must compete on the open market with petrol company documentaries and[...]for a nominal fee or obtained gratis. Secondly, the Eastmancolor print is in the 16mm ‘substandard‘ gauge which restricts its[...]houses and filmmakers‘ co-operatives. Finally, the ﬁlm deals with a subject most people would like to forget: the sufferings of aged male derelicts in a hostile urban environment. Yet, for all these in—built disadvantages. Listen to the Lion, as written by Bob Hill and directed by Henr[...]eve a surprisingly existential quality verging on the surreal. It also shows technical polish and rare acting skills. The story is simple. Early in the ﬁlm we meet Hunter the Lion (Wyn Roberts), an elderly derelict with hallucinatory premonitions about his fate at the hands of Clockwork Orange-type larrikins, and we follow him in a 24-hour terminal odyssey through the streets of Sydney. On the journey. we meet a number of complementary and colorful characters: a street p[...]tes communists, sex and politicians (“a legion of cancerous minds . . . are ruling our cities"); is[...]mance is excellent and gives some comic relief to the more emotional and harrowing scenes. To give the ﬁlm authenticity, Hill studied many Australian[...]ell as employing sociologist Liz Fell to research the subject. Much of the dialogue in the ﬁlm derives from direct conversations in flop houses with derelicts and Salvation Army ofﬁcers — and on an average night in Sydney there are around 6500 homeless men on the streets. Surprisingly. Hill regards the world of derelicts as romantic subject matter, and sees the old men as picturesque moving shapes set against[...]an barrenness. He has also tried to create a kind of visual beauty from the ugly and commonplace by wetting down the back alleys of his Sydney locations to give them a more romantic “Melbourne look". Certainly, the night scenes, well lit by Malcolm Richards, with[...]g surfaces and harsh, sharp-edged contrasts. help in giving the ﬁlm a surreal dimension, and set the tone for the more bizarre moments in the film. Listen to the Lion is a hard ﬁlm to categorize, for it oscill[...]documentary style based on a careful observation of the derelict community, and a personal, subjective point of view based on the fantastic world of the imagination. Unfortunately, these two polar opposites are not always comfortably integrated into the episodic structure of the narrative. LISTEN TO THE LION The highlight of the ﬁlm, however, and a minor masterpiece of mechanics and special effects, is when Hunter the Lion, just before his death, imagines himself abl[...]d and escape from his refuge shelter prison. Here the direction and camerawork is impeccable. One inter[...]ran when he returned from shooting Storm Boy, and in it there are suggestions ofa new control and maturity. The music for Listen to the Lion was written and played by Canadian Michael Carlos, who also composed the music for Storm Boy. The mood of the ﬁlm and its title had originally derived from a[...]mposer, Van Morrison, but copyright problems, and the insistence by the American Musicians Union on the use of American musicians to perform the music, prevented it being used. Little seems to have been lost, for Carlos’ abstract themes and use of the electronic synthesizer give the ﬁlm a soundtrack which is particularly effective in the more dramatic moments. There has been a demand by ﬁlm critics lately for Australian ﬁlms which show the Australian environment and ethos without being overtly provincial. Listen to the Lion, with its blend ofthe local scene with the more universal qualities of suffering and compassion, comes somewhere near to fulﬁlling this ideal combination. LISTEN TO THE LION: Directed by Henri Safran. Producer Robert Hill. Screenplay Robert Hill. Director of Photography Malcolm Richards. Editor Mervyn G. Ll[...]utors Sydney Co-op/Vincent Library. 16mm. 53 min. Australia 1977. 27TH MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL ONCE A YEAR CHANCE JUNE 2~17 Exclusive screenings of great current films from the four corners of the earth. 160 films for $35. Booking now open and filling fast — seats allo- cated strictly in order of receipt. Apply now for application form.[...]
	[...]s? AUSTRALIAN SCREEN MUSIC PTY LTD Specialising in Music Tracks — Canned or Original — For any type of‘ Production. For information on this long over[...]onn21 55 no-cauiusv-ea.s>ormsooo.s-nonoazassaa ' AUSTRALIA 120PavvyS(ncLNowcnI!o2JlI).Phone2G2466 ' “"”[...]75511>5->5>lh>iI>3>5->5>3>5>3>5->3?5>5>3>5?3>5E5 THE DESIGNERS ASSOCIATION IN THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TRUST Presents DESIGNING MINDS An exhibition of film, theatre and television design from 3[...]
	[...]ition (G) Anarkaliz Filmistan, India (470184 ml The Bible as History: Neue Tele Contaret, W. Germany (252a.oo ml , The Claim (16mm): Film Australia. Australia (913.49 ml Come Fly with Me: Yung Sheng Film Co.. Hong Kong (248400 ml Ivan the Terrible-a ballet: Sovexporl Film, U.S.S.R. (249500 ml The People That Time Forgot:. John Dark. U.S.A. (249600 ml The Picture Show Man (sub-titled Italian version) (a): Limelight Prod., Australia (270100 ml Spiderrnan: E.J. Montagne, U.S.A. (260[...]1620.00 ml (al English version previously listed in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 5/77. FILMS REGISTE[...]ended for Children (NRC) Bruce Lee—True Story: The Eternal Film Co.. Hong Kong (268814 ml Fantasies Behind the Pearly Curtain: Wong Cheuk Hon. Hong Kong (2717.0[...]alani Ya Aalb (16mm): Not shown. Egypt (149300 ml The Last Wave: H. at J. McE\|roy, Australia (290758 ml Madunnella: Sud Film, Italy (222200 ml[...]ml Telefon: J.B. Harris, U.S.A. (285272 ml Wages of Fear (16mml: Vera Film, France 11415.13 ml You Li[...]00 ml (al Altered by producer. Previously listed in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 8/77. Italy FILMS[...]e Miss You: L. Hsaio Ling. Hong Kong (2359.00 ml The Chicken Chronicles: W. Shenson. U.S.A. 12585.78 ml Clans of Intrigue: R. Shaw, Hong Kong (287682 ml Deadly Silver Spear: Fortuna Films, Hong Kong (2441.oo ml Flash and the Firecat: F. & B. Sebastian, U.S.A. (233100 ml Fu[...]l Gator Bait: F. 81 B. Sebastian, USA (238641 ml The Glory oi the Sunset: Chiang Gih Shen, Hong Kong (2591.46 ml The Goodbye Girl: R. Stark, U.S.A. (2990.9O ml The Governess: Bi.Di.A. Film, Italy (313200 ml He's a Legend—He’s a Hero: C.H. Wong, Hong Kong (241300 ml The Killers of the Castle of Blood: Prodimex 8. Hispamer, Italy/Spain (2660.71 ml LC)lVE in the Shadow: C.T. Shen, Hong Kong (263400 m Other Peoples Letters: Sovexport Film, U.S.S.R. (255099 ml A Piece of the Action: M. Tucker, U.S.A. ($3620.76 ml Rituals: L[...]t shown, Italy (213900 ml (al Previously rejected in April 1970. FILMS REGISTERED WITHOUT ELIMINATIONS For Restricted Exhibition (R) Achtung the Desert Tigers: International Cine Holiday, Italy[...]Germany (244127 ml Bate Nair (16mml: K. Saggers, Australia-(76.79 ml Bilitis: S. Tabet, France (263328 ml The Bite (Reconstructed version) (a): 808 Pictures, U[...]E.C. Dietrich, W. Germany/Switzerland (202230 ml The cheerleaders: P. Glickler/R. Lerner, U.S.A. (2221[...]erg, U.S.A. (288000 ml Dans L’E.mpire Des Sens.(in the Realm of the Senses) (Reconstructed version) (cl: Argos Fi\|m/ AIISTIIIIICIII GO\IEI'I1I11EI1t GGZEHE Published by the Australian Government Publishing Service JANUARY[...]‘GENERAL Scene from John Lamond’s ABC of Love and Sex — Australia Style, another of Australia's sex films to meet with censorship problems. Os[...]irls: A. Brummer. W. Germany/Denmark (2880.00 ml The Four Days Affair (Reconstructed version) (cl): Sa[...]a Man: Marras/Salviani, Italy (255000 ml Reven e of the Cheerleaders: R. Lerner/N. Dorsky, U.S.A. 2413.84 ml The Traitorous: Yen Wu Tung, Hong Kong (2550.00 ml We[...]Dyke, U.S.A. (225880 ml (a) Previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin Nos 7/77 and 8/77. (blHard version previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin Nos 9/76 and 10/76. (cl Previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin Nos 8/77 and 9/77. (dl Previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 4/77 (e)Hard version previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 7/77. (1) Previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin Nos 4/71 and 5/71. Recon[...]rsion classified ‘For Restricted Exhibitions‘ in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 12/71. (9) Previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin Nos 7/77 and 8/77. FILM[...]WITH ELIMINATIONS For Restricted Exhibition (R) The Erotic Diary of a Lumberjack: J.M. Pallardy, France (252300 ml. E[...]05.7 m (3 mins 51 secs). Reason: indecency. Jack the Ripper: EC. Dietrich/M. Dora, Switzerland (2507.[...]on: Excessive violence. (a) Previously rejected in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 8/77. Note: Length of film ‘All About Sex of all Nations’ (Reconstructed version) notified in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 10/77 should read 1837.80 m in lieu ol 1947.00 m. FILMS REFUSED REGISTRATION The Big Snatch: Argon Productions. USA (219450 ml. Re[...]on: indecency and excessive violence. FILMS BOARD OF REVIEW FILMS APPROVED FOR REGISTRATION AFTER REVIEW The Spy Who Loved Me (a): A.R. Broccoli, U.K. (348361 ml. Decision reviewed: Appeal against the decision of the Film Censorship Board to register the film (Ml. Decision of the Board: Uphold the decision of the Film Censorship Board. Northville Cemetery Massa[...]S.A. (225880 ml Decision reviewed: Appeal against the decision of the Film Censorship Board to refuse to register the film. Decision of the Board: To register the film R. FILMS NOT APPROVED FOR REGISTRATION AFTER REVIEW Deep Love (Reconstructed version) (c): S. Bostan. U.S.A. (194500 ml. Decision reviewed: Appeal against the decision of the Film Censorship Board to reluse to register the lilm. Decision of the Board: Uphold the decision oi the Film Censorship Board. (al Previously listed in Film Censorship Bulleton No. 7/77. (bl Previously listed in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 9/ 77. (cl Previously listed in Film Censorship Bulletin Nos 8/77 and 9/77. DECE[...]IMINATIONS For General Exhibiton (G) ‘Abba’ The Movie: Popular Music lnt’l., Australia (263200 ml Blue Fire Lady: A. Ginnane, Australia (244000 ml Farewell To A Warrior: R. Shaw, Hong K[...]shele: D. Shapira/l. Kol, Israel (241400 ml Land Of Silence And Darkness (16 mm): W. Herzcg, W. Germa[...]von Films/Romaizaro Films, Italy (2370.00 ml Man In The Iron Mask: N. Rosemount, U.K./France (2825.00 ml[...]64800 ml Poco: D. Brooks, U.S.A. (238600 ml Point of Order (16 mm): E. Pratt, U.S.A. (1009.00 ml FILM[...]laz F. Baldi, Italy (2774.00 ml Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: J. 81 M. Phillips, U.S.A. (368000 ml Death Riders: Adams 8 Tucker, U.S.A. (235800 ml The Irishman: A. Buckley, Australia (290758 ml L'Albero Dalia Foglle Rosa: C. Argento, Italy (264100 ml Leopard In The Snow: J. Quested/C. Harrop, U.K./ Canada (2446.00 ml The Mango Tree: M. Pate/Pisces Prod., Australia (282600 ml The Mighty Peking Man: (241300 ml Na Che The Great: Shaw Bros., Hong Kong 12745.00 ml The Turning Point: H. Ross/A. Laurents, U.S.A. (32690[...]D’Onore: Not shown, Italy (295600 ml why Shoot The Teacher’.-': L. Hertzog, Canada (280400 ml FIL[...]ies Over Paris): B. Schroeder. France (554900 ml The Disappearance: D. Hammlngs. Canada (2907.58 ml The Gamecock: P. Campanile, Italy (252300 ml The Golden Mask: Great China Film Co., Hong Kong (262[...]rquebuse, France (2826.00 ml Le Clnque Giornate (The Five Days): S. Argento, Italy (355700 ml Listen To My Story: J. Goslav, W. Germany (259300 ml The Mars Villa: Shlng/Chung, Hong Kong (264604 ml 7[...]U.S.A. (241100 ml Summer City l16mml: P. Avalon, Australia (880.00 ml Twist: Salkind/Spengler, France (2852.[...]srael (2194.00 ml For Restricted Exhibition (R) The Amorous Adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza: R. Nussbaum, U.S.A.[...]ng (296300 ml Fingers: G. Barrie, U.S.A. (244800 in) Frankenstein 80: G. Bonos, Italy (240000 ml Frustration ‘The Trip to Perversion’: J. Benazerof, France (241384 ml The Gauntlet: R. Daley, U.S.A. (304473 ml The Greatest Plot: K 8. K Film (H.K.) Co., Hong Kong (2551 .00 ml The Green Dragon Inn: Yau Lee Film Co., Hong Kong (260585 ml The Hookers and The Hustlers: R. Shaw, Hong Kong (2923.00 ml The Killer Inside Me: M. Leighton. U.S.A. (2700.00 ml[...]roduzione/Balcazar, Italy (2750.00 ml Office Love In: A. Stephens, USA (2227.00 ml Ransom: J. Hart, U.[...]./Mexico (2386.00 ml (al Longer version rejected in 1970. FILMS REGISTERED WITH ELIMINATIONS For Restricted Exhibition (R) Ernannuelle In America (Reconstructed version) (a): New Film Pro[...]n (Reconstructed version) (b): A. Ginnane. U.S.A./Australia (2614.00 ml. Eliminatlons: 79.7 m (2 mins 54 secs). Reason: indecency. (a) Pgeviously listed in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 1 /77. (bl Previously listed in Film Censorship Bulletin No. 8/ 77. FILMS REFUSED REGISTRATION The Hills Have Eyes: P. Locke. U.S.A. (2464.60 ml. Reason: Indecent violence. FILMS BOARD OF REVIEW FILMS APPROVED FOR REGISTRATION AFTER REVIEW NII. FILMS NOT APPROVED FOR REGISTRATION AFTER REVIEW Sex And The Office Girl (Reconstructed version) (a): R. Clar[...]l Decision Reviewed: Appeal against rejection by the Film Censorship Board. Decision of the Board: Uphold the decision of the Film Censorship Board. (a) Previously listed in Film Censorship Bulletins Nos 4/74 and 10[...]
	BARGAIN OFFER Rare copies of film souvenir programs. The Heroes of Telemark $2.50 Oh! What a Lovely War $2.50 (Discount for multiple orders) Ben-Hur (1959) $7.50 The Blue Max $5 Nicholas and Alexandra $10 Grand Prix $5 Most Pages in Full Color. PJG Productions Moorabbin P.O. Moora[...]advisable to send orders by certified mail. FILM REVIEW INFORMATION SERVICE Looking for information on a film? The George Lugg Library welcomes enquiries on local and overseas films. On receipt of search fee (one dollar for two enquiries) and S.A[...]Ring first then write: All enquiries to: The George Lugg Library P.O. Box 357 Carlton South Vic. 3053 The Library is operated with assistance from the Australian Film Commission. Iliwidescope Publishers/Visa Rooks _are pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of a new Australian book‘. Es» . A rio.vel:"‘b[...]OER'S COMPANION , em EDITION $37.50 f Quadrupled in size since publi- cation 12 years ago, the new edition of Leslie Halliwell's world- tamous reference book i[...]films and there are comprehensive entries on all the directors, producers, actors, writers and composers of the past and present. For this new edition more than[...]$37.50 ( fir V ,i/ I An essential companion to the FILMGOER'S COMPANION as well as a fascinating lilrn book in its own right. Eight thousand English speaking ti[...]s are covered. Each entry contains a compact mass of inlormation such as running time, date of release, colour or other process, production company, producer, short synopsis and review, writer, original source, director, photographer, designer and cast. A rating system is included and, in many cases, hurnourous excerpts from critical rev[...]ey NSW 2000 Educational Films Educational Media Australia have published what is perhaps the first Australian produced Resource Book of 16 mm Films of its kind. Over 2000 films are listed, with a summary of each film's contents, the running time and recommended grade levels for study purposes. Ordering Instructions: To order a copy of the Resource Book, fill in the coupon below, and mail it together with payment of $5, plus the correct amount for postage and handling, to the Rental Librarian, 237 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, 3205. The Resource Book contains a P°“a[& Ha"d“"9 ch3"[...]tropolitan) 80 cents classifying each film under the appropriate Victoria (Country Districts) $1.20 S[...]r Headings. N.S.W., S.A., A.C.T., TAS. $1.90 Many of the titles are available for W'A" N'T" OLD" 32-50 rental. Details of rental terms and conditions are set out in the Service Postage and handling charges apply information section of the book. as at April, 1978 —_——._—_. _ __._[...].—_—-.————--_...—.—._- ORDER To The Rental Librarian, Educational Media Australia, 237 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205. PLEASE SUPPLY - - - copy/copies of the Resource Book of 16 mm Educational Films Enclosed is payment of S . . . . . . . . . . Please remember: Plus postage of $ . . . . . . . . . . PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPA[...]
	BFI Television Monographs: Sam Rohdie 1. Structures of Television by Nicholas Garnham, 1973 2. Light Entertainment by Richard Dyer, 1973 3. Television and the February 1974 General Election by Trevor Pateman,[...]umentary Usage by Dai Vaughan. 1976 Published by the British Film Institute, London. “The only experience offered by most television is the experience of watching television, the system operates to keep things that way.” — D[...]lism has always presented itself as a certain way of copying reality. As if reality were on one side and language on the other, as if reality were antecedent to language and the latter ’s task were somehow to pursue the former until it had caught up.” — Roland Bart[...]tice to television, particularly to networks like the ABC, BBC and CBC. News reportage, documentary, live coverage, the immediacy of the real event, give substance to a mythic broadcasting tradition of objectivity, a style of clarity and directness. The ideal television language is one of transparency — a language without substance; a means solely for relaying the truth of the world, unadorned and untampered with, anterior to any language which might seek to re-present it. The television monographs produced by the Educational Advisory Service of the British Film Institute necessarily address this language/reality relation, either in aesthetic terms, or from a sociallpoliticall ideological perspective. All the pamphlets are concerned with the mediating role of language — that television does not simply copy[...]ures meanings — and merely presenting a version of reality. It matters little whether that “reali[...]at is always told is a certain story, a narrative of the ‘raw’ event. “ although events may dictate aspects of television coverage, the coverage itself is made intelligible by television and not by some order inherent in the events." (Andrew Tudor in Football on Television) The story told by British television of the 1974 soccer World Cup, for example, was different to that told by German television which viewed the match from a great distance, seldom cutting-in close-ups ‘Critical Essays by Roland Barthes. of players or action. The British television coverage was more dramatic — more a matter of performances, of stars and individuals, not of structure or team play. Yet, the story told by most British television is that it is not telling a story, rather it is telling the truth. The supposed impartiality of the BBC authenticates the messages which it broadcasts, while the veracity of the messages vindicate the impartiality of the broadcast. The stress in the pamphlets on the signifying work of language — the coded, structural aspects of all communication — not only place doubt on BBC neutrality. but point to the myth ofsuch objectivity as a primary ideological operation of television. “ . . a consistent practice of British broadcasting to support and proselytise for the status quo (which indeed I believe to be its chief function), and an important strategy in naturalising, making invisible that parti pris is to describe it as an activity of impartial presentation of the truth.” (Richard Collins) “ . the audience’s belief that what is reported is true and right. . . is builtupin the closest positive association with existing political institutions, the State and the parties. The possibility of pursuing, finding and stating the truth is identified with the institutions of liberal democracy and the procedures whereby these institutions are sustain[...]tivity are class or Establishment values, aspects of the bourgeois state which function as ideological cov[...]“does not seem to have evolved forms which link the expression of the utopia of entertainment to the present situation of the audience, in such a way that you can see how the present can be transformed toward utopia . . . the utopias are not rooted in the present, and so remain at best nice but ‘realis[...].” (Richard Dyer) What deﬁnes realism is not the origin of its model — whether the event is staged variety, a re-constructed documentary, the actuality ofa football match, an election, a plane crash — but the exteriority of the event to the language which expresses it. The language of television is one that maintains this fiction of exteriority; it is a language which seeks to efface itselfbefore the reality it expresses‘, language which does not signify, but simply presents. It is the falseness of that language of objectivity, of realism, from which the writers of these monographs take their distance and construct their critiques of the aesthetics and ideology of British broadcasting. The monograph by Dai Vaughan is the single exception to the series. Vaughan is concerned that language — any language — is an impoverishment, a reduction of the reality it seeks to express; language not as addition, but as diminution, the construction of something less than the real. “It may well be that we are witnessing the emergence of a new strategy on management . . . to encourage a mode of response in which the element of reference (as opposed to pure signiﬁcation), with its presumption of anterior reality, will be effectively negated. Management may seek to snaffle the worlds unruliness by reducing it to the signiﬁcance ofa studio drama.” “ . television as an institution, by its impoverishment of a documentary’s reference to the world proffers us in effect an impoverished world to which it invites us, by construing it as the world, to render assent." If a transparent langu[...]over-determines “reality”. Vaughan stresses the fullness ofthe real — rather than as something neutral awaiting the signiﬁers oflanguage to give it meaning — but that the real already signiﬁes, even excessively. The ‘nature’ of reality is to signify, to generate meanings, meanings that would be lost in a thin line of significance bestowed upon it, in this case, by the language of television. The other writers wish to make evident the processes ofthe televisual language, to mark its presence and stress its artificiality. “I emphasise the visibility of processes and criteria ofselection, because I think that the greater the invisibility, the less the Television Election appears as a cultural activi[...]eologically structured choice at every point, and the more it appears as something which could not be o[...]ntly, as something credible and authoritative — the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth . . (Trevor Pateman) Vaughan pursues the hope of the transparency of language in a verite which, though constructed, does not so diminish the world as to turn it into ‘mere’ discourse; verite which preserves the signiﬁcance of the world. “With the new technology of verite, documentary could rise to the revolutionary potential which its pioneers always sensed in it, offering us an unprecedented range of experience . to structure our consciousness and[...]s naive, and for similar reasons to those set out in the other monographs. The purity, integrity and fullness of the real can never be rendered as faithfully and tran[...]alogy is itself coded. But Vaughan’s assertion of meanings already in reality — that it is the nature of reality to signify — make somewhat empty the contrary insistence on language as the sole generator of meaning. For though there is a genuflexion in the other monographs towards ‘cultural’ and ‘social codes‘, none are in fact discussed. The language of television, as posed in these monographs, is the arbiter of all structure and sense. It may be that the radical role of language is neither to efface itself in a fictitious transparency, nor to assert an the party of television easy artiﬁciality. The football match, the political election, the natural disaster are not solely televisual events[...]ticular meaning, a reduced meaning put forward as the meaning — it is this domination over the event by the television language and the diminution of the event by that language that Vaughan decries. But if it is the ‘nature’ of reality to signify, as Vaughan correctly insists, it is perhaps the ‘culture‘ of language to de- signify, to strip away meanings rather than provide them, to purge the world, as Roland Barthes suggests, of “the undue meanings men ceaselessly deposit upon them." Language must be made to work not in a simple declaration of presence, but on itself, on the signiﬁcations it produces, and on those it is in the nature of reality to generate. The reality of things which Vaughan seeks may not be full but empty, and the function of languages may be to construct and re—construct that void by pointing to the codes and conventions, and the languages, which mask and overburden it. Books of the quarter J.H. Reid Actors and Actresses Stanley Baker: Portrait of an Actor by Anthony Storey. London, 1977. $10.95.[...]seem at very ordinary and uncharismtitic figure. The photographs tire likewise uninteresting and the credits for thc filmography incomplete. Cagney b[...]od to see an unabridged ptlDCTb'ilL‘l-< version of this most engaging autobiography. “l‘m it son[...]te ﬁlm is Yankee Doodle Dandy. You may not like the way he passes over his gangster roles and conccntrtitcs on his musicals, but in refusing to butter up his renders he displays a t[...]ert LziGuurdia. London, 1977, $16.95. This is one of those wurls—und-all l.')l0gl'£lp\|1lCS in which the actor's private life is mercilessly probed. It has the b‘:ll'CSl of ﬁlmogriiphies and the ﬁlms receive only at small amount of attention. It is Clift, “the walking cudzi\'er". that interests the author to the exclusion of almost everything else. The Films of Bing Crosby by Robert Bookbinder. New Jersey, 1977. $22.50. This excellent book could serve as in model for upcoming titles in Cittidcl‘s series — ti brief biography, many[...]ive credits and an informed yet critical analysis of every ﬁlm. /lva G01‘!/ll(’l‘b)’.JL\|(ll[...], 1977. $3.95. An honest. straightforward account of Ava Giirdncr’s career with a useful and not unc[...]on her ﬁlms. Many full- page illustrations. Jo/in Gar/ield by George Morris. New York, 1977. 3395.[...]This study ofGarﬁeld and his films is probably the most literate, convincing and thought-provoking of all the books in Pyramid’s long—running Illustrated History of the Movies series. Charlton Heston by Michael Druxmu[...]ual, competently written, but superficial. Kings of Tragedy by June Ellen Wayne. New York. 1976. $2.95. The tragedians discussed here are. with the exception of Spencer Tracy, the familiar ﬁgures one would expect — Joh[...]
	[...]ALTER PYM WALTER PYM FRANK WILSON PAUL YOUNG LET THE BALLOON GO THE MANGO TREE DAWN! MATHEW WILSON GERARD KENNEDY GABRIELLE HARTLEY GARY DAY RAW DEAL THE GETTING OF WISDOM HIGH ROLLING GERARD KENNEDY JAN FRIEDL TER[...]ADLEY TERENCE DONOVAN KIM DEACON THE LAST WAVE THE IRISHMAN THE YELLOW PYJAMA GIRL FREDERICK PARSLOW GERARD KENNEDY ROD MULLINAR THE NEWMAN SHAME ELIZA FRASER SHE’LL BE SWEET ALwY[...]PICTURE SHOW MAN BREAK OF DAY SUMMERFIELD SALLY CONABERE MAURIE FIELDS ADRI[...]E NEWSFRONT THE CHANT OF JIMMIE HARNESS FEVER GERARD KENNEDY BLACKSMITH MARY WARD IAN GILMOUR JILLIAN ARCHER DON’S PARTY IN SEARCH OF ANNA DEATH CHEATERS CLARE BINNEY . GERDA NICOLSON[...]RIE FIELDS MARY WARD THE MONEY MOVERS BLUE FIRE LADY DIMBOOLA TEREN[...]
	The Australian Film Institute and Currency Press are pleased to announce the release of AUSTRALIAN FILM Posrens I906 -1960 AN OUTSTANDING COMPILATION OF POSTERS, DAY BILLS AND PHOTOGRAPHS, COMPLETE WITH COMPREHENSIVE NOTES, COVERING 54 YEARS OF THE AUSTRALIAN FILM INDUSTRY. $750 Available at all[...]ct cinemas. Australian Film Posters 1906-1960 is the first in a series of books and monographs to be published by the Australian Film Institute. INFORMATION RESOURCE[...]th considerable, if somewhat depressing. impact. The Marx Brot/ters by William Wolf. New York. 1975. $3.95. There is a lot of material available on the Marx Brothers, but if you need a book that ties it all very neatly together and retains the zany flavor of the subjects with many photographs, quotes, background comments and choice excerpts from their dialogue, this is the one. Orson Welles by Joseph McBride. New York, 1[...]eady written a book about Orson Welles (published in 1972). as well as articles for Sigln attd Soundan[...]er, appears to be a new manuscript, prepared with the assistance of Welles and Jean Renoir. It cannot compare with Charles Higham‘s meticulously researched book The Films of Orson Welles (1970) - which for unaccountable reasons is completely ignored by McBride, even in his bibliography — but it does give a well-rounded picture of Welles as actor and director. Directors The Art o,/'Al/red Hitchcock: Filly Years of His Motion Pictures by Donald Spoto. London, 1977[...]is a treasure for Hitchcock fans. Spoto succeeds in drawing our attention to facets in Hitchcock's lilms we might ordinarily have missed. A stimulating exercise in critical sensitivity. Launder and Giiliar by Geoff Brown. London, 1977. $2.95. Well researched, with the close collaboration ofthe subjects (who appear to[...]this study provides a rare and authentic glimpse of British production in the 305. 405 and 505. Billy Wilder in Hollywood by Maurice Zolotow. London, 1977. $19.9[...]g ideas, stories, characters and situations (most of them, alas, never ﬁlmed), Billy Wilder is portrayed here as the most irascible and opinionated man in Hollywood. Wilder is a larger—ihan—\|ife figure, and this is a compelling account of his career, drawn from a long association with Wi[...]views with all his major collaborators. History The Lady and the Law: The Remarkable Story of Fanny Hoiztnann by Edward O. Berkman. Boston, 1976. $12.50. Ms Hotzmann was not only a well- known attorney in Hollywood, she was also a behind—the—scenes wire-puller and intermediary. Stars like[...]rryl F. Zanuck and Louis B. Mayer. figure largely in her recollections. Altogether, a fascinating glimpse of Hollywood power politics. One Good Film Deserves Another: A Pictorial Survey of Film Sequels by Michael B. Druxman. New York, 1977. $19.95. A sequel to the authors Make It Again, Sam (1975) which dealt in a rather superﬁcial fashion with film remakes. Once again. the reader will find no information in this book that is not readily available elsewhere. Even the stills look familiar. Sherlock Holmes on the Screen by Robert W. Pohle, Jr. and Douglas C. Har[...]or four books on this topic are coming out within the next few months, but their authors will ﬁnd this one hard to beat. The impressive research, superb collection of stills (though some have obviously been drawn fro[...]e credits, enhances its value. Westerns: Aspects of a Movie Genre by Philip French. London, 1977. $5.95. This is a revision of an earlier study (1973), and it is pleasing to note that Mr French has revised his earlier poor opinion of Italian Westerns. Mr French is a knowledgeable hi[...]ired by prejudice. (or perhaps a false loyalty to the Hollywood product). Reference Academy Awards Il[...]y Robert Osborne. La Habra, 1977. $25.00. This is the definitive work, published under the auspices of the Academy, with full lists ofawards and nominees, b[...]ri's Cabinet and Other Grand Illusions: A History of Film Design by Leon Barsacq. Boston, 1976. $29.95. lt is about time the art director received due recognition, this magni[...]nships between art directors and directors. Film Review I977-I978 by F. Maurice Speed. London, 1977. $17.95. This year's volume BOOK REVIEWS contains the usual excellent features, and whether you like Film Review really depends on where you live. It is much more[...]ndoners than anyone else. though all will delight in the photographs; the critiques are much less superﬁcial than in some previous volumes. HalliwelI's Filmgoer's Co[...]lliwell. London, 1977. $35.00. This sixth edition of what has deservedly become a standard reference w[...]synopsis, excerpts from contemporary reviews, and the author’s own opinion. This is the ideal reference book. International Film Guide 1978 edited by Peter Cowie. London, 1977. $8.95. The format and contents are the same as last year’s IFG. This is an invaluable source, of information about foreign films, festivals. non-theatrical films in the US. and such esoterica. Screen World 1977 edited[...]lists and major credits on every feature released in the US in 1976. An all- inclusive index gives this annual a considerable edge over Film Review. A Title Guide to the Talkies I964 through 1974 by Andrew A. Aros. New Jersey, 1977. $19.95. The guide consists of credits compiled from Screen World, Fi/m/acts, The New York Times, The Monthly Film Bulletin, etc. The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: A Documented Pictorial Checklist of the SF Wor/d~ C onceptsl Themes/Books/Mags/C omlcs/F[...]n/Radio/Art/Fandom/Cults/Personal Commentaries by the Greatest Names in SF Writing edited by Brian Ash. London, 1977. $12.95. The sub—title tells all. . The World Encyclopedia of Comics edited by Maurice Horn. New York. 1977. $15.95. A big undertaking, superbly illustrated in color and blaclvand-white. Comic-strip characters[...]d, and there are sections on animation and comics in the films. Theory The Shadow and Its Shadow: Surrealist Writings on Cin[...]mation and insights, including a spirited defence of the original King Kong by Jean Ferry and a well- argued recommendation by Ado Kyrou to “learn to go and see the ‘worst‘ films; they are sometimes sublime." Individual Films Down the Yellow Brick Road: The Making of the Wizard of Oz by Doug McClelland. New York, 1976. $8.95. A l[...]and magazine articles and lavishly illustrated. The Magic Factory: How MGM Made An American in Paris by Donald Knox. New York, 1973. $9.95. Knox has taken full advantage of being able to interview almost everyone involved. Their candor enables us to appreciate the intricate and often highly abrasive relationships[...]ial reading for film students and ﬁlm- makers. The Nitreyev Valentino: Portrait of a Film by Alexander Bland. Sydney, 1977. $5.95. A[...]th a card-index memory and a forceful enthusiasm. The high-quality of the reproduction of old lobby cards (especially those in color) make this very pleasant reading. Mountain of Dreams: The Golden Years of Paramount Pictures by Leslie Halliwell. New York.[...]. Unfortunately, this is not an organized history of Paramount, but a difficult- to-follow (which the complete absence of an index makes even more difficult) survey of that company‘s press advertisements. The Movie Bu_/J”: Book 2 edited by Ted Sennett. New[...]5. Puzzles, quizzes, some light articles and lots of photographs — the same mixture as before. Star-Spangled Kitsch: An Astounding and Tasteless/y Illustrated Exploration of the Bawdy, Gaiidy, Shoddy Mass-Arr Culture in This Grand Laird of Ours by Curtis F. Brown. New York, 1975. $15.95.[...]cartoon sequence for Fantasia) figure prominently in these copiously-illustrated pages. vk Cin[...]
	[...]Melbourne Vic. 3205 (03) 699 7203 Specialists in Film Sound Transfers For your next feature we can supply 35mm magnetic stripe film in bulk at competitive rates to 17.5mm is four times the place you think it is Trouble is the Perth Institute of Film and Television is working in so many areas of film and television that people who know our work in one category often aren't aware of many of our other projects. Film distributors don't know we're film producers. Film producers may not know of our extensive education programme. Please Contac[...]WYNER OPTICALS 14 Street iv And so on. To set the record straight, we are active in: Artarrnon, NSW 2064 (02) 433 2993 S ‘ Education The lnstitute’s education programme ranges from -[...]ng filrn-makersto film law seminars.‘ . ' _ _ _ Recent visitors participating in such activities Wet Gate Facilities T included Ph[...]re Producers CINEVEX FILM LABORATORIES PTY LTD. of i5 -17 Gordon ST Elsternwick. VIC. " Production Under the auspices of the Australian Children's Film Foundation, PIFT is active in the area of __ children's film and television with sales to Channel 9 (Perth) and ABC National Television of short I children's documentaries and dramas. Several children's T.V. serials and films are currently in pre-production. ‘ Resource Centre \ Special Projects The Institute services the local film and television community through its e[...]ies. Projects being planned include an exhibition of Video Art, and a festival of student film, video and photography. Film Exhib[...]3 seat cinema, a 60 seat 16mm cinema specialising in Australian films and a ”Moving Pictures” travelling film festival in country areas of Western Australia. 7247 & 5247 E.C.N. Processing Stay tuned. There's more to come. PERTH INSTITUTE OF FILM AND TELEVISION, 92 Adelaide St., Fre[...]
	Australian Children's Film and Television Seminar In the revious issue of Cinema Papers (p. 200, mention was made of the Seminar in Children's Film and Television that took place in Canberra during October 12-16, 1977. Printed below are the Seminar‘s recommendations: 1.1 It is recommended that the possibility of the commercial channels combining and forming a child[...]and private sector financial and other assistance in the making of children's fiction programs; and would endeavor to arrange screening of such productions at network level to preserve an essence of competition and retain the present multi-channel choice. 1.2 The seminar supports the following recommendations of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal: 10.167 A new[...]uld be suitable for school—age children between the ages of six and twelve (inclusive). The seminar also considers that a minimum of 50 per cent of the programs should be conceived and made in Australia. Dissent by FACTS 1.3 The seminar would prefer to see the Broadcasting Information Office set up as a statutory body, separate from the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal. This would ensure the independence of the public representation and avoid the conflict which might ensue if the Tribunal were to act in the twofold capacities of a judge and a plaintiff at licence hearings. How[...]for any reason unacceptable, it is essential that the exact independence of the B10 from the Tribunal be defined — with particular reference to its research capacity, staff and financial resources. The BIO must be seen as a strong, positive and independent entity, if it is to contribute to the formulation of future programming policies, and to protect the public interest. Dissent by FACTS 1.4 The seminar endorses the aims and principles underlying the Tribunals recom- mendation to establish a children's program committee. In addition, we recommend that the committee be available to program makers for consultation and appraisal of programs, if requested, during all stages of production. However, we object to any proposal that would confine the committee to viewing only completed Australian pr[...]s procedure would be inviting producers to invest in a product, only to have it rejected after completion. This in turn may encourage conformity and discourage innovation in program-making. Dissent by FACTS 1.5 The seminar endorses the following recommendation of the Tribunal: Media Education in Schools 10.131 Numerous submissions to the inquiry based their arguments on the premise that television is the most powerful and influential medium in today's world. While opinions varied as to the effects of this power and influence, it was a widely express[...]eans that children should be taught understanding of the nature, techniques and purpose of the media so that they could develop critical attitud[...]inating listeners and viewers. 10.132 Evidence to the inquiry showed that a considerable amount is already being done in this area. In state schools. for example, teachers in New South Wales are being encouraged to use television programs for homework assignments, and as a means of teaching appreciation of worthwhile material and greater discernment in the choice of programs, children are being encouraged to write[...]rts are being made to promote Australian programs in the hope that children will be exposed to a plurality of Australian cultural values and to the richness of the Australian heritage; and some private schools hav[...]However, these initiatives are being undertaken in isolation. We believe that all children who are exposed to television in particular and the media in general, would benefit enormously from this kind of instruction. The Tribunal is aware that an earlier initiative (the supply to 2200 state secondary schools of radio kits and media kits designed by the then Department of the Media as basic resource material to assist an awareness of the role of communications in society) was achieved by co-operation at Commonwealth/State Government level. 10.133 It is the strong recommendation of the Tribunal that the Commonwealth Department of Education convene a meeting of Station Education Departments in the hope of achieving further co—operation, with the aim of encouraging the inclusion of media education as part of the curricula for state primary and secondary schools. We further recommend that specialist teachers of media education be trained and media education be introduced as a subject in its own and other appropriate agencies (e.g. WEA, Department of Technical and Further Education; Migrant Educatio[...]edia education courses to reach parents. And that in any discussions that may take place under recommendation 10.133, the broadcasters and program makers should be involved. UNANlMOUS 1.6 It is recommended that the Australian government provide extra funds to the Australian Film Commission to research and develop alternative methods of 16mm film and video distribution, particularly as[...]ertiary and informal education systems, to expand the market for Australian children's programs. 1.7 As[...]rnational Children's Year, it is recommended that the Australian government be approached to make available, at least 12 months in advance, funds to assist in the development of production, distribution and exhibition of children's programs. 1.8 The seminar recommends and endorses the following philosophies and findings of the Arts Study Group, sponsored by the Myer Foundation: While there appears to be a wil[...]There is a major communications gap to bridge if the private sector is to increase its non- market sup[...]s and arts organizations frequently exist outside the mainstream of community life and there is a need for greater mutual under- standing of and tolerance for the differing objectives and life-styles. Many businessmen say they do not support the arts because they have never been approached. Others, who have been approached, say the proposal and approach were so badly handled that[...]ranted. There appears to be wide agreement among the business community that some co-ordination in fund raising for the arts would be desirable, that someone should help[...]best to provide support. Some prospective donors in the private sector do not assist because they fear that their support will be wasted. This fear stems, in part, from lack of confidence in arts management — a fear reinforced by the well-publicized financial crises that seem to aff[...]or no thanks and no subsequent information about the projects they assist. Artists and arts administrators must be prepared to offer something in return for the assistance they receive, and this can often be do[...]support was both welcome and usefully emp\|oyed.1 The seminar also suggests that substantial private investment is especially essential to the necessary increase in the qualityand quantity ofchi\|dren’s programs. It i[...]. possibly 1 Building Private Sector Support for the Arts (Myer Foundation, 1977) comprising state-fe[...]ups, be established to assist and co-operate with the suggested ARTS Board. 1.9 It is recommended that[...]hould provide an advisory and consultancy service in the areas of marketing, financial control, proposal presentati[...]stment possibilities and other relevant areas, to the producers of Australian children's programs. Also, that the appropriate ministers be asked to direct the ABC, the Australian Film and Television School and Film Australia, to co-operate in these efforts wherever possible. 1.10 Recognizing that economic research on the financial viability of television companies is vital to the debate on children's programs, the amount of Australian content, and its quality; and that the information is difficult for independent research[...]is recommended that this research be conducted by the Tribunal and made available to the public. 1.11 The seminar strongly recommends that all producers and production houses be made aware of the Script Development Fund of the AFC, and that a listing of all such scripts be made available to them on request, subject to the approval of the grantee. UNANlMOUS 1.12 The seminar recognizes that the direction of child performers requires special skills. We ask that the ARTS and any other accredited institutions that p[...]y consider mounting a course concerning direction of children. We also recommend that the ARTS. through its open program, provide a shortened version of such a course. 1.13 Recognizing that the use of child performers in Australian films and television is a growing need, we ask the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts to inquire into the possibility of formulating uniform guidelines which would operate on an Australia-wide basis. This proposal seeks to safeguard chi[...]film and television producers may be able to make the fullest use of child performers. 1.14 it is believed the lower status, remuneration, facilities and resources accorded the conceivers and makers of children's fiction programs compared with the conceivers and makers of other programs, reflects a serious devaluation of the cognitive, social and emotional needs of children during their formative years. it is, therefore, recommended that conceivers and makers of children's programs be accorded parity with conceivers and makers of other programs, in all areas of production and in financial reward. 1.15 We recommend that such advertising as may be included in children's program time conform to clearly stated[...]CTS 1.16 Thatthisseminarrecognizesthelarge amount of research that has been done with respect, to children and advertising, and stresses the responsibility which falls on advertisers and television channels in the concern for children's welfare. UNANlMOUS 1.17 The seminar recommends that there be a national newsl[...]rs and researchers, giving comprehensive coverage of information about existing and new research in the area of children's television and related fields, together with case histories about the application of research in specific program- making situation. There should be a coherent plan for the newsletter. It should be simple and persuasive, as well as of suitable quality, so that it is respected by specialists in research, production and programming. That the following organizations be among those approached[...]ter; and act as a clearing-house for information: The Broadcasting Information Office, The Australian Film Commission, The Australian Film and Television School, La Trobe and Macquarie Universities and The Media information Research Exchange. 1.18 In order to help define quality, the seminar recommends that there should be research on: a) Children's perception of quality (neither an assumption about what has succeeded nor the conclusion that because children have liked a particular program all they need is more of the same); the investigation to be an intelligent interpretation of the elements of programs. bl Parents‘ perceptions of quality in their children's programs, the things that they believe are good; what they woul[...]sion writers'/direclors'/ producers‘ assessment of quality: What they have hoped to achieve and what they have in fact achieved. d) Time: is more time needed in preparation for quality’? e) Funds: Are funds[...]producers/directors’? g) Expectation: What is the status of the writers/directors/producers in children's television production’? h) Structur[...]ey pro—socia\|, educational, pure nonsense etc) in relation to their research. 1.19 The seminar recommends that there be research to determine: a) Whether the quality/content/directing/ structuring and preparation of the program would be different or enhanced if there were no advertisements during the program. b) What, perceptually, happen to childr[...]ntent mixed up with program content. C) What are the possibilities of putting advertisements at the beginning or end of programs or in one spot only. d) Whether advertising could be vetted to be of a certain kind — informational/ educational. 1.20 in order to understand what motivates and interests children, the seminar recommends that research should be initiated in such format areas as pace, sequencing, production techniques (e.g. close—ups, flash-backs, features of characters, realism, comedy, fantasy, and music) in addition tothe traditional studies of content. In order to understand the relationship between these and the interests, attitudes, values and age of the viewer, research should be undertaken into the nature of visual perception; the relationship between visual and verbal learning;[...]em-solving, and between reality and fantasy. 121 The seminar recommends that there be more defined market research into the age distribution of the viewing audience and it should be conducted on a much larger sample in each state, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. UNANIMOUS 1.22 The seminar recommends that there be research to determine the pro-social effects of television to find out in what way it does enhance the development of a child. and what further beneficial effects television could have. UNANlMOUS 1.23 Given the Australian multi-cultural society, the seminar recommends that research could be conduc[...]children's television and cinema programs reflect the range of cultural experience of the child audiences; b) in what ways the content of future children's programs can perform an educative function with respect to the range of cultural experience, and whether there can be guidelines established for the consistent inclusion of multi-cultural elements. UNANlMOUS 1.24 The research workshop has found this seminar, oriente[...]d on research, relating to television, cinema and the child. 1.25 The seminar recommends that its resolutions be sent as soon as possible to the Minister for Post and Telecommunications, the Senate Standing Committee on Education and the Arts, and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister in h . t e M5 UNANIMOUS «A- Cinema Papers,[...]
	Sharmill Films Personalised distribution of connoisseur ﬁlm: . . . Proudly Announces Outst[...]16mm; non-theatrical hire only) Antonia, Portrait of a Woman (16mm) I Can Jump Puddles (16mm and 35mm[...]atalie Miller, Stonnington Place, Toorak, Vic 3 , Australia. Telephone: (03) 20 5329. Cables: Sharﬁlms Melb[...]DIMSEY INDEPENDENT Director, Writer, Producer; of FILM Commercial, Documentary, Feature (03) 96 1[...]Koala (which really isn't a bear at all) is one of the Australian Wildlife Film Series made by Film Australia. Enquiries welcomed at Film Australia P.O. Box 46 Lindfield 2070 Telephone 467[...]
	FILM STUDY RESOURCES GUIDE Basil Gilbert The increase in ﬁlm study courses in Australian educational institutes is stimulating demand for accurate information held in private and government ﬁlm libraries. Two recent publications are designed to satisfy this need: the National Library of Australia‘s Film Study Catalogue 1977, and the Australian Council of Film Societies’ third edition ofits 16mm Feature Film Catalogue. The National Library Film Study Catalogue replaces the Film Study Collection Working Title List issued in October 1975. The new work is well- designed, has 115 pages and is[...]ies, including directors and some actors; country of origin; and ﬁlms by decade. The ﬁnal section, an alphabetical listing of titles, provides date of release, country of origin, running time in minutes at 24 frames/sec (this also applies to silent ﬁlms) and a short synopsis of each ﬁlm’s content. The 16mm Feature Film Catalogue is an indispensable resource for schools and ﬁlm societies. The new edition has a number ofimprovements and a number of defects. Many of the errors widely scattered throughout the second edition have been corrected (ln God’s Na[...]een corrected from 20 minutes to 57 minutes), and the sections of the catalogue — distributor, director, origin and t[...]. There are more than 1000 new titles listed. On the negative side is the reduced size and illegibility of the poorly printed text with its computer-style typography, and a continuing number of inconsistencies in the presentation. Some directors are listed merely by[...]stian names or initials. This has led to mistakes in the director listings, such as The Cross and the Switchblade and Summer Shadows, both being credited to Murray. Yet the ﬁrst was made by Don Murray and the other by Scott Murray. As well, the elimination of the approximate rental costs in the alphabetical list means that price discrimination between distributors is not possible. In the second edition, Le Chien Andalou by Luis Bunuel w[...]butors. Now there is no way to decide. One hopes the Government will provide a sufﬁcient subsidy for a complete re-editing and checking of the fourth edition. The third edition costs $25 (plus tax) and is available from the Australian Council of Film Societies, 20 Craithie Ave, Park Orchards, Vic, 3114. The pamphlet, Film: A Guide To Reference Books (compi[...]important addition to every ﬁlm study library. The 23 pages of text are organized by subject categories — encyclopaedias, study guides, anthologies, surveys ofﬁlm, etc. — and each entry has a succinct, critical synopsis. The Little Blue Book, as the Australian Writers’ Guild Members ' Directory I[...]ustralian scriptwriters. Those listed are members of the Guild, and there is a list of award winners. In the paid-advertising section, the information includes addresses, writer preferences, number of years experience, and recent credits. Members not advertising are listed only by name. Copies are available from the Australian Writers’ Guild, 197 Blues Point Rd., North Sydney, NSW, 2060. Media Information Australia, published by MIA (representing non-commercial me[...]ations), is an established bibliographical source of considerable use. Edited by Professor Henry Mayer[...]ia books, tapes, audio visual resources, research in progress, media surveys, new research resources ([...]oking for a general text to introduce students to the study of film will be disappointed with James Monaco‘s H[...]ersity Press, $22.50 hardcover, $9.50 paperback). The books sub—title, The Art, Technology, Language, History and Theory of Film and Media suggests a wealth of ﬁlm-historical richness, but the contents of the book are but a superficial glance at each of these areas. The style of writing also leaves much to be desired. It is either blankly uninformative (“In movies the camera is involved in two variables that do not exist in still photography: it moves the ﬁlm, and it itself moves”) or turgidly dense[...]hotographic hyper-realism continues to comment on the ramifications of the camera esthetic”). One looks forward to a compl[...]ad a Film”. Less ambitious, but more useful to the undergraduate film student, is the second edition of Understanding Movies (Prentice Hall, $14.75 hardcover, $10.75 paperback) by Louis Giannetti of Case Western Reserve University. The book combines a technical approach (photography, movement, editing, sound, etc.) with critical analyses of the documentary, the dramatic ﬁlm, writing for ﬁlm, avant- garde, structuralism and semiotics. The numerous illustrations are well—chosen and have[...]g Dogs recently completed its first release dates in the main city centres. The figures are impressive: 12 weeks in Auckland, 10 in Wellington ($33,000). and eight in Christchurch. With more than 250,000 paid admissions so far, it has the rare distinction of being listed in the top 10 money—making films in New Zealand in 1977, ranking alongside The Deep, Rocky, Network and Carrie. Sleeping Dogs may also be an entry at the 1978 Moscow Film Festival. Festival judge and film director Stanislav Rostotsky revealed this during a recent visit to New Zealand. He also said that with "certain cuts" the film would be very well received by Soviet audiences. With the success of Sleeping Dogs, about 25 features are in preparation. This is despite several industry sources who maintain New Zealand only has the money and technicians to produce four features a[...]for Sleeping Dogs. Filming is projected to begin in mid-1978. Ian Mune is expected to soon begin filming an adaption of Bruce Mason's The End of the Golden Weather. It will cost $250,000. Tony Williams who co-produced Solo, a moving and sensitive story of people and isolation, is now planning his next project, a film about residents in a small town and the victimization of a teacher. Called Little Trippers, it has a budget of about $400,000. Violence in a small town is the theme of Geoff Stevens’ new film Skin Deep. Filming in Ftaetihi is underway. Stevens’ previous feature was Test Pictures. In a follow-up to its successful Dagg Day Afternoon,[...]planning a $300,000 political satire. Called Get In Behind, it will again star John Clarke. Star Productions’ The Shattered Dream is the story of a young man's ruthless climb to the top and his eventual fall. Produced by Garry Owen, filming is expected to begin later this year. The budget is estimated at $460,000. Paul Maunder (Landfall) is writing the script for a $100,000 dramatization of Samoan writer Albert Wendt’s Sons for the Return Home. It tells of a young Samoan living in New Zealand. Other projects nearing shooting stage are an untitled film about the hunt for a murderer on the West Coast during World War 2. to be made by David Gibson; and The Confession, a film about a psychiatrist and his patient who are caught up in murder. Scripting will be by Michael Noonan and Keith Aberdein. The Dino de Laurentiis Corporation has given a New Zealand company the contract for the construction of two replicas of the Bounty required for the multi-million dollar films. The Law Breakers and The Long Arm. Whangarei Engineering and Construction, who have the $1,300,000 contract, must make delivery by January 1979. The two films to be shot on location in Tahiti, will be produced by Phil Kellogg and directed by David Lean. The screenplays are by Robert Bolt. Government help for New Zealand filmmakers has become a reality with the recent setting up of a New Zealand Film Commission. Its immediate task will be to ensure continuity of activity in the field of filmmaking and to provide financial assistance to producers whose budgets are under $500,000. Long term, the Commission hopes to have specialized marketing st[...]ts films overseas, as well as key staff to assist in production. The new body may, in some respects, follow the same guidelines used by the Australian Film Commission; that is, providing a[...]ral people. It will also be following their lead in providing money at an early stage for script deve[...]e-production stage when money is necessary to get the project fully budgeted to the point where a decision can be made on its final financing. This long-awaited move by the government has been welcomed by independe[...]
	”LOW BUDGETS, HIGH QUALITY IN LOCAL FILMMAKING” National Times, luly 25, 1977 Photo Greg Vi/eight. Brian Brown and Linden Wilkenson in Volita directed by James Ricketson. (Made with assistance from the Film Production Fund). THE CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH of the AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION Provides assistance f[...]DEVELOP FILMMAKING SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES — MAKE THE FILM THEY REALLY WANT TO MAKE All Filmmakers are eligible to apply — whether employed in government/commercial production or independents;[...]you have a film project that you want to get off the ground discuss your proposal with a Project Officer from the Creative Development Branch before submitting an[...]cants for all funds should contact Greg Tepper at the Australian Film Commission Office, 8th Floor, 14[...]) 663 4795. Application forms and guidelines for the funds are available from: The Chairman Australian Film Commission GPO Box 3984[...]r experienced and promising writers and With lots Of P"0ml5e but limited experience- innovative projec[...]l to directors who wish to devote their full time The h{hd_ f3V0U'5 P'0ieCt5 Which are further the applicant's development as a to develop a film or television script over a lhh0Vat\|Ve In fofm, Content Or technique and‘ filmmaker, specific period of time. supports experimental and avant garde work.
	OTHER NOT NON-NARRATIVE “What would be the narrative of a journey in which it is said that one stays somewhere without[...]ved. that one travels without having departed — in which it was never said that. having departed. o[...]or fails to arrive?“ Roland Barthes‘ This is the ﬁrst of a regular feature in Cinema Papers devoted to a certain kind of ﬁlm for which there are innumerable names but little understanding. The purpose of this feature is to provide infor- mation and to o[...]ept those we wish (literally) to de-nominatef‘ In 1975. a submission was presented to the National Library in Canberra for the acquisition of a core collection of ﬁlms primarily for use in ﬁlm study. (The collection was not assembled, but the submission seems to have served as a kind of guide to piecemeal acquisitions.) Albie Thoms drafted the proposal for thethe great discursive mode of the cinema. Most ﬁlms produced are narrative. and the histories of the cinema are those of the narrative cinema. But that state of affairs has not been uncontested. Godard disrupted the anthropo- morphism on which narrative depended‘. the importance of unified. coherent characters. ‘persons’ with[...]eal’ motiva- tions. He placed single characters in multi- ple ﬁctional worlds and divided characters within a single world. Robbe~Gril\|et brought forward the element of narration within the narrative so that its levels intersected and int[...]. became contra- dictory. mutually dc-sigitified. The stability of objects. of events. of actions. ’ The am/ii-gartle. /lllft’/7L’Iltf(’Ill ('III('l[...]l and Wang. New York 1974. was made uncertain by the plurality of narrational sources. Straub dismantled the smooth. homogeneous. illusory surface of ﬁctional ﬁlm realism by a stress on multiple. differential. opposed levels of reality —— that “reality” and the reality of its representation are never singular. These ﬁ[...]non-narrative. They position them- selves within the discursive modes of narrative cinema. but in a position of critical struggle. with texts. the production ofmeanings. and the ideology of forms of production — in particular. the ideology involved in narrative practices. A ﬁlm tradition. primarily American. dating from the works of Maya Dcren in the early 1940s. and having its most direct expression in the ﬁlms of Stan Brakhage. from 1953 to the present. counterposed itselfto thethe figures of meaning of cinema practice — “Forget ideology Abandon ae[...]ered. “Imagine an eye unruled by man-made laws of perspective. an eye unprejudiced by compositional logic. an eye which does not respond to the name ofeverything but which must know each object encountered in life through an adventure of perception."2 The ﬁlms were personal. interior. subjective. and l[...]-centred. “Myself as medium.“ wrote Brakhage. The ﬁlms were hostile to language. names. received structures. the logical. the general. the conventional. and the historical. Experience was posed against thought. poetry against reason (a rather singular view of poetry). vision against logic. Once again. largely in the U.S.. a different kind of ﬁlm began to appear in the mid—l960s‘. one more objectively structured. more concerned with the material substance of ﬁlm than with personal ‘sight‘. and more interested in structures of perception than with a visionary stare. These ﬁ[...]Vision‘. Film Culture No. 30. customary for the narrative of the Hollywood ﬁlm. or even those of Godard or Straub. they were not. by that token. less narrative. or non-narrative. The recent ﬁlms of Hollis Frampton have been described as narrative.[...]s described his ﬁlm Wavelength as narrative‘. the 45-minute interrupted zoom across a studio loft in a narrative metaphor. “a taking place" in space. a measure of events. and of the ‘amera event which produces these events. which narrates and which is in turn narrated. His ﬁlms. including La region centrale. are concerned with the centre of narration. the narrative source. from which the one ﬁlm pulsates back and forth. and around which the other quite literally revolves. In Australia. the color separation studies of Arthur and Corinne Cantrill examine the effect oflight and duration on the perception of event and object. Their films on images of Baldwin Spencer. who recorded and made ﬁlms of aspects of Aboriginal culture in Central Australia at the turn of the century. work to narrate already narrativized images of an Aboriginal past. The ﬁlms retrace a double trace of history. and of the production of that history. in the cinematic images of Baldwin Spencer. John Dunkley—Smith. who works in Melbourne. has made precisely ordered films which work in an area of narrative expectation through patterned repetitions of images and of their duration. Expectation is produced by a structure: events in the film are the play and activity ofthat structure. His work echoes many of the structuralist concerns of the London Filmmakers‘ Co-operative. “Non-narrat[...]y for these ﬁlms: nor is any other which limits the activity of iilm to a name or model. This feature will emphas[...]ther than nomenclature. It will try to see ﬁlms in their work of signifying. of constructing sense. of experimenting with problems: problems such as narrative modes, the relation of material film substances to discursive forms. the relation of the ﬁlm text to its source and centre. A Sam Rohd[...]oblems which are ofgeneral theoretical importance in the study ofﬁlm. When Albie Thoms made his submission in 1975 to the National Library. it was almost impossible to study or view avant-garde ﬁlm in Australia. The situation is now different. If open. public screenings of these ﬁlms are uncommon. the National Library now has an extensive and expanding collection of films available for tertiary institutes. Most of the collection is listed in the Film Study Collection catalogue (I977): but there have been acquisitions since the catalogue was published and it may be necessary to make inquiries direct to the Library. The Library has ﬁlms of New American Cinema by Bruce Baillie. Jordan Bels[...]Shed. Peter Tanner. Jim Wilson and Paul Winkler. The Cantrills have been publishing their film quarter[...]d to information and comment on current film work in Australia and abroad. It is available from the Cantrills. Box l295L. GPO Melbourne. Victoria 3001. . The journal Film Culture published by the Anthology Film Archives in New York (GPO I499. New York. New York 10001) is[...]lms. is P. Adams Sitney’s Visiolia/;v Film anti the anthology he has edited. Essential Cinema. which has a comprehensive and useful bibliography. The recent British Film institute pamphlet Siriicruml Film /lnilialogy. edited by Peter Gidal (review in Cinema Papers No. I5) is interesting. in that it puts forward a deﬁnite and determined aesthetic strategy ofﬁlmmaking. iv Censorship Listings Continued[...]HOUT ELIMINATIONS For Generation Exhibition (G) The Dream of the Red Chamber: R. Shaw/M. Pong, Hong Kong (309900 ml Manchali: R. Nawathe, India (326500 ml Playgrounds In Paradise (16mml: A. Rich, U.S.A. (965.36 ml Secrets of the Bermuda Triangle: A. Landsburg. U.S.A. (252300 ml Tredowata-Leper: Film Polski. Poland (255099 in) FILMS REGISTERED WITHOUT ELIMINATIONS Not Recom[...]0 ml Assassin: 0. Wen Yau. Hong Kong (249613 ml The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training: L. Goldberg, USA. (269400 ml[...]g Iron: G. Butler/J. Gary, U.S.A. (230900 ml Ride in the Whirlwind (‘I6mm): M. ,He\|lrnan/J. Nicholson. U.S.A. (930.00 ml The World's greatest Lover: G. Wilder. U.S.A. (245300[...]D WITHOUT ELIMINATIONS For Mature Audiences (M) The Battle wizard: RR. Shaw. Hong Kong (22210 ml Breaker! Breakeri: D. Hulette. U.S.A. (227669 ml The Day that Shook the World: Z. Mihalic, U.S.A./ Yugoslavia (299000 ml The Devi\|’s Advocate: H. Jedele, W. Germany (297150[...]r/L. Turman. U.S.A. (30-15.00 ml La Dentelliere (The Lacemakel): Y. Gasser. France (298987 ml L'Amour[...]ml Blue Sunshine: G. Manasse. U.S.A. (263300 ml The Child: R. Dadashian. USA. (227420 ml The Cholrboys: M. Adelson/L. Rich. U.S.A.. (‘$373.8[...]2:304.00m " 1900: A. Grimaidi. Italy (679166 ml The Shaolln Avengers: Shaw Bros. Hong Kong (274595 rn[...]s: 20.8 m (45 secs) Reason: indecency A History of the Blue Movie (recon. vets.) (al: A. de Renzy. U.S.A[...]IMINATIONS For Restricted Exhibition (R) Legend of the wait woman: (2112.00 ml Eliminations: 14.3 m (30 secs) Reason; Excessive violence (a) Previously listed In Film Censorship Bulletin No. 1 1/75. (bl Reduced by pre-censor cuts totalling 484.23 in. FILMS REFUSED REGISTRATION Eruption:S. Kurlan, U.S.A. (1B3B.70m) Reason: indecency The French Governess: O. Cocci, Italy (273680 ml Reas[...]own, France (240420 ml Reason: indecency Hostess of Sex: M. Barney. France (1777.10 ml Reason: indecency FILMS REGISTERED WITHOUT ELIMINATIONS FILMS BOARD OF REVIEW FILMS APPROVED FOR REGISTRATION AFTER REVIEW Nil M. Zide, Italy FILMS NOT APPROVED FOR REGISTRATION AFTER REVIEW Nil * Cinema Papers. April/June — 375
	[...]498 5077 ' GUN RIENTALS COLLSHCOT SALES Dealers in Antique— Military & Collectable Firearms— Related Items DAVID COGGIN Caterer to the Film Industry and the Light Car Club of Australia Blue Fire Lady Long Weekend Patrick TV Commercia[...]ravel Offers a Specialised Service to The Film Making Industry via[...]VICE PTY. LTD. ANYTHING relating to the above fields. 235 MORAY STREET, (PO BOX 328). SOUTH MELBOURNE 3205. Advice concerning the correct TELEPHONE (03) 699 5999 type of firearm(s) etc. to correspond with the period * 16mm color & b/w - documentary film processing and duplicating of the mm' * productions * super 8mm & standard * sound[...]ian agents for tuscan reels and cans * suppliers of UMATIC 3/4” KAREX video tape
	[...]ick” — Special Effects Continued from P. 305 THE FLYING RIG One effect you touched on before was a rig for the scene where Patrick thrusts a doctor out of a room and into a doorway by psycho-kinetic power[...]n a single pipe, and a pulley arrangement to lift the actor. The actor wears a harness belt which goes around his waist, with straps that run down under the groin and others up over the shoulders. On the sides of the harness are metal reinforcers where you attach pi[...]s — little copper sleeves that are clamped onto the wire. The wire is then run up to a spreader bar which hangs from the trolley arrangement. The spreader is 24 inches wide and keeps the wires apart; so they come down at the proper angles, and don‘t get in the way of the actor’s arms and control any spinning. The piano wire is painted, or left the way it is, depending on the kind of lighting and wall coloring in the set. And how is the device triggered? The whole thing is counter- weighted. There are pulleys up above, a pulley at each end of the monorail and a rope that is attached at one end, runs to the Kathy (Susan Penhaligon) and Dr Wright (Bruce Barry). Patrick. other end, over the pulley and back, and over two pulleys on the trolley itself. By pulling on this rope, we shorten the length of the whole system and that lifts the actor. Therefore, in any position on the monorail the actor will maintain the same height. Ifonly one pulley had been used on the trolley when it was run back and forth, the arc of movement would shorten the system at each extreme of travel and the actor would move up and down. You can adjust the height simply by pulling on the rope. Then you counter-weight the rope so that the actor has very little weight — he is just about ready to fly offthe floor. So with one arm you can pull the actor up and down. We pulled the actor out of the room by attaching a wire to the back of the harness, and running that to a big piece of timber. We then had four people pull on it. Ori[...]a jerk ratchet — another item readily available in the U.S. This device is a long, reinforced board with 20 to 30 strands of heavy bungee or shock cord attached to eye-hooks at one end and a winch at the other. You just wind it up like a giant slingshot, attach the harness cable, then ﬁre it. Its generally used[...]ects, for someone being blown against a wall; but in the available time I was unable to locate anything but 6mm bungee — and the machine would not operate properly. ACTORS Do you often find that actors aren’t prepared to do the stunts? Not really. On Patrick, they were all ve[...]e. Ifthere were any reservations, I would perform the stunt and show them just how dangerous or safe it was. The actress in the hair burning scene, Carole-Ann Aylett, was very nervous about the ﬁre. A short time before the take I walked up to her and set the thing offin my own hair. She thought it was great and wanted me to show it to the director. We had Richard Franklin come onto the set and I made up another batch, then stuck it on[...]Does a special effects man often have to overcome the fear of actors? Yes, though I have found that, other tha[...]hejob. A lot oftimes l’ll ask things like “Is the ambulance ready outside?” or “Has the emergency room been notified?” That kind of approach seems to set actors at ease. 1- Due to limitations of space, the above interview is an edited version. In the deleted sections Rothmann talks about effects not related to Patrick — bullet hits, explosions, the use of slow motion, etc. Those interested can get these extra sections from Cinema Papers in photostat form for a nominal fee. John Duigan[...]ime. When did you become involved? I was brought in to direct the ﬁlm at the end of last year. Max Gillies and John Timlin were appointed administrators of Pram Factory Productions, which is the ﬁlmmaking arm of the Pram Factory. It has been their role to get the ﬁlm off the ground and they are now functioning as associate-producers. John Weiley will produce. As for the script, Jack wrote the first new drafts, and subsequently, it has passed through a number of further drafts after discussions Jack has had with Max Gillies, myself and John Weiley. What market is the film aiming at? Presumably, the theatre- going audience wouldn’t be sufficient in itself. . . In terms of the number of people who have seen it, Dimboola is probably the most successful theatrical event in Australia’s history. I understand it has been seen by mor[...]so universally well-liked, I think a large number of the people who have seen the play will want to see the ﬁlm. This is a good start. Obviously we want ev[...]danger that they will be expecting a film version of the play? They probably will, and in publicizing the ﬁlm we will have to indicate that it is going to be very different to the play. Basically it is comedy, and if it works it[...]ppeal. However, I would also like to capture some of the feeling of ﬁlms, like for example Amacortl and The Fireman’s Ball, and the play Under Milk Wood — although a bit more roistering than these. I see the ﬁlm as having much broader possibilities than s[...]comedy which some people seem to be expecting. In the city, people associate generally in groups of their own kind. In a country town, the population is too small for this and there is gen[...]g. I would like to try and capture this diversity of types -— in a heightened reality certainly, but one that does[...]uralistic roots. I hope we can create a good deal of warmth and energy — as we tried to in Mouth to Mouth. Are you shooting on location? Yes, it will be ﬁlmed entirely in Dimboola. We have been up there looking around the place and the town is excited at the idea. Dimboola, the play, was taken there a couple of years ago and played three sold-out nights. Everyone liked it, and looks forward to the film putting Dimboola on the globe. Have you finalized a budget for the film? Yes, $350,000 — which is a lot of money. It is very difﬁcult to pare it below that, simply because of the size of the cast and the associated expenses of accommodating, transporting and feeding that number of people. There are more than 30 large speaking parts, and a lot of extras. Have you raised all of the money? Most of it; there is still some private money to chase. Will the crew be of a similar size to that on “Mouth to Mouth”? A bit larger in the Art Department/Costumes/Props area, but a number of the same people: Tom Cowan will be shooting it, Lloyd Carrick will do the sound, Vicki Molloy will be production manager.[...]ple from Mouth to Mouth will be working on it — the crew on Mouth was very good. I was delighted to w[...]— we had worked together once on Bonjour Balwyn in 1970. it Cinema Papers, April/June — 377
	BRIAN KAVANAGH Editor LONG WEEKEND ruauu.ur. The Chan! of Jinunie ‘Blacksmith The Devil's illayground KAVANAGH PRODUCTIONS PTY. LT[...]. Film society and festival news . . . Films for the specialist . . . Federation News has all the answers It is the quarterly journal of the Federation of Victorian Film Societies now published with the assistance of the Creative Development Branch of the Australian Film Commission. For over 20 years, F[...]recognised as an essential reference Journal for the non-commercial use of 16mm film . . . film ' societies, schools, adult[...]lan programmes. Federation News is now published in March, ' June, September and December. ’ - 197[...]834 7939 FILMNEWS FILMNEWS, a monthly newspaper of Australian independent cinema, is published by the Sydney Filmmakers Co-operative Ltd. FILMNEWS con[...]opinion. Essential reading for anyone interested in the development of Australian film. Subscriptions — $8/year (Aust[...]to FILMNEWS, P.O. Box 217, Kings Cross, NSW 2011, Australia. CAMERA MISSING 1948 Arriflex Model A (Seria[...]Plus two 400ft magazines $100 reward for return of above Please phone: Palm Beach Pictures ([...]
	[...]ing. There comes a point where you have to forget the audience and try to please yourself. I get a lot of letters from people who have seen the film ﬁve or six times in the U.S., and who tell me about things they missed the ﬁrst or second time and got the fourth or ﬁfth time. That’s very good for the film . . . Yes, it is. It’s a miracle if you c[...]see any ﬁlm more than once. How much money has the film made? Seventy million dollars.* What percentage of that is yours? About 15 per cent, but not 15 per cent of the $70 million. It is only after distribution costs, after the studio has taken its share, the exhibitors theirs and so on. Its a racket. Everybody gets their money first and when it’s time for the ﬁlmmakers to get their piece, it’s hardly a m[...]e a proﬁt, and that’s what I will start doing in the future. But then I am not really concerned with how much money I can make from the ﬁlm — I never have been. Don’t you want to be your own producer? Yes, very much; but the reason I Wasn’t my own producer on this ﬁlm w[...]ct, and I knew I needed somebody who could handle the studio and the paperwork. I didn’t want to spend my time at ho[...]ry small ﬁlm, like my next one. It has a budget of only $1.5 million, with a ﬁve-week schedule. So you are still capable of working on a small film as opposed to a monolith[...]o’clock and having dinner at 6. It’s * As of early February, 1978. The control centre where the first of a series of UFO sightings is recorded. Close Encounters of theIn May, and it will be out at Christmas. I can do a very small film because my appetite for theIn “Close Encounters” you worked with five great[...]rked together. I should explain that I make films in an unorthodox way. I shoot the bare, essential script ﬁrst, then I stop and lo[...]it needs, say, a new opening or more explanation in a scene. Sometimes I go out months later and shoo[...]shoot another two days. When I was shooting some of the additions, John Alonzo was available, but Vilmos[...]. I don’t believe that a ﬁlm should stop when the schedule says “last day”. My problem is I should be handcuffed to the wall. On this ﬁlm, I was still cutting only day[...]and Douglas Slocombe. Wasn’t it difficult for the cinematographers to adjust to the style of the previous man? All cinematographers in the U.S., like all directors, are great friends. Will[...]ematographer came to work with me, they looked at the ﬁlm that had already been photographed and matched that style. How did you get the child to react so well? By adopting him; we were[...]hree year-old, very bright. As much as I adopted the little boy, Truffaut adopted the creature. You’d ﬁnd him standing there talking to this inanimate object in French. He is a wonderful man, but I don’t understand all of him. I spent a year with Truffaut, but I really d[...]ous. Was it difficult for Truffaut to understand the film and his role? Yes. Truffaut wanted to know more about Lacombe because in the ﬁlm I suggest that the story has been going on years before the ﬁlm begins. I wanted to give the impression that this meeting had been in preparation for a long time. But Truffaut wanted to know what had happened over thethe sandstorm in the desert. Then he understood. Do you think the U.S. government today would really be so open-minded in their reception of a visitation? Yes. I think if scientists had rec[...]years to condition themselves to it. That’s why the people on the base of operations were so scientiﬁc, so blase at the time, because they ‘spent all those years preparing for this one meeting. The time and the date was a surprise, but the eventuality was not. I think if it were announced today that contact had been made, scientists all round the world would remain sceptical until every one of them had been brought into a room and introduced. Scientists down through the ages have been the most sceptical of people. Have you any more ideas like “Jaws” or “Close Encounters” that you want to put before the public eye? Not at the moment. Close Encounters was premeditated, Jaws was not. Jaws was a book I stumbled across in an office. I read it and almost capriciously said[...]it — I didn‘t know what I was letting myself in for. Jaws was an accident, but this ﬁlm wasn’[...]to make a musical; an old-fashioned musical where the story stops for a song. Lots of heavy tap—dancing, smoke coming out of the shoes. The problem is that films were as influential in the 30s and 40s as television is today. Because of Fred Astaire, parents forced their children to learn tap dancing. But tap dancing has not been in vogue for two decades, so when you make a musical[...]ELEVISION FEATURES I970 Night Gallery (ABC Movie of the Week) 1970 The Psychiatrist (ABC Movie ofthe Week) I970 God Bless the Children (ABC Movie of the Week) 1971 Duel (released theatrically outside the U.S.) 1972 Something Evil TELEVISION EPISODES 1970 Name of the Game I970 Marcus Welby, MD I970 Columbo F[...]
	[...]American ﬁlms, at their best, function on both the physical-action and the psychological- excitement levels. But there are ﬁlmgoers who are not interested in psychological chains of events. For these people, American ﬁlms can still work, because the physical action can be followed without an understanding of action on other levels. It may be a sign of change that three books by _the late Per Wahloo, whose works are action-ﬁlled a[...]ﬁlmed within one year. First, Mannen pa taket (The Man on the Roof), directed by Bo Widerberg; then Uppdraget (The Assignment), directed by Mats Arehn; and, most recently, Lastbilen (The Truck), directed by Arne Mattsson.* This may sho[...]ed island after all; that bridges can be built to the rest of the world, that Swedish ﬁlms other than Bergman’s[...]at viewpoint, it feels exciting to produce ﬁlms in Sweden. Moreover, I have not gone into comparisons with other countries. Public ﬁnancing in other forms exists in many other places. The number of gifted people in any given country seems to vary enormously. There are countries in which it would be theoretically possible to produce much more, much better. But nothing is happening. In Sweden, some 20 to 25 ﬁlms a year are being made. At present, resources do not permit more. The point is that it is not ﬁnancial resources that[...]artistic talent for more ﬁlms. My hope is that the ﬁlms that are made will be able to compete with all the other ﬁlms in the world in a worthy manner — and that they will want to co[...]d as “a life symphony”, orchestrates a number of .variations on reality and fantasy, its movements[...]istically elaborate ﬁlm, its central concern is the artist — here an aspiring composer attempting t[...]g as a music teacher, Magnus (Hakan Serner) lives in fear of his death — “When you no longer expect a fairyland over the hill, then you’re done for” — while, at the same time, understanding the prison that such a fear creates — “It’s lik[...]r on his wall serves as an ever- present reminder of the process of ageing: — “Once every day was a happy day . . . Now, bang, I’m in my declining years.” Unlike Den Allvarsamma Le[...]ncerns itself with a quest for a “fairyland”, the male fantasies here are treated with considerable sympathy. There is what would appear to be a degree of identiﬁcation by Troell with his artist-hero: o[...]d eventual success parallel Magnus’ abandonment of teaching as his “sounds” symphony is about to[...]formance. Troell balances Magnus’ construction of this ‘See also The Laughing.Policeman (Stuart Rosenberg, ‘ U.S.) ’ i 5 Diana Kjaer and Jorn Donner in Donner’s Tenderness — Pieces From a Marriage. symphony, drawn from recorded sounds of the everyday world, against the composer’s reluctance to face the human side of those sounds. Magnus’ life is a constant retreat into the privacy of his creation: to connect himself with life is to[...]ies for natural rebirth; to reconstruct that life in his own image is to keep its transience at bay, though it is also to retreat from it and its possibilities. In marked contrast to Troe11’s metaphysics, in which the process of self-questioning becomes an end in itself, Vilgot Sjoman’s Tabu (Taboo, 1977) aspires to lay bare the reality of the anguish of sexual minorities. Drawing 90 per cent of his material from “research on reality”, Sjom[...]ry . a reformer projecting his own neuroses on to the world”. The girl, Sara (Licka Sjoman), provides the link between the ‘normal’ world (that of the audience, of course) and Sjoman’s “catalogue of all the various perversities”. Hers is far from a choric wisdom, however, as she moves from infatuation with “the reformer”, a lawyer, Kristoffer (Kjell Bergqvist), to a recognition of his hypocrisy and an empathy with those he has be[...]long before she does, and thus our perspective on the events in the ﬁlm is outside those she presents, either in the voice-over commentary or in her role in the drama. While the sincerity of Sjoman’s declared commitment to the cause of sexual freedom is beyond question, the ﬁlm and his comments about it place his position in doubt. The growth of Sara’s insight into the ﬁlm’s sexual underworld is asserted by the closing scenes, but scarcely felt. Having initial[...]tially, as a lever to manoeuvre our responses — the visual structure of the ﬁlm, repeatedly returning to her confused reactions to what is happening around her — the nature of her emergent understanding remains a mystery. With the exception of the transvestite, Lennart/Margaretha (Halvar Bjork), the characters with whom Sara comes into contact remain foreign in their bickering and their anguish. The unkind charge levelled at Sjoman, that his creations are more like “animals in a zoo” than human beings, is encouraged by his inability to lend them any sort of depth and by his description of their sexual lives as “bizarre” and “perversities”. Probably the major illustration of this is in his characterization of Kristoffer. The lawyer’s identity crisis, inseparable from his exploitation of those whose cause he represents, is viewed severely. His rebuff to the exhibitionist who decides not to appeal against his sentence (thus denying Kristoffer the further opportunity to make public his reformist zeal) is brutal. But the psychological state that induced such an attitude is ignored — a personal brand of exhibitionism which his supporters see as “charisma” — viewed only on the surface, in the way it affects others. Yet surely he is as much a victim of the sexual repressiveness of his society as those around him. All Sjoman does is impose upon him a cruel irony, heavy—handed in its directness. Kristoffer’s self—image is underlined by the name Sjoman gives him, and his lack of self- awareness in the scene in which he challenges a maturing Sara, now disillusioned by him, with the charge that she is suffering from “a severe ide[...]. . A less didactic, more generous commitment to the object ofhis hostility — “I hate seducers . .[...]evolutionaries who want to save Mankind, but who, in reality, are more concerned with acting out their[...]Tabu into what Sjoman wanted it to be. It remains the most ambitious of the Swedish ﬁlms I have discussed, but one of the least successful. at BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES (1) Anja Breien: Born in Norway in 1940, she studied at theof Love and Loneliness when director Per Blom fell ill during rehearsals. (2) Jorn Donner: Born in Finland in 1933, he worked there as a ﬁlm critic, a career he pursued when he went to Sweden in the early 1960s. He had made a number ofﬁlms inof Women — 1970), Anna (1970), and Perklel Kuvia S[...]rom Finland — 1971). He is now an administrator of the production fund of the Swedish Film Institute, and has worked as producer on numerous recent Swedish ﬁlms. His most recent feature is Man Rape. (3) Lasse Forsberg: Has worked primarily for Swedish television making over 50 ﬁlms in 10 years. He has two features (to my knowledge) to his credit: Misshandlingen (The Assault — 1970). and Mandagarna Med Fanny (Robe[...]7). (4) Jan Halldoff: has made about 10 features in Sweden and is best known for Korridoren (The Corridor — 1968), En drom om frihet (A Dream of Freedom — 1969), Rotmanad (Dog Days — though known in Australia as What Are You Doing After the Orgy? — 1970) and Firmafesten (The Office Party — 1972). (5) Gunnel Lindblom: A w[...]Ingmar Bergman which included Det sjunde mseglet (The Seventh Seal — 1957), Smultron-stallet (Wild St[...]rd- sgasterna (Winter Light — 1963), Tystnaden (The Silence — 1963) and Scener ur ett aktenskap (Sc[...]ge). Lindblom has, since 1968, been a director on the staff of Stockholm’s Royal Dramatic Theatre. (6) Vilgot Sjoman: Perhaps the most controversial of the mainstream Swedish directors. His ﬁrst ﬁlm, Alskarinnan (The Mistress), was made in 1962. He was assistant director on Winter Light ([...]been concerned with sexual mores and instruments of social repression: 491 (1964), Klannigen (The Dress — 1964), Syskonbadd 1782 (My Sister, My L[...]970), Troll (1971), En handful] karlet (A Handful Of Love — 1974), Garaget (The Garage — 1975), and Tabu (Taboo). (7) Jan Troe[...]man on B0 Widerberg’s ﬁrst ﬁlm, Barnvagnen (The Pram — 1963). he has made six features since: H[...]ole Doff (Who Saw Him Die? — 1968), Utvandrama (The Emigrants — 1970), Nybyggarna (The New Land - 1972), Zandy’s Bride (1975, U.S.) and Bangl. He is currently working on The Hurricane, which was originally assigned t[...]
	[...]om P. 353 DAYS I’LL REMEMBER — IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,[...]. . . . . 35mm Synopsis: Julie Anthony features in a prestige tourist film on South Australia. HOUSING Screenplay . . . . . . . . .[...]Departmentof Housing and Urban Affairs Synopsis: The film is aimed at middle and upper years of high schools, technical colleges, adult, further[...]ation organizations and universities. It explains in simple visual terms the main issues relating to "housing", in order to increase the awareness, understanding and knowledge ol young p[...]ust P/L Synopsis: To improve man's understanding of man and promote tolerance and racial harmony — perhaps where harmony did not exist before LIFE. BE IN IT Prod Company , . . . . . . .. Pepper Audiovisu[...]s. local government bodies and private enterprise in the sponsorship of the fitness campaign. PESTICIDE CONTROL Screenp[...], ,... Health Commission Synopsis: Demonstration of the precautions necessary in the handling of pesticides. TIM — THE INHIBITED MAN Director . . . . . . .[...]sis: A film to assist school children and parents in the prevention and cure of scabies. TRAINING OF WORKERS Screenplay, . .. Christopher Bi[...]. .. Department ol Labour 8. Industry Synopsis: The film is aimed at workers, unionists and their representatives to create greater awareness of the importance of effective job training. It also encourages worker[...]unicate to management their views about what kind of training is required, and to encourage workers to make effective use of training opportunities available to them. VALUE OF MAPPING Screenplay . . . . . . . . . .[...]5mm Sponsor . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Department of Lands Synopsis: The film aims to show secondary school students at senior levels, tertiary level students of earth sciences and the general public the value of the basic map relative to the development and protection of State resources and to be aware of the applications of maps in State development. TASMANIAN FILM CORPORATION A[...]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. State Library of Tasmania Synopsis: Film of historic paintings and manuscripts housed in the Tasmanian Allport Museum. H OLIDAY Pro[...]Synopsis: A promotional film on Tasmania based on the Fly/Drive holiday package. LOST IN THE BUSH Prod Company . . . . . . . . . .[...]t . . . . . ., .. Gary Clements Progress .. . ... In Production Sponsor‘ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[...]is: A film aimed at preventing tragedies occuring in the Australian bush. The film shows how to survive in most conditions that may be encountered. NATIONA[...]and Wildlife Service Synopsis: A film depicting the activities of a national park ranger based on Flinders Island a[...]create a balance between man and nature. SAFETY IN SMALL BOATS Prod Company , , . , . . . . . .. Ta[...]on Camera Operator. ., Gert Kirchner Progress .., In Production Sponsor .... Tasmania Police Synops promote a greater awareness of safe boating practices, TRAINING EXERCISE[...], ,. . . Scripting Synopsis: A training film on the planning and conduct of a disaster exercise. VANDALISM Prod[...]ocial activity. VICTORIAN FILM CORPORATION mm The V.F.C. have invested in the following projects: SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT Hexagon P/L, The Last of the Knucklemen $7000 Patrick Edgeworth/Russell Muckraker $5000 Stoney Creek Films, Woman In Love $5000 Mariner Films. Rusty Bugles $4700 (add[...]e Development Loan, $30,000 National Film Theatre of Australia, $750 (for the Moomba 78 Retrospective Season of Australian Film) 8mm Movie Club. $1000 (for the "Ten Best of Eight" Awards) N.S.W. FILM CORPORATION The following productions have been invested in: Matt Carroll (for the South Australian Film Corporation), The Money Movers $125,000 Sue Milliken and Tom Jeffrey, The Odd Angry Shot $100,000 AUSTRALIAN FILM COMMISSION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT BRANCH Production approvals from the 12 December 1977 AFC meeting: SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT/PRE- PRODUCTION APPROVALS Patricia Lovell, The House Upstairs S2000 Michael Thornhill, The Death in the Desert $8750 Telemark P/L, The Hammer and the Spike $4500 Ray Berrett, MacKormack $2950 Lionel Hudson, In Search of the Marsupial Mole $5500 Alan l-lopgood/Christine Suli, Collingwood $4720 PRODUCTION APPROVALS Mutiny Pictures, Friday the Thirteenth $225,000 Pom Oliver/Errol Sullivan, The Cathy Baikas Affair $175,000 South Australian Film Corporation, Blue Fin $120,000 Production approvals from the 7 February 1978 AFC meeting: SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT/PRE- PRODUCTION APPROVALS Pisces Productions P/L, Tim $4675 Edgeclift Films P/L, Eden Rock $7815 Michael Chojeki/Henri Safran, Queen of Hearts $5000 Bill Warnock/John Beaton, Catalpa Escape $4000 Gus Meyer, The Derrickman 5500 Bob Ellis/Chris McGil\|, Lindsay[...]uctions, Six Feature Package $150,000 PRODUCTION APPROVALS Greenboe Corporation, Sparks $6000 Artis Films P/L, The Last Tasmanian $5471 Gemini Productions P/L, Telemovie Package $94,500 Samson Productions P/L, The Odd Angry Shot $10,000 Ray Beihler/Don Scheldup,[...]ductions, A\|ison‘s Birthday $100,000 MARKETING APPROVALS David Hannay, distribution funding for Solo $50,000 Yoram Gross Film Studio, assistance $60,000 The Film House, industry assistance $50,000 CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH Projects recommended for funding from the February AFC meeting: industry EXPERIMENTAL FIL[...]us Jaritz (NSW). Sun $2500 Fabio Cavadini (NSW), The Lane $5776 Susan Lambert (NSW), Size 10 $2650 Pet[...]agl (NSW), Love Story $800 Richard Bradley (NSW), The Golden Sec- tion $500 Brendon Stretch (NSW), TX866 $1493 Gavin Wilson (NSW), Exile In Eden $6045 Roger Bayley (Vic), The Thin Edge $2294 Kevin Anderson (Vic), The King of the Two Day Wonder $7232 Paul Jansen (Vic), First Th[...]Mike’: Blood $1872 Daro Gunzbarg (Vic), Profile of a Clown and a Mlndreader $3839 Gary Patterson (V[...]li (Vic), Still Life $2013 Stephen Bennett (Vic), The Social Worker $804 Ian Princlle (Vicl, Marco Polo $6840 George Viscas (Vic), The Brace $1618 Jane Allison (SA), Debbie $934 FILM[...]and Flying Machines $30,000 Paul Williams (Vic), The Island of Nevawus $35,542 Don McLennan (Vic). King Island[...]Dead 5330 Projects recommended for funding from the March AFC meeting: EXPERIMENTAL FILM AND TELEVIS[...]CES Sonia Holmann (NSW), $2000 for 35 mm blow-up of animated short, Letter to a Friend. Michael Glasheen (NSW), $2000 for 16 mm Kinescope of Uluru. FILM PRODUCTION FUND David Hay (NSW), Har[...]ipt for a documentary on reminiscences about life in the bush $1300. Bob Hill (NSW), treatment for a screenplay about a man obsessed with Japanese concepts of inner peace $1000. Michel Pearce (NSW), treatmen[...]NSW), a screenplay for a feature about old people in a retirement home $2000. Rivka Hartman (NSW), a[...]h (NSW), a screenplay for a low-budget feature on the problems of a deaf child $1050. Roger Clarke (Vic), a script for a documentary about Australian soldiers in France in World War I $2300. John Hughes (Vic), a script for a documentary on the Waterside Workers’ Federation $1500. Peter Kennedy (Vic), a script for a documentary on politics in Australia $2240. Ivan Gaal/Mary Keane (Vic), a script for a documentary on attitudes to the sudden wealth of big lottery wins $2000. GENERAL Paddington Town Hall Centre, an interest free loan of $34,000 to cover the cost of installing video and cinema facilities.
	GUIDE TO THE PRODUCER NEW AUSTRALIAN FILM PRODUCTION BUDGE[...]on budget has been speciﬁcally tailored to meet the needs of ﬁlm production in Australia by The Australian Film Commission after consultation with industry experts. All applications to the Proiect Branch for production funding must be accompanied by this budget form. The recommended industry selling price is $2.25 and copies can be purchased from the following outlets : AFC Ofﬁces Sydney & Melbourne — John Barry Group —[...]LM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL STUDENT ENROLMENT 1979 The Australian Film and Television School will shortl[...]dent intake. Details will be announced nationally in daily papers on 27 and 31 May. when brochures and[...]laces offered annually for 3~year lulltime course in film and television production. and 4 places offe[...]vi)a normal release form for material shot within the studio should be signed; (vii)what equipment, ﬂats, lighting, etc. the studio is to supply should be scheduled. E. Problems of Filming Overseas A producer proposing to take Australian- owned ﬁlm equipment outside Australia to ﬁlm on location will need to approach the relevant Chamber of Commerce in his city to get an internationally accepted “ca[...]ment setting out and identifying by serial number the equipment to be exported. A separate sheet is provided for each country the production will pass through; the producer presents this to the relevant customs authority at the point of entry for stamping. The carnet eliminates the problem of establishing non-liability for import duty. The producer will need to lodge a bond or bank guarantee, or otherwise satisfy the Chamber of Commerce of his ability to pay the maximum amount of duty payable on the equipment in question in the event it is not returned to Australia. F. laboratory Forms The producer will need to establish with the laboratory that is processing and ultimately handling the release printing of his production who has the right to order release prints, and those with the right to remove negative or other pre-print materials. This will be important when the film is completed and foreign sales agents are handling print orders. In the event that part of the ﬁlm’s ﬁnancing comes from the Australian Film Commission, or some state corpora[...]nly certain named people can remove material from the lab. This is usually provided by way of what is termed an “access letter” which is lodged with the laboratory and remains in force until cancelled. 6. other Forms There are a number of other miscellaneous production and post-production forms which the producer will need to make use of from time to time and which are more fully discussed in the subscription service. These include arrangements with labs engaged in dubbing or sub—titling, and the production and arrangements for the use in the producer’s ﬁlm of pre-existing ﬁlm material, or other “s[...]
	[...]ed with Reviews Reports from Film Festivals News of Films in Production Technical Developments Sucie I[...]Jaws and ideology. Max Ophuls: Editorial Reading of The Reckless Moment. ISSUE FIVE — HOLLYWOOD Part two. River of No Return, To Be or Not to Be, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Sirk, Wilder, Ritchie. ISSUE SIX —- IDEOLOGY Part one. Sexuality and Power. The Syberberg Statement. Comolli’s La Cecilia; Ici[...]ellini’s Casanova, Eisenstein and ideology. Out in mid-March 78. Festival reports, book and periodical reviews in every issue. Feature contributors include: Britt[...]Whitaker, Willemen. Framework’s third Festival of Film will be held in June 1978. Ideology & Propaganda — screenings of films ofthe ’30’s. Details and forms a[...]
	[...]" . » % 4;»; ...e/7/ y/f//1 I‘/Ie comfort of your own /lame... SPECIAL OFFER —[...]
	[...]B gilt that IIEEIIS SIIIIIIIIII... We ll enclose the card. You enclose $8 00‘. UNAVAILABLE: nUmber5 4. 6» 7 and 8 ‘Australia only For overseas rates sec overleaf. Please send . . . . . . .. Address . from . Message . ‘Australia only. For overseas rates see below. ( inertia Papers Ply. l.td. H3 Tlierry Street. Melbourne. Victoria. Australia 3000 BOUND VOLUMES ORDER VOLUME 4 NOW! (numbers[...]1978 VOLUME 3 STILL AVAILABLE Handsonicly bound in black \\llIl gold cmhossed lettering Each Volume[...]hook rcvieus Production surveys and reports lrom the sets or local and international production u Box[...]IMITED EDITION ORDER NOW! TO PLACE AN ORDER FILL IN THE FORM PLEASE NOTE BOUND VOLUMES OF numbers l A (Volume liand numbers 5-8 (Volume 2)[...]ty. Ltd. 143 Thcrry Street, Melbourne. Victoria. Australia 3000 Cinerruz Paper: IS pleased to announce that a loose binder is now available in black with gold embossed lettering. Individual numbers can be added to the binder independently — or detached if desired T[...]date l2 copies (3 years). TO PLACE AN ORDER FILL IN THEthe price of each copy add the following: ‘Australia only. For overseas rates see below Please allow[...].... Total amount enclosed ij_ NOTE: Remittances in Australian dollars only. Cinema Papers Ply. Ltd I43 Therry St.. Melbourne. Victoria. Australia 3000. Please allow up in lnur weeks lot processing. Surface (all zones):-[...]A4.90; Zone 5 — SA525. NB (1) All remittances in Australian dollars only. (2) Surface Air L[...]
	[...]Narrow angle pick-up even at great distance from the sound source and elimination of unwanted reverberation and handling noise. Built in two position bass-cut switch (— 7 — 20 dB at 50 H2). Recommended for use in TV and film studios or on location. 5 AKG D900 Revox adds something special to a reel of tape Experience and reliability —.— THE well known reliability of the A77 tape deck is a result of a _ professional design concept which successfully combines the advantages of _a solidly constructed tape transport mechanism w[...]equirements. REVOX . For further information on the REVOX or AKG Systems Contact: '5»\__ Amalgamate[...]d New South wales Victoria Canberra A.C.T. South Australia Queensland Western Australia Tasmania Phone: 797 5757. Phone: 560 4533[...]
TXT
	[...]SPIELBERG ON CLOSE ENCOUNTERS SWEDISH CINEMA - THE AFRICA PROJECT JOHN DUIGAN WEEKEND OF SHADOWS ON LOCATION WITH DAWN APRIL-JUN[...]
	If you've got film on the brain, keep us in m ind If you've got a film project gnawing tangible forms of film production at your brain and want help, keep assistance, us in mind. Because the newly formed Give Tony Krimmer a[...]. Plus many other together in one of the most[...]locations in the world.[...]
	[...]ERSHIP QUESTIONNAIRE The following questionnaire has been designed for the purpose of providing the publishers of Cinema Papers with information designed to aid them in producing a more informative and entertaining mag[...]will be greatly appreciated. N. B. THE FIRST 1 0 0 RESPONDENTS WILL RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE SPECIAL CANNES FILM FESTIVAL EDITION OF CINEMA PAPERS WHICH WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA. 1. How frequently would you like to see[...]pers published? 11. W hat do you think are the best features of Cinema Papers? Monthly Bi-monthl[...]f yearly 2. W hat is your opinion about the price of Cinem a Papers? Too expensive S[...]ROFILE 4. How many people read your copy of Cinema Papers? F[...]0 5. On average how often do you attend the cinema?[...]Single 6. W hat type of films do you prefer? Festival/European C[...]Technical School (o0c enough of the following:[...]IN C O M E nil - $ 5 ,0 0 0[...]0 ,0 0 0 9. How did you obtain your copy of Cinema Papers? Nam e (opti[...]ALL IN FO R M A TIO N IS S TR IC TLY C O N FID EN[...]
	[...]pers 143 Therry Street, Melbourne, Vic., 3000, Australia Fold 2 Fold 1
	HOYTS THEATRES LIMITED PRESENTS THE CHANT OF JIM M IE BLACKSMITH A FILM BY FRED SCHEPISI STARR[...]NER SCREENPLAY BY FRED SCHEPISI FROM THE NOVEL BY THOMAS KENEALLY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY IAN BAKER PRODUCTION DESIGNER[...]
	The Chasers and Squeezers.
	[...]know were available on 16 mm. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?[...]THE GREAT DICTATOR A CLOCKWORK ORANGE[...]CLASSICS Altm an's BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS BLUME IN LOVE THE FJHOLDEN BADLANDS STORY OF ADELE H. THETENANT[...]LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER THE LASTTYCOON[...]PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK THE GODFATHER Parts One and Two DEATH IN VENICE[...]CATCH 22 Get your copy of the new and revised A.F.H. catalogue, just $3 plus po[...]8 5 4 5 r SAMCINE SALES V emac The full range of Elemack camera dolley equipment with a second to[...]back up is now available through Samcine Sales, the sales division of Samuelson Film Service (Aust) Pty. Limited. 27 Sirius Road, Lane Cove Sydney, NSW 2066 Australia Phone: 4 2 8 5 3 0 0 THE SALES DIVISION OF SAMUELSON FILM SERVICE AUSTRALIA (PTY. ) LTD. *
	AlanWardropesells films not flags i t Australia's product line-up at Cannes this product. Nobody[...]features. Probably flags, you go to sell films. The Commission the strongest most diverse product list we've goes[...]won't be a kangaroo in sight! The Australian Film Commission as The support o f individual producers' selling merchant banker to the Australian film efforts directly or through their agents is the industry wants to lay a broad carpet of way we're moving. 55 logistic support for the producers and their[...]The movement o f Jim Henry's office from N ew York--the East Coast--to Los Angeles[...]literally for the best office location for more[...]representation in the middle of activity in the biggest English-speaking market and,[...]clearly our biggest untapped potential--the North American territory. The West coast is[...]escalating budget realities. We went to the[...]I lit some fires, the first shot fired in our[...]i i But back to Cannes: the best product[...]the Paris; we've had to queue up to get this[...]and our bi-lingual office staff. The[...]
	When the makers of The In the words of producer, Tony Tom Roberts look of the Irishman' decided to film on Buckley, "the Agfa-Gevaert Australian countryside". Gevac[...]aking a tradition; that extra dimension...rich in a high-speed, double-masked and they couldn't b[...]tiful original negative film. After all, with the results. flesh tones...that wonderful[...]. ADELAIDE. PERTH. b s h "Registered trademark of AGFA-GEVAERT Antwerp/Leverkusen.
	RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN THE LUST SPECIAL JURY PRIZE Paris Internat[...]T H E M O TIO N PIC T U R E IN D U ST R Y Atlab Film & Video Laboratory Service, Television Centre, Epping, N.S.W. 2121. Australia.[...]
	[...]rticles and Interviews The Africa Project Vincent[...]Features The Quarter[...]322 Guide for the Australian Film Producer: Part 9[...]356 The Irishman[...]Keith Connolly The Mango Tree Brian McFarlane The Lacemaker Inge Pruks[...]aghan Morris Listen to the Lion Basil Gilbert[...]Papers is produced with financial assistance from the Australian Film Commission. Articles represent A[...]d, Andrew Pecze. Design and Layout: Keith the views of their authors and not necessarily those of the Editors. While every care is taken on manuscripts[...]materials supplied for this magazine, neither the Editor nor the Publishers accept any liability for loss or damag[...]ch may arise. This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior permission of the David Brandes, Paris -- Meaghan Morris, R[...]
	[...]hat a greater given the Best Editor prize at the Asian Film[...]had more than one distributor). Three per push In the marketing of these films could Festival in Bangkok in November. During May 1978, the National Film[...]ll th ese aw a rd s d e m o n stra te an Theatre of London will be presenting a per cent have had 5 0 -1 0 0 bookings. The Unfortunately, the survey suffers from a increasing recognition of the achievements[...]mated audience per booking was 30 sparsity of detail, and this makes it hard to of the Australian cinema, and one waits season of Australian feature films, entitled[...]le. evaluate the importance of the findings. Mr hopefully for the day when an Australian[...]feature wins a major prize at Cannes or such "The New Australian Cinema."[...]ed", yet he As a climax to this season, a series of Seventy-five per cent of the films were doesn't say acknowledged by whom.[...]exhibited by Co-ops, 15 per cent by the since no figures are offered for comparison,[...]e opinions. During the past three months, two[...]nual reports have been Seminar", will be held at the NFT from June 2 been exhibited in one-off non-cinema The survey has obviously been hampered published -- those of the South Australian[...]situations (art galleries, social groups by the small returns of forms sent to film Film C orporation and A ustralian Film - 4. Presented by the Australian Film[...]hirteen per cent received foreign makers, but, In its present form, it asks far[...]more questions than it answers. Commission and the British Film Institute,[...]S. M. CORPORATION the seminar will include excerpts from films,[...]S The SAFC's activities are divided into (a) short pre[...]During the past months, several Australian[...]Thirty per cent of the films were features have won major cri[...]screened in Australian festivals; ten per overseas:[...](a) The operating expenditure during some attending the Cannes Film Festival, will cent in foreign festivals.[...]1 9 7 6 /7 7 was $1 ,621,666 ($1,679,473 in[...]The Last Wave won the Special Jury Prize 19 75 /7 6 ). Income for the period was be in attendance.[...]Television: at the Paris Film Festival in October, 1977,[...]and the Golden Ibex (Grand Prix) at the deficit of $309,792 ($441,083). This The main aim of the seminar is to provide a Ten per cent of the films were screened Tehran Film Festival in November, 1977. represented an improvement of 29.8 per[...]n Australian television. Another 10 per Then, in February 1978, following up on the cent on 1 9 7 5 /7 6 . Of the $ 3 0 9 ,7 9 2 forum for debate on all aspects of the New cent have had excerpts screened. Two success of Summer of Secrets, the film won inc[...]per cent have been screened on foreign the Jury Prize at the Sci-Fi Festival at the State government as a grant. Australian Cinema.[...](b) The lib ra ry's expenditure was[...]"These figures apply to one-third of the[...]films that received assistance from the Fund. The Picture Show Man was awarded the $476,0 5[...]It would be wrong to assume the pattern Grand Prix by popular vote at the Festival de leaving a surplus on library operations of embark on its own program of government applies to the other two-thirds for which Chammouse in France which specializes in $21,212 ($[...]ion was not forthcoming. comedy. The film was also selected in the Thus, taking into account a non-operating injected finance in the film industry, and the "However, the information does suggest U.S. National Board of Review's 10 Best list revenue of $92, the resultant net deficit of[...]an Australian film. the Corporation was $2 8 8 ,3 8 8 ($441,022). Australian experience of eight government[...]The operating loss [as per section (a)] is[...](i) Deferment of a major part of Storm[...]Boy's revenue through a delaying of the out of this, hope convenors Tom Haydon[...]non-South Australia release till August[...](ii) D ela y in o b ta in in g a c c e p ta b le[...]contracts in some overseas territories for clarification for[...](in) Depressed cinema attendances; The seminar will not be exclusively on[...](iv) Unused space at the Corporation's[...](v) The establishment of other state cor[...]porations. "The Other Channel", which examines[...]On p. 7 of the report is printed the following[...]"The national and international publicity[...]and business earned by the corporation Talent", on the role of grants and film schools[...]obviously have prompted the estab[...]lishment of similar corporations in other, (experimental and 16 mm films will be[...]corporation for some of the most[...]and technical personnel. While the[...]fin an cial support for the industry[...]nationally It has resulted In several The seminar closes with "Australian Self-[...]important projects (for which the corp[...]ation was negotiating) being produced Portrait?" in which the New Australian[...]in other States, with a consequent need[...]ent projects." Cinema will be analyzed for signs of a[...]This, of course, raises that touchy ques[...]tion: Does Australia need eight film bodies? 2 perspective on Australian society. In large, it[...]The SApC's assets total $3,031,478 with[...]liabilities of $2 5 8 ,7 9 0 leaving a net asset will be a deba[...]deficiency of $227,312 ($184,740). filmmakers and could be the start of a[...]qualified to raise money, especially in the c o n tin u in g d ia lo g u e on A u s tra lia n LETTER TO THE EDITOR amounts needed for top quality features. It is The Australian Film Institute's annual[...]I noted with interest a quarter item on on the dole. To raise this kind of money heard in Australia. P. B.[...]for other work. The excess of income over expenditure is[...]p. 20 0 of Cine m a Papers, No. 15, under the The AFC has come to the rescue of some of listed as $ 7 1 ,[...]given in this direction. It's the carburettor into acco[...]It was in reference to the Liberal Party's money that starts the wheels turning. picture of the AFI's financial year. AWAR[...]election announcement that the write-off of[...]ed from Then what can be done to encourage the Under the Film, Radio and Television The " Australian C inem atographers 25 years to three years. While the Australian private sector of investment? Board, the AFI was assigned the handling of Awards" for achievem ents in cinem ato Fi[...]some monies for the video centres. This has graphy were presented by the Premier of the Independent Feature Film Producer's In the first place stimulus should be now changed, and the AFI during 1 9 7 6 /7 7 South Australia, Mr Don Dunstan, at Film[...]a 12 months arrived at that will change the flow of some transferred monies and fixed assets to the Australia on March 10.[...]w incentive is a much investment money. The government can do Incorporated Video Centres, the Paddington[...]awaited step forward. It is now a matter of this by act of parliament changing the Trust and the AFC to the total of $76,595. The awards, held annually since 1970, are awaiting the implementation and seeing if structure upon which the AFC is based. This then left an operating excess of expen conducted by the Australian Cinemato th is w ill, in fa ct, e n c o u ra g e priva te[...]diture over income of $5 010. graphers' Society and are given to Australian investment in an industry sorely in need of a Legislation should be passed allowing all cinematographers who are members of the new injection. private investment in the Australian film The level of AFC funding, on which the AFI society.[...]not see this deduction could only be claimed if the The "Milli Awards" for Cinematographer of change on the part of the government money was invested in the film industry 1. Includes a $10,000 Community and Education the Year was awarded to Ditmar Fill, A. C. S ., helping bring forward the much needed through the Australian Film Commission for grant and $26,559 from the Unemployment Relief for his cinematography in A Body Of Still investments. How do you explain to an use of the Commission at its discretion or by Scheme. Water, a 15-minute film on the microscopic inves[...]s on his investment will a nominated producer of the investors life in lakes and ponds. It was produced by be written off quicker in future than in the choice through the AFC. The AFC then 2. For one view, see Phillip McCarthy's article in The Film Australia.[...]would be in a position to determine the tax Age, February 1[...]deductability of the investment. The govern The category winners were: If the government is really sincere in its ment would loose a little in the first place but desire to help the infant Australian film gain a lot in the long run. Feature Film: Don M cAlpine (The industry it must look far beyond writing off G etting of Wisdom); D ram atized[...]e Profits from a successful investment in a Documentary: Dean Semlar (A Good[...]would produce a tax return all down the line, (Sydney Hobart Yacht Race); Fiction[...]hen a person says he is going to make a far in excess of the original tax that would be Drama: Richard Pratt (Follow the film, there are two questions that must be lost to the government in the first place. Leader); Current Affairs: Rich[...]ed satisfactorily. They are: Have you Mace (The Racer -- merit award only).[...]y? and what are you Only about half of Australia's technicians The special " Stew art-C unningham going to do with the film when you have and actors are employed full time. There is Award" on behalf of the Victorian branch of made it? little or no continuity of production by film the Society, went to J. Ward, photographed[...]In the past those questions were unan behind the[...]actorily. There was no money need money. If Australia is to break into[...]S. K. from any source and distribution was in an world markets films must be made on wor[...]If the government can be induced to come to[...]It has taken the government 50 years to the party and make the first move, the AFC, Following on the Quarter Item in the recognize the potential of a healthy film together with the Australian investor would previous issue of Cine ma Pape rs ("Hodsdon Industry. The U.S. rose to its greatest have little to lose and a tremendous lot to Report Update"), is the Experimental Film achievements in the period backed by a gain, as would the government with the great and Television Fund Distribution/Exhibitio[...]great film industry which was in turn backed pool of employment this revitalised industry Survey released by the Australian Film[...]can create. Such a move would benefit the Commission. Covering 1977 and conducted[...]nation and every industry beyond measure. by the then consultant, Alble Thoms, it[...]m industries, as has Japan and It is up to the individual members of the[...]even Hong Kong. In dep end ent Feature Film P roducer's "In July 1 9 77 questionnaires were sent to[...]Association and the AFC to press for this the producers of the 3 5 0 films made with It took John Gorton to make the first move sorely needed government innovation. assistance of the Fund to that date. Distri with $1 million. That money, in many cases, bution and exhibition Information wa[...]was spread around like pocket money in a Almost without exception, we have state received for 100 of the films. The details are candy store. It was not until the present AFC government film commissions chafing at the as follows:[...]cam e into existance with a staff of bit. There is no reason why an inves[...]professional personnel that a few films of cannot nominate his money to go to a state[...]m erit b egan to emerge^ M ost of th e film corporation for re-investment in that[...]and technicians associated with state if the money is tax deductable in the - Eighty per cent of the films were distri t[...]waiting for a first place. buted by the Vincent Library, 5 0 per cent[...]tuting them selves to get the necessary Very sincerely, independent distributors or by the private investment. Usually the technician, Lorr[...]director or producer has the ability in his own 296 -- Cinema Papers, April/June
	[...]THE QUARTER cally. The only reference is that the overall[...]Government's wish that its 'seed-bedding' level of assistance was 12 per cent less th aa during the previous period.[...]policy, together with the assistance of the There are, likewise, no figures directly[...]AFC and the growing confidence of the attributable to the V incent Library or Longford Cinema, but the text does state the[...]private sector, will enable the program film Longford as having some 40,000 admissions during the financial year (approx. 80 per[...]industry in the state to become a stable, self- session).[...]supporting operation by the end of the initial As at June 30, 1977, the AFI's total assets were $71 2,377 with total liabilities of[...]e-year period." .p $483,701, leaving net assets of $228,676.[...]The long saga of Bertolucci's Novecento The examination of the AFC's 1 9 7 5 /7 6[...](1 9 0 0 ) has drawn to a close in Australia with and 1 9 7 6 /7 7 (if available) annual repo[...]the release of the abreviated, 4-hour 8- has been held over till Is[...]sources, the distributors, United Artists, have CENSORSHIP RO[...]taken the conservative road. Their decision[...]may, however, be less commercially astute The major censorship decision of the A still of Nobuhlko Ohbayashi's House, which was shown at the 23rd Asian Film Festival in than first believed. November -- January period was the Bangkok. passing of L'Empire des sens (Empire of[...]In the April 5 edition of Variety there is an the Senses) in a cut version. Originally 24TH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA[...]e been cut by its distributor, Richard The 24th Asian Film Festival, which is to will pre[...]ded by 30 0 Asian delegates and a subjects. The films will be sub-titled in "The original, uncut version of Bernardo Walberg, to 2821.50 m. These deletions total similar number from Australia, will be held in English (if ap plicable), and screened Bertolucci's 1 9 0 0 is out-grossing the 1 25.40 m or 4 min. 34 sec. As mentioned in Sydney for the first time, from October 1 - 6. continuously throughout the Festival at two stunted English version by 5-to-1 in the previous issue of Cinema Papers, the The Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Fraser, will city[...]Montreal, much to Paramount's surprise cuts were of explicit, though never prurient open the Festival at the Sydney Opera[...]Before the official opening of the Festival, The cut version is the one that has been[...]there will be a three-day board of directors shown throughout the U.S. M o ntreal, The Australian film Fantasm Comes The 1 1 countries participating are meeting and seminar of the Federation of because of its large French-speaking popu Again also receiv[...]Motion Picture Producers in Asia, which will lation is an exception. But while the over after censor cuts, which shortened the film Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, also be held in Sydney. whelming support for the longer version is in by 2 min. 30 sec -- from 2682.60m to[...]Korea and Australia. There may also be The AFC, which was represented at the believe there are other factors involv[...]audience preference, for example. During the three-month period, seven films and some of the eastern states of the Soviet 23rd Asian Film Festival in Bangkok by There has not as yet been a test of version were refused registration: The Big Snatch,[...]against version in an English-speaking Captain Lust, The Hills Have Eyes, Union.[...]ation. Had there been, Australians may Eruption, The French Governess, Hard Each country represented at the Festival have been given the chance to see those Parties and Hostess of Sex. None are of involved in supporting the festival. .p extra 70 minutes. critical[...]N ew D ir e c tio n s in E th n o g ra p h ic "The criteria for WAFC investment will be AUSTRALIAN FILM INSTITUTE Four films went through the appeal along the following guidelines: ch an n els : The Spy Who Loved Me, Filmmaking (May[...]Mr David Roe, the executive director of the Northville Cemetery Massacre, Deep Love[...]1. Projects will be filmed in Western Australian Film Institute for the past four and Sex and the Office Girl -- all were The Public View: Ethnographic Film- Australia. years, has resigned his position to become turned down. The appeals lodged for the first[...]ians marketing and production consultant at the two films were against the classifications, making (May 16);[...]New South Wales Film Corporation. Mr Roe, the second two against rejection. The Spy[...]ority. however, will continue with the institute on a Who Loved Me is of interest because the Democratising the Visual Media (May 17). 3. With the exception of sound mixing, part-tim e basis as a consultant. His feelings of the distributors -- that "M" was[...]post-production will be carried out in successor as executive director has not yet too severe a rating -- matched the feelings of Papers have been invited on all the Western Australia. been appointed. severa[...]4. A percentage of the crew budget will in merely rubber-stamping decisions of the subjects within the program, as well as films be spent on Western Australian tech Mr Alan W. Simpson is the new member of Censorship Board, the Board of Appeal has nicians. This percentage of local crew the AFI's board of directors. He succeeds highlighted its redundanc[...]and expertise develops within the state. retired. Nine films were obliged t[...]TRALIAN 5. Investment by the Australian Film before being registered. One wor[...]FILM COUNCIL Commission in the selected projects will Full members, John Flaus and Susan to emerge from this was the degree of cuts be a pre-requisite condition in the fore Dermody, also stepped down (under the being made. In November 1977, for example, On January 22, 1978, the Premier of board's rotation system), but were re-elected the five cut films had deletions of 3 min. 51 W estern Australia, Sir Charles Court, seeable future. unopposed. sec. (The Erotic Diary of a Lumberjack), 5 announced the formation of the Western 6. As a general rule, resid[...]Australian actors, writers and production The first book to be produced under the sec. (Satan's Love) and 2 min. 3 sec. (Jack comprises : The chairman, Bernard A. personnel wi[...]AFI's publication policy, Australian Film the Ripper). Audiences have, therefore, been Wr[...]Russell Twogood, Syd eration from the outset of the operation. Posters 1906-60, has been published, and placed in a very difficult position, as the film Donovan, Brian Williams, Owen Burns, Bill[...]their epic history of local filmmaking, they choose to see may be seve[...]John Pye. "Perhaps the major difference between A u s t r a l i[...]6 - 7 6 , is b eing though they will be unaware of it. And in the the philosophy of the WAFC and the completed by authors Andrew Pike and Ross case of sex films, the audience may find the Brian Williams has issued the following equivalent bodies in the eastern states is Cooper. It will contain technical details, as only source of interest has been removed in statement on behalf of the Council: that of private sector administration of the well as background and critical information[...]"The State government has allocated one involvem ent or representation on the made during that period. This is the case of the Italian film Suspiria million dollars over a five-year period to be where the advertisement gives an unfair invested in program film projects for council. Memb[...]d from FILMWAYS PACKAGE im age of the film, though no doubt distribution through cinemas and television commerce, law, and the television and unintentionally. The advertisement reveals stations. The entire allocation will be[...]Filmways Australasia have announced a that, "The only thing to prepare you for the channelled into what are considered to be[...]six-feature deal with the French Orphee Arts terrifying last 12 minutes is the first 90." In viable commercial properties through a Trust[...]ts from p rod uction Production Company. The first of the other words, Suspira is being advertised as[...]investments will be ploughed back into the actress/model Linda Kerridge. The film deals "The administration of the Council will be Trust Fund for further re-investment. with the life of Marilyn Monroe after-she' was However, in January 1978 the film was cut funded separately through the Department of accepted as a star. by 3 0 sec. by the censor to 2660.70 m, or Industrial Develop[...]"At this time it is not envisaged that the 9 7 min. C learly the advertisem ent was[...]WAFC will become a statutory body. It is the Shooting will begin in Los Angeles in incorrect before the censor made his cuts,[...]January and the film will be directed by and one may well ask why the censor[...]Francis Giacobetti, the French photographer vigorously polices advertis[...]whose first feature was Emmanuel -- The films, yet allows misleading advertisements[...]Other films in the deal are Girl In Blue AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF[...]Rey; The Plague, a $5 million project slated The Australian Institute of Aboriginal[...]for production in early 1979 in Los Angeles; Studies will hold a six-day sympos[...]Giants On The Road; One Two Two, which ethnographic film from May 1 2 -1 7 in[...]is to be shot in Paris on an estimated budget association with its biennial meeting. The of $2 million; and Louisiana Love which is to aims of the symposium are "to stimulate[...]be shot in New Orleans in late 1978. ethnographic filmmaking and further the development of new approaches to under[...]R. O. T. standing human society through the visual media". Sessions will include screenings of[...]ke to acknow ations by participants from around the world.[...]ledge the McDonagh Sisters for loaning the[...]photograph printed on p. 277 of issue 15. T h e c o n fe re n c e is fu n d e d by th e Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, the In the credits of The Last Wave review, the C reative Developm ent Branch of the[...]by Bruce Smeaton. It was, in fact, composed[...]by Charles Wain. Australia. The preliminary program consists of:[...]On page 212, the caption for the Birth of Ethnographic Film in Australia (May 12);[...]photograph stated "Patch" Ethnographic Film in Teaching and[...]Mason was "one of Faulkner's few non-[...]another of Faulkner's portrayals of lower- Styles of Ethnographic Film (May 14);[...]
	In May 1977, the National Nine Network the extensive use of commentary. The on hard, cold celluloid, so that it[...]interpreted the on-screen events, and pre documentary on contemp[...]empted any deep sense of involvement by the radically different social and cultural values, is Entitled The Africa Project, it was an audience. the real challenge. ambitious first for Australian television. It is The Africa Project relies heavily on the Moving a crew of six people, with more than now in post-production in Sydney, and voices of Africans, black and white, for its 300 kg. of equipment through 15 countries, negotiations have been concluded with U.S. verbal content. They are the voices of men and keeping them housed, fed, supplied and interests which will assure the series of women who hold presidential positions, work reasonably happy, is a problem of rather less international distribution and a profitable on oil rigs in the Sahara, fish in the aesthetic moment, but is equally vital to the return -- that in itself might be another first. successful conclusion of such a project. Mozambique channel, or have seen the insides The subject, Africa as a continental whole, of South African jails. They are communist, Each production has a unique set of had been tackled only once before. More than[...]s, or " opportunities for creative 16 years ago, the American Broadcasting Africa is an im[...]a highly credible, four- from every point of view. To distill that manager called them. The following is a[...]discussion of some of those creative solutions: hour production, hosted by Gregory Peck. The complexity to its elements, and then present it weakness of this production, however, lay in llowan Ayers -Exwaifive Producer[...]difficult planning the production so far from a[...]place of which I knew very little. Australia is Rowan Ayers, Executive Producer for " That- w[...]Projects at TCN Channel 9, came to interesting at the time, but events overcame Africa. There are only three diplomatic Australia five years ago. For most of the that idea. We found it would be difficult -- or representations in Canberra which were previous 19 years he had worked for the BBC impossible -- to get into those countries. relevant to countries that we wanted to visit: in London, and had produced such innovative " The whole idea of. Africa became a bit Ghana, Nigeri[...]a. As it was, programs as Late Night Line Up and the bigger then, and what we thought we would try[...]" The research resources were very limited,[...]background against which the events in Africa, and apart from a few academics and students In Australia, he lectured at Macquarie and dictatorships like[...]ed with African history or economics, University in Sydney, until, at Bruce Gyngell's better understood. and the odd African migrant who was here, we invitation, he joined TCN 9 in 1976 as " We put up the scheme, roughly along those could do very little about getting a feel for the executive producer of the National Nine lines, and it was approved with one or two place. Network's coverage of the Montreal Olympic minor caveats. It was defrayed for a while, for " Certainly for a program of this complexity,[...]at that point the Nine Network was negotiating " The network not only liked what they saw, for the enormous cricket deal, and they didn't The production chose London as a base for[...]ntries have but they were also very impressed by the fact feel up to coping with another, though small[...]wealth of easily available research material and that you[...]contacts. In addition, with a bit of asking[...]around, and having your credentials checked, bit of money and by getting an outsider like " My original thought was that we should get you can contact the representatives of the myself to bring a different view to the thing. co-production money up front because I knew various liberation movements. " At the end of.that, they felt that the unit I it would be expensive. Fortunately, the Nine London also offered the possibility of hiring[...]equipment there aiid saving the cost of freight had set up should be kept on. They weren[...]able to dispense with that, and from Australia. quite sure why or how, but we had produced we were able to go ahead in February 1977. Ms Suzanne Cronje[...]something which had been successful, and " This, of course, could not be a one-man p[...]e contacts profitable, and therefore we might do the same production; what I needed was a team who with African governm ents in selected[...]task. We would be away from to London in early May, and the crew followed[...](after being delayed on an airline strike) " In any event, the unit comprising myself, home for a long time, in countries of which towards the end of May. After a 10-day shoot David Salter, Michael Dean, and Sue Hoxley few, if any of us, had any experience, dealing in Algeria, and some problems with the new[...]cameras which necessitated the return of four broke up. Before it did, it had submitted more with problems which, at most, we might have of the crew to London, Rowan Ayers and Max[...]ed to Ghana, via Senegal and than 50 projects to the network. One of these, read about in a travel guide book. In addition, Sierra Leone. Attempts to get film[...]wo countries had Dateline Third World, contained the seeds of we w ould be w orking in an a re a, been unsuccessful and an on the spot attempt[...]was judged necessary. The attempts bore fruit, The Africa Project. programmatically of which we were not sure. but too late to be of use to the production. " Africa was, of course, a very important part " We would, of course, be doing a lot of On arrival in Accra, Ghana, Ayers and[...]Hensser were detained without explanation, of the Third World, but I thought we should research, bu[...]and deported at their own expense. Thus the[...]crew, who expected to meet in Accra, were concentrate initially on our close neighbors research, then the crew had to be flexible and suddenly reunited in London. -- areas more relevant to Australia -- like creative enough to restructure the program on In the space of little more than one week the Indonesia, Timor, Thailand, China or this part the spot. production, which had taken months to of the Pacific. But Kerry Packer, on discussing " My fir[...]design, was restructured, and Ayers was on his the whole project, quite rightly said Africa director[...]fairly smoothly. seemed to be the most important and that in in my group of people at the BBC, and had the next few years it would emerge as a very done a number of interesting, slightly unusual vital continent of which Australians ought to and way-out documentar[...]quite a lot of what he had done, and I thought know a lot more.[...]is an Africa-phile; he has been there he might be the sort of person who would many times. He likes hunting, he likes the bring som ething new to an A frican people and he is very conscious of the documentary. emergence of Africa. " Wheeler had returned to Australia, so I " We talked very generally over lunch ab[...]if he was interested, and he was. He Africa. One of his particular suggestions was and I then worked out the type of people we that we should come up with a program[...]s. We then saw a revealed that Idi Amin was not. the only number of people and selected a team. dictator in Africa; that we should look for " 1 think the largest single problem was some of the other dictators and tyrants. distance. In the first instance, I found it very Opposite: Masai herdsboy in Tanzania.[...]
	THE AFRICA PROJECT Tony'W heeler-D irector Was "The Africa Project" the Tony Wheeler was born in Brisbane, and after with the way I subsequently largest documentary you have[...]Brennan, he worked briefly with the ABC before You tend to use the wide angle Yes, though I think every going overseas -- first to Hong Kong, later to the lens as much as possible. film, in the way that you think BBC.[...]es that lens offer you? about making it, becomes the largest. Each is unique and you School children in a Ugana village, Tanzania. When I was at the BBC a lot have to go through a lot of of the directors were against the processes to finish it. But in Also, things fall apart when you extent I[...]ed. zoom lens. They felt it turned a terms of logistics, the sheer are on location oh a job like[...]parents took me camera into a gun platform; the amount of time spent, the this; and when things fall apart, cameraman standing in one amount of footage shot, and you have to be able to do to the cinema a lot and I saw spot and shooting away. the problems, this was certainly something else. the largest.[...]is M alle's influenced pictorially and in involvement with our subject. A frica is an im m ensely " Phantom India" , and the We ha[...]nciple: complex place. How did you work of D.A. Pennebaker. Are terms of content. His films had if you can't take the camera up learn about it? you influenced by those films? people in them and they had to something, then it i[...]u not only worth filming. I had lived in a house in A long time ago I thought understood the characters, but London for about a year and a there were many really also the characterizations. The wide angle lens offers me half with some people[...]rned with Southern documentaries, and that in a lot I also felt there were similar moment's notice, and if you Africa, so I knew a lot of what of respects the documentary things in some of the early have a reasonably good was going o[...]If something cam eram an, you can be know the detail, bift I knew the television and the cinema. I was happening in a room, then confident of using almost every implications of it. I spent w an ted to m ake th e I really had a feeling of what the frame. I also like the depth of alm ost two m onths with documentary[...]room looked and felt like, more field because the audience can Suzanne Cronje -- sometimes a feature film; I wanted to use than just having bits of it shown look directly at the central for 14 hours a day -- just feat[...]t. seeing on the screeiu To that I was also influenced by P[...]W atkins' early film s -- Often in documentaries, it is understand were the principles not just what is in centre frame -- political and social -- that Culloden in particular, and The th a t is in te r e s tin g . The existed in all the countries that[...]about the location and what something happened, big' or of Peter Watkins' cameramen, other people are[...]they react, can tell you a lot was relevant to the film we[...]available during the trip. Did Did you start with a formal[...]this bother you? structure in mind?[...]When I started in television I Originally it was going to be a[...]was working in circumstances four-hour documentary. I think[...]ible to see rushes, so it didn't that people are the most[...]the idea of shooting right people and the environments through to the end, then sitting they inhabit.[...]down and making a film out of[...]circumstances where we could photograph a series of You are now three months events in some people's lives in[...]partly about the impact of[...]industrialization, in African rethink your concepts?[...]people. I did, because unless you have lived in a country for a I want the audience to come long time, all you have to go o[...]away with a sense of having is research. If you are going[...]lacking in everything else done[...]
	[...]THE AFRICA PROJECT Did you have any problems M ichael Edols is known outside the hard, humanity of the people. We going from a feature to a commercial scene in Australia as a talented were in their homes and filmed documentary like "The Africa cameraman. He has worked for Film Australia and many of the ordinary things Project" ? has freelanced in Australia, India and Niugini. about their lives. Now, if the Before " The Africa Project" , Edols was Director of crew could have seen thos[...]t is that you Photography on Esben Storm's " In Search of rushes they would h
	THE AFRICA PROJECT Vincent O'Donnell-Production Ma[...]ell is a former consultant to simply that the bureaucratic machines grind timetables.[...]" All our gear travelled as excess baggage. At the Australian Film Commission's Creative Development Branch. He has a background in than in Africa. the rate of one per cent of the first class fare production and direction in films and " We learnt that simultaneous approaches per kilo, this is by far the most expensive way. television, and has worked f[...]But then it is about the only way you can be an editor. are necessary in some cases; in others, the more than 50 per cent sure it will arrive[...]approach is sequential. In all cases it was you. That is a universal[...]ied " I know it is an over-simplification, but the different from another. One's correspondence just as well in Australia as in Africa. traditional problems of a production manager may be dealt with by a clerk or a president, a are to keep the production on schedule, and on " To pay for the excess baggage, I carried a[...]ster or a consul, but it takes time, and budget. The Africa Project presented no wad of miscellaneous charge orders (MCOs), traditional problems, and my role was more of time is, of course, money. also on B[...]d'affaires. " The area which cannot be pre-arranged is negot[...]can get caught out on technicalities. Also, the " The schedule was a very flexible one to cus[...]official IATA exchange rate lags behind the allow for follow up on good material. The only becomes a problem when you arrive at market rate (in the airlines' favor). So what major costs were the wages, accommodation, the airport with your 300 kg. of gear. Carnets you pick up in security and convenience, you work in South Africa (and the examiner lose in money terms. allowances, equipment hire and travel. If you wanted to see if the cables fitted the include in your calculations a daily allowance equipment). Cash bonds were required in " We each carried a quantity of travellers for stock, then the production cost, excluding some countries, and sureties, of one form or cheques, but the main sources of production[...]mbian cash were local banks on a letter of credit. This post-production, is a multiple of the number of technique takes care of the currency control days spent in the field (to a first official said to me (and he isn't in customs): T hassles in Africa. approximation).[...]the first opportunity, you will be selling.your " The letters of credit were set up through " Allegations of bureaucratic inefficiency the Bank of NSW in London, either direct with levelled against our public servants are tools of trade to the first itinerant camel driver agent banks in Africa, or through Barclay's insignificant when compared with the paper you meet. How could you make your film?' Bank International. Except. for the blank war we fought before we left London.[...]smiles our letter evoked in Algeria, the system " Accommodation'was less of a problem worked well. " Anyone who has mounted a production in than expected. In some cases the Australian an overseas country will know what I[...]ort was a real headache, Multiply that by 12 and the dimensions of the except in Kenya and South Africa, and it problem loom very[...]them by phone, or when there mechanic on the crew. Where cars for hire " Suzanne Cronje, our researcher, had was doubt, one of the production crew arrived were scarce, we used taxis. It is not cheap, but initiated contacts through the London ahead of the party, checking out the hotels. you spend a lot less time getting lost. Land embassies of all the countries we planned to[...]April. When I arrived " Air travel was the least of our problems. I find. in early May, there had been little positive had open tickets for the proposed itinerary response; in some cases, Suzanne and her issued in London on British Airways " Co[...]ir first stationery. Then it was simply a matter of there was always the telex for regular letters acknowledged. It was not always making a booking and getting the details tardiness on the part of the embassies, but entered on the appropriate voucher. messages, and the telephone for arguments.[...]Most hotels had both, though the delays[...]spending the night -- bed, jail or wooden box.[...]" There is a fair amount of paranoia in that[...]statement, but it is the mental tension more[...]in an unknow n and u n p re d ic ta b le[...]From the production viewpoint, it is vital to[...]realize that you can't run the production as[...]you might in Australia.[...]have to understand the difference, tune in to[...]the manner and pace of business, keep cool,[...]Director of Photography............................ Mi[...]
	THE PLANNING " Patrick" is a[...]In Hollywood, I can go to Joe trapped in a coma. Starring Susan Penhaligon, Sir[...]rent a flying rig, put the thing up involved in the production of this $400,000 film is directed by Ri[...]and fly the guy. Here I had to go " Patrick" ?[...]out, buy the steel and build the rig One of the striking features of " Patrick" is its[...]from scratch. I came on to the production two complex special effects s[...]A number of things were like with only one week of pre- space and a couple being electrocuted in a bath. To[...]that. Patrick also required an air production in Melbourne. So it create these effects, the producers, Antony I.[...]hich is a large tank that was a dead run through the entire Ginnane and Richard Franklin, hir[...]a quick release valve with a large in time.[...]aperture that releases all the air Rothmann has a long experience of effects work on from the tank instantaneously, Originally, when considering it projects ranging from the feature, " The Amazing[...]producing a soft explosion. You from the U.S., the film didn't look Dobermans" , to " Mary Ha[...]can load the muzzle with dust, very difficult, but when I got to on television. In the following interview, conducted[...]peat moss, cork -- all kinds of Australia I had a great deal of by D ennis N icholson, Peter Beilby an[...]stuff. You get the effect of an difficulty in finding things. I must Murray, Rothmann talks about many of the effects[...]ut high velocity have spent at least 50 per cent of required in " Patrick" , how he achieved them, and[...]to be my time looking for things I would the differences and expectations of effects work in built specially for the one shot. have at hand in the U.S., or Australia as compared with the U.S. building things I could have easily[...]'rffW get a script to read? We have a scene in Patrick[...]I go through the script and look where an actor flies out of a room.[...]
	[...]CIAL EFFECTS The scene where Patrick murders his mother (Carole-An[...]radiator into their bath. The burning hair (bottom right) was achieved by igniting smokeless rifle powder in[...]best approach to each effect, I try THE RADIATOR We had to put a mirror in front This produces the effect of the and calculate a maximum cost: of the lens, photograph through coils being quenc[...]ved, How would you describe the mirror, shine the light on the and so on. I then have a figure for " Patrick" in terms of the mirror and bounce the light right What other effects did the scene the whole film. complexity of the special effects? down the axis of the lens. A need?[...]effects were very support all this in front of the As the radiator was supposed to " Patrick" ?[...]where there were two actors. How do you keep the coil within We used a material called A-B[...]ldn't be heavy, or metal, two degrees when the radiator is smoke. One component of this How would that compare with an because they had to toss it around; thrown into the bath? smoke is glacial acetic acid and the average feature in the U.S.? so we used rubber. Because of the other[...]weight, we couldn't put batteries The radiator will appear lit amine solution in water. When It's really hard to say because in it to illuminate the coil, and the anywhere within the field of the the colorless fumes of these two effects vary so much. In some idea of electricity bothered the camera lens if the light from that materials meet in the air, they features it is just bullet hits or actors. So we accomplished the fixture on the camera is falling on produce a white smoke. explosions, and the materials gag with an approach similar to the it. Once the radiator goes into the might only run to $500. On other Star Wars light swords. water, due to the index of We put the glacial acetic acid on films, there might be a lot of refraction of water being different the actor's hands and blew the involved effects; that would mean We used the " Scotchlite" from that of air, the reflective fumes of the ethylamine through a stuff has to be built -- and that is front-screen projection material to quality of the Scotchlite is altered. hose to the radiator that was expensive. make the filtered coils on the pa[...]have been less filtered light next to the lens on OHUV1 1 1 1 5 v a m m uiuci. n[...]
	[...]hose to fire the bulbs. loaded and fired it at myse[...]any lasting damage, some of those THE AIR MORTAR[...]there's quite a bit of velocity[...]d by Ed (Rod Mullinar). Patrick. What scene in the film required You had to get the glass made the air mortar? here . . . cord. In this way we produced acid, keeping a prop[...]Patrick becomes enraged in Yes. The material used in the on one actor's back. The actress[...]t full U.S. is PS2, a plasticiser fashioned in the scene also had to have the On the day of the shooting, we of medical supplies as a weapon. in plastic. It was used in printing radiator laid against her back with were still looking for a solution The doors fly wide open and the ink manufacture, but not any resulting bu[...]rem em bered that supplies explode out of the more. All the effects men in the smokeless rifle powder burns that cabinet and fly around the room. U.S. who had any money and Apparently the actress's hair way, with a much cooler fl[...]most other materials. You To achieve this, the air mortar tinued bought great mounds of it; can ru[...]ul- flames while it's burning. So we behind the cabinet. We removed it's no longer available off the up. I had planned to use flash rigged an electrically-ignited the back of the cabinet and all shelf. paper, which is a magician's tool. portion of this powder to the sharp, dangerous or heavy objects It burns with a kind of orange actress's wig, and that worked out from inside. The cabinet doors we When 1need glass, 1have to buy flame and with the fine particles of very well. operated wit[...]ted the raw crystals to make it. finally found a formula for making with the radiator landing in the The air mortar muzzle was then some and it turned ou[...]pills of different types -- plastic something called Sa[...]ls, anything M onsanto plastic which is tissue in sulphuric acid and nitric the radiator to flash. Fine wires that wouldn't be a danger to the similar, but is much more fragile were run down inside the fume actress, Susan Penhaligon. To[...]back to it during the firing, and when you melt it to cast the[...]The mortar had about a 10 cubic[...]pressure. It mucous membranes, and burn the emptied in less than a second and eyes, nose and throat[...]blew the stuff right through the hard to work with, but that's what[...]cabinet into the room. The air we had to use. We just kept the blast travelling around the room, fans running all the time, blowing lifted the objects and kept them in the fumes away from us. flight. The plastic pill bottles were[...]light, so they flew around the Chris Murray, an effects man[...]The scene was shot in slow Alpha Methyl Styrene Resin 18. It[...]motion, which enhanced the other doesn't have the Santolite[...]with a plastics firm in[...]Melbourne to do the casting? '. / In a scene like that, would you do No, I went[...]Barry). Patrick. a run through before the actual bought the plastic. I then built a[...]In the final scene with the larger than the largest glass[...]cabinet, we also had a breakaway needed. The plate is heated up to glass shot. In that case, the about 325 degrees fahrenheit (163[...]prevented a run degrees Celsius) and the[...]frame. The melted plastic is then The entire front of the cabinet poured on the cellophane on top[...]was re-built with balsa wood and a of the aluminium plate.[...]of sugar, but now it's plastic. because if yo[...]cold surface, the plastic would just[...]I would estimate that the glass, gob up and not spread out. I doubt[...]about the air mortar firing at her Con[...]back from a distance of only about[...]
	JOHN DONN After directing several features in Finland, Jorn Donner returned to Sweden to become joint administrator of the Swedish Film Institute production fund. The following article was written by Donner for Films in Sweden, but is reprinted here for its insights into the Swedish film industry and the many points of relevance to the Australian situation. Sweden often appears as an island, an judged in relation to an estimate of the Daphne du Maurier than Dostoevsky. isolated and flourishing province in which chances of success, but rather wholly in view 3.Since the sums that are available are Swedish values dominate and where nothing is of what other films have cost. The Financial as good as being Swedish champion -- and expectations of all films are deemed to be constant, or increase at a rate not in keeping nothing of less moment than actually being in identical. with that of the depreciation in the value of 15th place in Europe or 30th in the world. This 2. Since the Financing is public, it is also usually[...]d since union and guild demands is not only true of Swedish society, but of its assumed that the executive producer, who[...]satisfied, the number of films being represents the Swedish Film Institute, has[...]as to do with what Sweden looks like, no interest in keeping costs under control. what its Films look like, and above all, with the As a result, a certain irresponsibility This may in turn result in the salubrious organization of Swedish Filmmaking. All these develops towards bu[...]-up, control development of a harder struggle over reflect the values expressed by Swedish Film and verification of individual cost line-items,[...]is equally directors, whose thinking I have had the and so on. It is conceivable that this possible that the few established official film opportunity of observing during a two-year irresponsibility spreads to the executive artists will regard the financing as existing period as executive producer at the Swedish producer as well.[...]A third consequence, which lies outside the films before), and potential newcomers will Among the purposes of the production fund, scope of the above, is that scripts are usually[...]relegated to television and other media. set up in 1975 and administered by the judged on the basis of some abstract literary Fortunately, the consequences need not be Institute, was that of activating the production quality, without the least regard for whether these. In the first place, favorable changes, of feature Films. Inasmuch as I became one of one script in comparison with another has too, have taken place during the past years. the two administrators of the fund, I regarded audience possibilities. Many film directors, Many of the newer films show an utterly it as a goal to crea[...]on, where it is different way of telling a story, a greater --as quickly as possi[...]sible It was like lining up horses for judgment: the exactly --only via audience-share-type Figures[...]In addition, it is conceivable that some of Five or six best horses would be selected, and possibly the numbers of persons who get those who made their debuts in recent years regardless of whether they were good or bad. in touch with the television complaints have enough talent to fill some of the vacuum I am not ashamed of the results, but I would department, also known as " the wailing wall" . left in Swedish films when Ingmar Bergman certainly like to add that the two or three Films Since particularly cheap films are not made, left the country, and resulting from the[...]incapability of many of the so-called mid- I thought then would turn out best, did so. The not too many expensive ones are made either. generation of directors to live up to the[...]promise they showed in the 1960s. They still moral of this is that it is possible to read a Film The fund system of selective guarantees have, as has been said of Brazil, a brilliant[...]time. script and with reasonable certitude judge the imposes a ceiling on films that exceed a certain[...]interest in creative Fiction in film narrative. final results -- provided one has an idea of the budget. Under those circumstances, it does Since the latter half of the 1960s, when many[...]Swedish filmmakers, following the examples director's talents. not pay to[...]is pitched low. of foreign filmmakers, oriented themselves[...]m dramaturgy But my intent here is not to depict the results A great many Swedish film directors belon[...]Actually, there are no professional of a certain production process. Rather, I want to the same guild as other film workers. In screenwriters, and because of vastly improved[...]some other lessons associated with such contexts, the collective character of film the latter are not attracted by the money films[...]offer. The result is that most Swedish film the expectations of the director and other work is often emphasized.[...]of course that can be explained by the fact that creative participants in a production system In another context, when it comes to[...]To me, at least, the combination seems The fact that a change has taken place so freedom, it[...]ubtless experienced quickly warrants reflection. Of today's Swedish that the director is the person ultimately the same thing I have: that competent[...]0 per cent is Financed, wholly or responsible for the product, but also that the It is likely that films also[...]tradition than that merely evolved in local partly, from public funds. There is hardly any product must be made wholly and in every filmmaking. Swedish[...]convincing, but seldom other country (including the socialist respect as the director wishes.[...]as well as to the novel. There is an abundance countries) in which independence from Other viewpoints, w hether from film of inner action and a dearth of outer, physical[...]or commercial expectations is as total workers or the executive producer, are[...]Concluded on P.381 as in Sweden. regarded as irrelevant. I[...]Cinema Papers, April/June -- 307 In the socialist countries, various methods two lines of reasoning ever being reconciled. have been tried (admittedly without much Conceivable consequences of all this, as far success) to make film product[...]d, could be as self-supporting entities, while in Sweden many follows: film artists regard it as a[...]financed film production can afford to one wishes in Swedish films, the products have zero-level expectations when it comes to are hot born in a field of conflict between au[...]rial demands. This has two consequences:, l.A t the planning stage, it is customarily They are created in a vacuum and become assumed that it should be po[...]certain cost -- 2.5 million their creator's lack of contact with any other Swedish kroner ($460,000)[...]has long had a very ones. That means, looking at the matter strong position in Sweden, decision-makers differently, that Swedish films cost about the try to reward that which is either based on same amount, regardless of the kind of accepted lite ra tu re or whose script script, its exclusivity, the degree of its presentation is literary in character. I recall simplicity or difficulty. The budget is not Hitchcock's remark that it is easie[...]rdboiled Story; Ann Zacharias and Goran Stangertz in Jan Halldoffs The Last Adventure; Ann Zacharias; Hans Alfredson's[...]Andersson; Tommy Johnson in Lars Lennart Forsberg's Robert and Fanny.
	[...]glance to be a familiar figure of youthful[...]disrespect for convention becomes, in[...]retrospect, evidence of his irresponsibility, his[...]way of constructing a rebellious self-image. Lilga Kovanko as the nurse, Mania, in Marianne Ahrne's Near and Far Away. Lars Forsberg's Mandagarna med Fanny invited by the Swedish Film Institute to direct Thus the narrator can observe Arvid's (Ro[...], 1977) can also be Den Allvarsamma Leken (Games of Love decision to " let chance prevail" ; it can b[...]a film about male alienation. Soderberg's novel, The Serious Game. perform the acts of love, its monkey games Robert (Tommy Johnson), oppressed by the Thematically it is like Paradistorg, in that it and pantomimes" ; but it cannot see that onset of middle-age and by his social identity,[...]belongs to a life full of unconsummated hopes, seems to have been constructed as a response Arvid's surrender to the fates and his of ambitions tentatively held and then to the question (articulated by one of the frustration at his inability to feel is a failure to shattered. His father, dying of a respiratory characters in the film's opening sequence): recognize his unimportance, his place in the condition, reminds him of a childhood of " Do you think we could create a world only for world around him. (Breien's use of the repression: not that of being physically ourselves?" However, it is quit[...]Stanley Kubrick's brutalized, but of being denied information Paradistorg; its style is far more distancing, its utilization of the device in Barry Lyndon). (primarily sexual) about the world. narrative elliptical, and its characterization The film is both gentle and vicious in its little concerned with a rounded psychological depiction of an all-to o -fam iliar male His visits to the hospital become journeys[...]not to care into his consciousness, expressions of his verisimilitude.[...]utbursts Its formal ironies are most apparent as the what happens to Arvid; and he is not solely[...]ersonal hostility to his film's visual assertion of the importance of its responsible for the failure of his relationships. father than his frustration at the barriers to central character, Arvid (Stefan Ekm[...]understanding himself, felt but scarcely against the recurrent references to the destructiveness in his reluctance to come to understood. His affair with the nurse, Fanny significant moments in history (1894-1916) terms with his (sexual) restlessness, and his which occur around him. The sequences of inadequate perception of himself. (Maria Selbing), reveals to him the immediate[...]inadequacy of his marriage, and, more, the fact images are constantly reducing wide shots t[...]ble for that. alternating close-ups or two-shots of Arvid and Notably, at a time when a concern with the his women, while the narrative movement of female consciousness is so prom inent[...]e is forced to see that it is his introspection, the film places those intimate images in the (especially in European cinema, but also in his inability to communicate, which destroys broader context which dwarfs the significance that American cinema which is prepar[...]look outwards), a number of these Swedish while grasping all of this, he is unable to we might want to impose on[...]change, his anguish becoming that of a strata The distancing effect of this ironic mode is films could be described as studies of male of Swedish society quite foreign to that of further insinuated by the use of the narrator. consciousness.[...]Bergman's articulate bourgeoisie, who, if they The voice-over plays with our responses -- Certainly,[...]give voice to that which troubles d escrip tio n of A rv id 's actions to an Aventyret (The Last Adventure, 1975) them. explanation of his psychological state, transforms what, at first, appears to be the appearing to lay open the film's subjective material of male romance/fantasy into a His place of work is filled with the everyday material, but, in fact, remaining subservient to reflection on that. The central character, it. Jimmy (Goran Stangertz),[...]pettiness of people dissatisfied with their lives,[...]albeit uncomprehendingly, a place in which[...]the sullen Robert sees he does not belong, but[...]the murderer in Bo Widerberg's Mannen Pa[...]Taket (The Man on the Roof, 1976), like[...]Jimmy in Det Sista Aventyret and King in[...]Paradistorg, like the son in Hans Alfredson's[...]Egg? A Hardboiled Story, 1976), like " the[...]m u tist" (Robert Farrant) in Marianne[...]Fanny leaves him, he returns to the cottage[...]in a particularly disturbing scene, vents his[...]ncluded on P.381 Lars Lennart Forsberg's study of male alienation Robert Jan Troell's Bang!, a " life symphony" . Halvar Bjork in Vilgot Sjoman's Tabu, an attempt at[...]laying bare the anguishes o f sexual minorities.[...]
	Respected for her striking performances in many Bergman films, including The Silence, The Seventh Seal and Winter Light, actress Gunnel Lindblom has turned to directing. In the following interview, conducted by Tom Ryan,[...]indblom discusses her first feature. Where did the idea for the project That must pose many problems what I wanted, which astonished in your film was the girl's dream come from?[...]t a week before I started about Vietnam and the boy for filmm[...]shooting Ingmar had a problem watching the Beirut footage on[...]doesn't meet with the approval of Germany. I had to keep in contact unnecessary movement outside I had directed several theatre the Swedish Film Institute . . . with him by telephone. I don't the film's framework . . . productions when I sudden[...]fortunately I was helped by a very The dream is only a very simple very curious about making a film. Yes, and the Institute has rather good crew. way of telling of people who try to I formed a group with some actors firm ideas about the kind of films protect their own worlds, their and writers, one of whom was Ulla that should be made. One, Would you say that the way you islands, or, if you like, their I[...]ad written Paradise therefore, has to try and fit in with respond to characters in your privileges. The young girl is the Place, a well-known Swedish that limited approach. film has any similarity with the one who has contact with the novel.[...]roaches his outside world; whereas for the[...]boy television is a kind of stigma. We decided on this story and Are there many filmmakers in He can't live the family life he is started to work on the script. It Sweden who want to make films,[...]ed to live because he's too wasn't easy to raise the money but can't find the funds? different approaches. He is much hurt by influences from the because many people felt no one more interested in a kind of outside world.[...]Yes. That any films are being is in his past, he is very marked by The film sets up two opposed middle-aged women. So you see, made in Sweden is in itself a it. We also come from very points of view: Emma, who for a even in Sweden the subject was miracle. Last year we made about different social backgrounds, and I major part of the film is rejecting thought unusual.[...]am probably more interested in the machinery of repression, and[...]. Katha who is an embodiment of F in a lly we g ot S w e d ish saying we cannot afford[...]y television interested and were 12 or 13 films. The situation is One of the things I found jarring with either of those two able to make it.[...]ducers What assistance was Ingmar to raise money in Sweden? Bergman in getting your film made? Very difficult. In Sweden there He said he liked the subject, and are only nine million people, and t[...]say " no" if he says there. One can perhaps sell the " yes" . film abroad, but even this brings[...]P H R flD IS T O R G in very little money. So in the end Was he looking over your you have to count on a loss, and shoulder while the film was this effectively means you must[...]
	[...]CINEMA characters? The film ends with the shot of In Katha's discovery of Tomas' In that respect, the theatre has had the delinquent King, rather than body, and her chase[...]a very big impact on me. I identify with both of them one of Eva who, in many ways, is see an irony, in that she becomes because I think I am perhaps to[...]; Brecht into his own form. How like Emma. The discussion[...]do you respond to that sort of between the two women is,[...]person; a sort of hope. He is very Brecht, and in one respect I was disturbed by Emma's[...]Paradise Place is a kind of surrender to the machinery at the different from Eva because she is I think it[...]end . . . brought up in a milieu where way. Actually, the ending of the anybody agrees with me. I have[...]eople are aware and articulate book is different, in that there is a even used Brecht in a Strindberg You shouldn't see Emma as a[...]play I did in Copenhagen called heroine of any kind because she kind of reconciliation between The Father. I didn't even change a has a different kind of contact with King is quite different: he has Katha and King. However, I word of Strindberg, but it worked reality than does Kath[...]eacts violently and aggressively. I don't believe in that kind of go directly to Brecht and don't very desperate by the end. The He doesn't accept the way he is optimism. So, in association with listen to his pupils[...]l wants treated and rebels' and I think that the author, I wrote a new ending. to do has made its[...]e after I felt that despair, but her The shot at the end is the film's Did Isaksson argue about that? having worked practically in the surrender suggests the film is only symbolic image. For me, the theatre he wrote his theories only ultim ately saying the noble[...]you have to read Brecht all the No, it's not hopeless, it's only therefore[...]you the idealized male, somebody think. want to do what she does. That's One can view the summer who is outgoing and sociable and the main point for me. house as a kind of privilege. The who can relate to all generations The story that Kure tells about[...]qually well? the women on the train reminds Yet Emma does have an effect on[...]me very much of the "zipless people, as for example when she[...]fuck" chapter from Erica Jong's spoils the dinner party . . . only one person left,[...]s, Kiss is very free and kind, `Fear of Flying'. Was that a[...]ecause it belongs to him. but he has chosen a way of living deliberate reference? A lot of what Emma said was Now we must wait and see what that is okay only for himself -- he truthful, but in her desperation he seeks to do with it.[...]Well that story is in the book, she had gone too far. But then,[...]n was well before nobody else is doing anything; the You see, those people on the just escapes. Erica Jong. No, it has nothing to politicians have failed, the man island are a kind of elite and priv do with Jong. who is ruling the world is a failure, as is the whole welfare society. We ileged people. They are educated In contrast, there is Anika's Apart f[...]well off, and they know how husband, Kure, who is in some any women who have been majo[...]them discussing things. So in many ways Emma is right,[...]o wants to belong to "Paradise had the courage to admit that I instead, make a bigger e[...]e everybody else? was interested in directing. My convince people we are going the talking in films; film is images not[...]. say, you can use any method you the place, but he cannot leave it. It choose to make clear- what you is the longing for security, of I worked twice with Mai[...]encouragement for me because of[...]her courage. I played one of the Are you suggesting then that When you made the film did you parts, in her first film in Sweden, "[...]Sweden? have a particular visual style in Loving Couples, which had a very[...]way. I have tried to tell the story tell the story as simply as possible.[...]y so that one could It is not very experimental in that look at it in a larger perspective as sense.[...]I notice that in the theatre you[...]approach to film? The retreat ot " Paradise Place" in Paradistorg. First of all, what interests me Have you any other pr[...]with them. In fact, my only for Swedish television w[...]security on the film was that I are going to make next win[...]knew I could work with the actors. is for the Swedish Women's[...]Well, there are a lot of people I work in the theatre much more watching and it is a fan[...]than in films. And if you are used opportunity to rea[...]never go to the theatre or cinema.[...]Chekhov, writers who really have something of value to look at.[...]
	[...]John Duigan's " Mouth to Mouth" is the story of two suggest or impose some of its own original screenplay? girls who escape from a youth training centre and live in a concepts on the screenplay, a[...]could be dislodged from his Yes. It began with the idea of disused warehouse with two boys. This stri[...]writing som ething else. If the town, and just extended from technical proficiency, and, most importantly, the comments are directed tow[...]try and make a excellent performances from the mostly teenage cast. clarifying the writer's vision, then film that would involve a[...]it can be useful. wide-ranging audience in the " Mouth to Mouth" is Duigan's third feature, and experiences of four sympathetic follows " The Firm M an" and " The Trespassers" . In the One criticism that has been cha[...]voiced against " Mouth to some kind of life going at the Duigan was preparing for his next projec[...]Mouth'' is that it is too lower end of society. Characters Duigan begins by discussing the origins of his screenplay. determinist . . . whom the middle-class audience generally reads about as numbers financial potential. I think the film believe The Trespassers could I don't accept that as a criticism. in the unemployment figures, or[...]have done with another rewrite. One of the most important kids in the juvenile courts. In all, I was knocked back three times on qualities of the four characters is did 14 drafts of the screenplay. those grounds.[...]within its rights in pressuring a im agination. G iven th eir Why was that? The V icto rian Film writer into rewo[...]Corporation, on the other hand, options, and they certainly don't Almost all the assessments I[...]m body starts to having many. Yet, they do come the assessors at the Australian long and useful discussions wi[...]out with some ingenious ways of Film Commission felt that while it people t[...]solving their problems -- the way was a good script, it had limited[...]well, The material I write probably needs a lot of rewriting, and I 312 -- Cinema Papers,[...]
	Director John Duigan and director of Serge (Sergio Frazetto) and Jeannie In " Mouth to M outh'' you mirrors the position of the photography Tom Cowan. (Sonia Peat) on the roof of the disused highlight the ch aracters' individual in Carrie's isolation[...]sion by subtly detaching against a huge kind of social the places that they go to on the them from the violence and noise animal. The force of the image spur of the moment, are quite to Mouth. of the soundtrack . . . comes from the incredible noise. exciting and unusual. the characters, and while at the The so u n d tra c k is very Also, there is the cut to Carrie But one of the feelings I was finish one of the four characters important, and I think Tony coming into the warehouse before after was a real sense of becomes separated from the other Paterson, the editor, has done a the above scene, which is done on inexorability in the way the action three, even she is not really superb job in helping create that a scream from Jeannie. When one unfolds -- the environment beaten. But the world is making ugly sound environment. of the boys hits a policeman, she creates it. From the moment they her very hard,[...]cries out and this sound blurs into escape from the youth training The four live in a warehouse a train whistle. Again, this has centre, it is inevitable that the The other three we see still near a shunting yard, and there is resonances linked with the use of girls will be arrested again. That is together in the last series of constantly the jarring sounds of trains and machines throughout the pattern in reality. images, and it is clear that they trains and carriages jolting into the film, a world inhabited by[...]past. generally anonymous people and On the other hand, the two guys themselves. They care a lot about Then there is the pub situation, machines. are on the dole. I worked on a each other. with the grinding music in the radio program for six months in background, and layers of loud In one scene, Carrie is picked up which young unemployed people This theme reminds me of "The pub ambiance. off the railway tracks by an old talked about their experiences. Trespassers" , where the hobo. How do you see his role in strongest scenes are those about The ways in which a soundtrack the film? One of the "overwhelming the relationship between the can enrich an image are becoming impressions was the feeling of girls . . . clearer to me. In general, Fred is a very im portant pessimism and of a basic lack of Australian films have not widely character. Earlier in the film, after options. And the longer they were I agree. One of the things I explored the possibilities. the girls have escaped from the unemployed, the more wanted to do in that film was youth training centre, they are in a entrenched these feelings were. It suggest the dichotomy in people In Bresson's book, `Notes on car with a group of guys. They seemed important to get that kind[...]pectable and Cinematography', there is the drive past a derelict old man and of feeling with Serge and Tim --a sophisticated[...]s, but much-quoted line: "If you can the guys scream out abuse; this growing sense of frustration. whose personal lives are a[...]Also, to explore the implications sound, do so." . . . Yet, one sees in the characters' of rationality, or over-intellectual- Carrie, by far, is the most actions a partial transcending of ization, on spontaneity and That is a good quote. An desperate of the four, and senses the limitations. The film is, emotional honesty, example of this is when Carrie, in Fred the way she is, heading. So therefore, very optimistic . . . the girl who becomes isolated she shuns him. One night he finds The characters in "Mouth to from the other three, walks into her in the railway yards, curled up I certainly hope people will Mouth" have that honesty . . . the park. She sits on a bench, near and drunk. He helps her home, perceive the optimism which is the Carlton football ground, and and subsequently she is much crucial to the film. I wanted to Yes, the four of them are very there is the sound of people warmer towards him. Later he is generate a lot of warmth between direct, particularly the girls. It is a cheering, wafting over the park. It beaten up by Tony, with whom[...]
	[...]from agencies and they had some The four: Carrie (Kim Krejus)-, Tim (Ian destructive[...]casting is as important as the The violence of this act finally screenplay. I was looking for[...]Jeannie (Sonia Peat). makes her see the sort of person actors for these roles for about a ni[...]who plays Carrie, did a year at the the first week we went down the this obsessive relationship. exhaustive testing. I spotted Sonia National Institute of Dramatic coast, to get to know one another.[...]We worked intensively in the Incidentally, Tony likewise is a Peat (Jeannie) in a Sydney pub. Arts and is now doing some quiet, and it was very useful. I kind of social derelict, and knows She knew most of the people there television work. They have believe all four performances are it. When the old man calls him a and was buzzing around with t[...]really terrific. dero it's the worst possible insult. endless, speedy energy --[...]So, it was a combination of two You worked with more seemed just right for the part. On[...]totally inexperienced actors and In dealing with feminist issues, closing time I foun[...]hey and d i f f i c u l t o n e s l i k e living in a nurses' home. Without[...]k with and prostitution, did you ever find using the line, " Do you want to be yourself in the situation of being in a film?" , I contacted her the false to yourself in order to avoid next time I was in Sydney and we exposing a flank to criticism? did a bit of testing. Not as far as I am aware. A What did this entail? friend of mine worked in a massage parlor for six months: I Mainly read[...]and then make some experiences, and I suppose the suggestions. events in the film have been For me, the most important colored by this. thing in testing an actor is finding In no way was I attempting to whether he or she can[...]on --I wouldn't want to. she can get anything out of the The events that occur in the film, suggestions that I make about and the characters' reactions in delivery and character. them , are generated by the Sergio Frazzetto, who plays momentum of the characters as I Serge, was working at the Royal saw them. M elbourne In stitu te of Technology a[...]had never done any acting, but One of the striking features has great vitality, like the others, about "Mouth to Mouth" is the which was one of the prime things performance of the four lead I was looking for. I thought I The brutal attack on the hobo (Walter Pym) by Carrie's long-standing boyfr[...]t onto film. casting them? The other two people came 314 -- Cinema Pap[...]
	[...]JOHN DUIGAN experienced actors on " The film on 35 mm and not 16 mm. s[...]budget Trespassers" . Did you have to Did the changeover affect the lot when you are speaking of a films, haven't expended much change your directing style on size of the crew or use of equip budget of $129,000. effort or money in that area . . . " Mouth to Mouth" , such as[...]That is the final budget. . . I think it is a ver[...]i n n o v a t i o n by the NSW To an extent one works used a bigger crew, apart from one Yes, but $44,000 of that is Corporation to set up their fun[...]more on camera. We would have deferments. In terms of straight because budgets of that kind seem rehearsals very highly; I would used a 35BL, so the size of the cash, the film took $85,000 to to be much more in line with prefer to over-rehearse people and[...]ave been very make -- and that includes the market expectations of Australia. find ways of recapturing the much the same, and we would blow-up. If the film is good and is made for freshness, than try[...]$200,000 or under, then in many want for the first time in front of It woul[...]nice to have cases you can get your money the camera. So we didn't need to I am very keen on working with had $150,000, and the film I want back in Australia. Don't you shoot many takes on either film -- crews of the size we had on to do after Dimboola wil[...]uth to Mouth, which was a have a budget of around little smaller than that on The $185,000. The only reason it will Perhaps, though i s n 't it As to shooting styles, the Trespassers. cos[...]ficient justification that this camera movements in The needs a French or German type of filmmaking may produce Trespassers were often lo[...]actress. films of an aesthetic calibre not fluid, tracking shots c[...]achieved by more expensive menting the long passages of Eleven, as opposed to 13 on The For a hell of a lot of film subjects features? dialogue. Mouth to Mout[...]ilm is jarring movement and close-up Did the Victorian Film much more than that[...]doesn't demand a lot of money, it about the size of the crew? Was it for economic reasons that[...]it hairs in the gate, nor do they[...]money at that time, though I extras in a pub scene instead of 50. is implied by the speedier lifestyle[...]now with A good subject will carry them of the characters. At this stage I haven't seen the the contacts I have. But I had all along.[...]blow-up to 35 mm, so I don't the people lined up for the film You had planned to make the know whether spending an extra and, because of their availability, Your next project is[...]rewritten for the film . . .[...]Do you think your difficulty in[...]the lack of commercial success of recreate on film some of what the "The Trespassers" ? play achieves as a live-event. The[...]Yes, I am sure it was. If The reception are automatically[...]respassers had made a fortune, implicated in the action; they can the people who had invested in get drunk and dance, shout and so[...]ave been delighted to on, and it's all part of the show. invest in Mouth to Mouth. So I[...]hope Mouth to Mouth makes a The screenplay covers three lot of money; it will certainly days, leading up[...]make it easier the next time the wedding and reception: the[...]. play was simply the reception. It is[...]"Mouth to Mouth" is one of the an opportunity to celebrate a[...]few films made on a budget of country town and its people.[...]and the corporations, apart from[...]the NSW Corporation with its Serge and Sonia playing on the beach they escape to. Mouth to Mouth. Carrie (Kim Krejus) lying drunk and exhausted in the railway yard, prior to being helped[...]
	Russell Kiefel and Elizabeth Crosbie in Gillian Bryan Brown and Kris McQuade in Stephen Wallace's Margaret Cameron, Bryan Brown and Linden Wilkinson Armstrong's The Singer and the Dancer. Love Letters From Teralba Road. in James Ricketson's Volita. James Ri[...]often than not an albatross around the film- few that deal with the '70s, that examine the Filmmaking is an expensive business. A maker's neck; it limits the types of films pro structure and fabric of Australian society, that major problem facing all feature Filmmakers in duced and the way in which they are made. explore unionism, unemployment, migrants, Australia is how to recoup the money invested We cannot, of course, ignore the economic media monopolies, cultural isolation, latent in one film and make sufficient profit to realities of film production and distribution. (and not so latent) fascism --the list is endless produce the next. It would be foolish to But given the amount of money being poured --and the way in which these affect Australian assume that government funding will continue into the industry by the Australian Film society and the individuals that make it up. indefinitely, and there can be no doubt that the Commission and the state film corporations, it industry, as it is p[...]Audiences prefer to see films about the past: die if the funding ceased.[...]trageous films are being changed. The present is dangerous because One safeguard against the possible demise of made.[...]not by impli an over-inflated industry would be the With the exception of the Experimental cation, raise questions about real issues of a development of a Poor Cinema, one in which Film Fund (upper limit $6000), we are not social and personal nature. The present is too Filmmakers work to low budgets with small using our resources to explore the medium's close to home. We are fed[...]atios and possibilities. This results from a lack of nerve and television, and that actually takes on the short shooting schedules, concentrating on in filmmakers and over-cautiousness and appearance of illusion, and vice-versa. content rather than te[...]conservatism on the part of the various Yet, film is a social medium -- one that has I use the term Poor cautiously; like all labels funding bodies -- all of which could be the capacity not only to entertain, but to it should[...]audiences have diverse tastes. At one In a country with a population as small as filmmaking that is as concerned with the end of the spectrum is a large audience that Australia's, films such as these could only be content of films as with the economics of film wants to be thrilled, held in suspense, made to made on low budgets, with the filmmakers production and distribution.[...]recognizing the limited and diverse audiences[...]their they would appeal to. Until the gap between It is my contention that the encouragement attention diverted from their every[...]experimental and extremely low budget films of a Poor Cinema would: (1) make the Aust have no argument with these films, except that (funded by the Experimental and Advanced ralian film industry more economically viable; most of them have as their basis a very Prod[...]get Hollywood (2) give rise to greater diversity in the films superficial conception of the range of possible films (funded by the AFC) is filled, it is being made; (3) develop mo[...]l come into sophisticated audiences; (4) develop the art cliches and formulas that belie life's existence. (and not merely the industry) of film in complexity. A steady diet of such films in Australia.[...]inct .damaging to psychic health as a steady diet of want to see the sort of innovative and relevant advantage for filmmakers, in that it allows junk food is to bodily health. festivals or briefly at art cinemas. The fact that them freedom from artistic constraints that At the other end of the spectrum there are such films are ra[...]istributed here is not a take risks without fear of making mistakes, or Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, Peter Watkins, reflection on the quality of films, but on the of failing at the box-office. size and degree of sophistication of Australian[...]Were such films made here (and Every film faces the possibility of box-office aspects of human experience on an emotional some ar[...]uld likewise appeal to failure, especially those in which new territory as well as intellectual level[...]ng what has already been As with other art forms, the primary reason The double bill of The Singer and The done, copying and adhering to formulas. And I fo[...]alba Road, believe most feature films being made in Aust their commercial value. They are made for[...]at there is ralia fall into this category. Hence the audiences who believe the unexamined life is an audience for[...]get `non Hollywood-type product that is flooding the not worth living, and should not -- cannot -- commercial' films. Distribution of these films market.[...]be evaluated in terms of box-office receipts a problem, but no[...]not my intention to denigrate these alone. Films of this kind are not being made in five years ago it was almost impossible to films, but to point out that because of their Australia. I am not referring to `art' or elitist distribute an Australian film in Australia; now expense, because the film industry is a big films, but to those that deal with now -- with it is relatively easy. The same could'be true for business, films have to make money at the what it means or feels like to be alive in the low budget films that make up the Poor box-office and hence become products geared Australia.[...]
	[...]Linden Wilkenson (Danny) and Bryan Brown (Mark) in Ricketson's Volita. Noie&o itilte making ojjV ofeta Volita deals with the way in which four not a shot is entirely steady; it is the content of characters respond to the milieu they find the scene that is of primary importance, themselves in during the latter half of the assuming, of course, that the content is 1970s: with the way they relate to each other, sufficiently interesting. While many films hide to their jobs, society and the world in general, a paucity of content behind technical The film began with four characters, detailed excelle[...]character notes, and only a decision to relegate the technical aspects of germinal script -- a framework within which filmmaking to a secondary role, forced us to the writer/director and actors could work. concentrate on the content. It is quite acceptable and common for a The time saved by using only minimal theatrical piece to arise out of a workshop lighting and by shooting the film hand-held, situation in which actors and director develop a enabled us to complete the film in 15 days. For presentation based on a writer's, director's or this, cameraman Tom Cowan must take the the group's idea. The same principle could, I credit. believe, be applied to film. In order to minimize the need for artificial The choice of cast was determined by the lighting, Kodak Reversal 7250 (ASA 400) was actor's ability to improvise scenes based on the used for all interiors. This is a newsreel stock character notes. I was more interested in the not designed for having prints struck off it. As spontaneity, naturalness and overall feeling of the film is, at the time of writing, in the performance than in an ability to work with set process of being edited, it is too early to say dialogue. whether the time and money saved by using I did not want the film to be merely a this stock is justified by the quality of release reflection of my own ideas and intentions -- I prints. hoped that we would all learn about how to For my part, the exercise in making this film develop and make a film. And for my part, I has been rewarding on a number of levels. I found that I learnt more about writi[...]have been able to take risks I would not have in this way than from countlessnightsstooped dared t[...]working to a large budget. The film has also The workshop took three weeks and proved provided me with a bridge from short narrative to be invaluable from the point of view of films into feature filmmaking, performances, integration of scripted and All too often filmmakers with my type, of improvised dialogue, and time saved on the background and experience are forced to jump s[...]o test their skills on films made to Then came the filming and my decision to budgets somewhere in between these two shoot the film hand-held. This arose out of my extremes. It is this gap that a Poor Cinema experience in making documentaries. could fill. In a documentary, it is irrelevant whether or[...]
	[...]nd Steven Spielberg's " Close Encounters of the Third from major airlines, air traffic director of this film, you must Kind'' is at present outpacing " Star Wars" at the co n tro llers, U.S. Air Force have a certain attitude to the box-office and may possibly become the biggest officers, e[...]FO phenom enon. Do you grossing film of all time. If so, Spielberg will have at the Pentagon who, during the believe in close encounters? twice achieved that feat; the other time being with early 1950s, had worked in the "Jaws" .[...]intelligence corps and were I believe in the possibility, in around when UFOs buzzed the the 30 years of evidence. I am not Spielberg graduated from UCLA in 1970 and went capital; there was a great flap in 100 per cent convinced, and I straight to[...]ttitude has M D " , " Columbo" and " Name of the Game" . He Washingto[...]was (1970) and " Something Evil" (1972) -- the former The best people I talked to, three years ago.[...]d however, were the average family theatrically in the U.S.[...]actually does. That was the best D. Zan[...]Sugarland part of the research, because it Yes; aware that this was one Express" in 1973 and " Jaw s" in 1975. " Close supported my feelings about the answer to the UFO mystery, that Encounters" , for producer[...]ia first two-thirds of the film. The UFOs are extra-terrestrial entities Phillips, i[...]just my vision, my hope and not just projections of the[...]ilosophy. It never really collective imagination of the While in Denmark for the recent opening of " Close happened. world.[...]Encounters" , Spielberg spoke to C in em a P a p e r s '[...]ail Heathwood about The people who come out from There appears to be a strong the existence of extra-terrestial beings and the the space ship are similar to relationship between this and problems involved in mounting this $U.S. 19.2 drawings done by eyewitnesses. your other films, in that you take[...]h us, million project. and bring it out into the open,[...]Yes. While collecting presenting it in realistic Generally, I am much more For 40 years L ife was probably the descriptions from all over the terms . . . interested in those things when most popular magazine in the world I realized that everybody[...]people, than I U.S., and it was very interested in reported the same thing. You Absolutely. In every Film I have am in, say, Spiderman or UFOs. It followed them more would think that somebody in the made I have taken something Superman.[...]and printed large photos, as well someone in maybe Switzerland to believe, and tried to make[...]a grandfather clock. But all the creating a reality from a kind of I went to the magazine and I traced these authors and reports are the same -- the fantasy. In Duel, for example, newspaper section of the public discovered that many had written vehicles, the spheres in the sky. there was the challenge of creating library and read old copies of Life. books. I read a number of them, And the extra-terrestrials looked a character out of a truck and like they do in film, rather than making it appear like the classic and began to meet the authors. fire-breathing dragons. villain in the Western.[...]Do you think that the film would 318 -- Cinema Papers, April/June[...]Opposite: The child (Gary Guffey). " I[...]
	[...]would have been frustrated at not having seen the vision completed. A lot of people think I should not have shown the shark in Jaws, that I should have continued the mystery of the water, so that the water itself became the threat. But that's my duality -- the philosopher- Francois Truffaut as the French scientist,[...]de Lacombe, and Bob Balaban as his filmmaker and the commercial- filmmaker-entertainer. I try to interpreter. Close Encounters of the Third make those two things work for Kind. each other. up of the film were you more in Did you consider not showing the doubt than not? creatures? Sure, when I met a lot of kooks w[...]s weren't consistent Yes, for a long time, and I the second and third time round. I p e r s o n a l l[...]elt very disappointed, suspecting disappointment in not knowing that maybe only the more what piloted those things. In 2001 intelligent people knew how to Stanley Kubrick considered the make up a good story. But same thing because he[...]pen too aliens -- but he never used them often. in the final film. That was fine for I really found my faith when I 2001, because from the beginning heard that the government was it had promised an esoteric payoff; opposed to the film. If NASA took you didn't ever expect to see an the time to write me a 20-page extra-terrestrial.[...]y something happening. intellectual, and because of this it I had wanted co-operation from Who's directing who? The two `directors' -- Francois Truffaut and Steven Spielberg. would be wrong not to show the them, but when they read the creatures.[...]Os exist, and Today it's just the opposite. I Hyneck as technical advisor on[...]knew that if this film was to be the film? wrote the letter because Jaws[...]t a moral issue people were afraid of the the world that there were sharks in I knew of Hyneck when I first toilets and bathtubs, not just in for you -- that you might cause phenomena, but because the began researching the film[...]ternative because he was famous for saying the oceans and rivers. They were for a lot of people who no longer how it was all a bunch of bunk. He afraid the same kind of epidemic Not really. When Orson Welles have faith in anything. had been hired by the Air Force to would happen with UFOs. did his famous " War of the give easy ex p lan atio n s to Worlds" broadcast in 1938, he Did you require your actors to complicated phenomena and he It was the same with the Air was not so much writing a radio have a similar degree of belief as was very good at it.[...]shooting the scenes with the army Venus. Then he began coming across reports that were too and air force, I had to do it the old- fear of invasion from Europe. War No. Melinda Dillon[...]costume store and buy the army easily. He found he could explain suit[...]Welles' invasion was not the does Richard Dreyfuss nor away 80 per cent of reported Stuka, it was the Martian; it Truffaut. When Trauffaut was[...]rently President Carter has preyed on the vulnerability of that asked if he believed in UFOs, he seen the film . . . time. said, " I believe in the cinema" . sightings, but there was still 20 pe[...]Finally, he went He has reported UFOs on two to the Air Force and said, " Hey, I occasions, and I think he's a think there's something here; this believer. In fact, one of his isn't just public psychosis." campaign promises was that he The Air Force got very nervous would try and find out[...]d told Hyneck to mind his own were all about. But the minute he business and just do his job. He took[...]and quit. He then he was going to follow through the wrote a book attacking the promise, he side-stepped the department. issue. I met Hyneck because he was a Since then, the White House man who had suddenly learned to has[...]was a very valuable man to have who is interested in UFOs, stops on my team because he could give being interested the minute they me the feeling that I wasn't just get to the White House. making a film about chiffon; that T[...]wouldn't be something that which many governments in the couldn't stand up under a hot world feel that pe[...]be made aware of yet. France and Brazil are the only two countries The mysterious light generated by a UFO. While a mother (Melinda Dillon) is terrified At any point during the setting w h o se g o v e r n m e n ts h a v e[...](Gary Guffey) is more trusting. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 320 -- Cinema Papers, April/June
	[...]I have to say it five times, the[...]on the next plane.[...]A lot. The script is only a[...]of time and before the first piece[...]of film is shot; you can see the[...]all Doug had to do was look at the[...]ships I had painted, the colors and[...]credit on the screen for visual[...]omprehend, Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) recreates the Devil's Tower, Wyoming. In the original there were many Close Encounters of the Third Kind.[...]e Truffaut would say, " I seen the old Hollywood being run also more encounters in the first know, I know, too much over by the new. I think if you had half, but that was changed because It occurred to me that of all the acting; I'll bring it down." It was walked on the set of Close I felt I had to save -[...]w, Truffaut easier directing Truffaut than the Encounters you would have have a jolt every 10 minutes was the most humane. There is a others. thought of Busby Berkeley, because it would have hurt the humanist view of Truffaut that I[...]hnically dramatic construction. The have always held -- of his films Truffaut wrote a book during the confusing. Lots of technology, but elim ination was necessary to and of him as an actor in his films. shooting called `The Actor'. very old-fashioned. concentrate on the final arrival. He has the face of the young boy Have you read it? grown up.[...]Is it difficult to always be in Speaking of dramatic structure,[...]r Isn't it difficult to direct a I'll get the first copy. Truffaut[...]'s my job. you rely on under-informing the because he[...]ed to 200 Close Encounters was the first audience, letting them be No, because most of the time extras, 90 arc lights and all the time I ever managed a production unaware of certain things . . . Truffaut knew what I was ab[...]nd a shark. This film was believe in not giving the audience couldn't even open my mouth the set it was the first time he had large from the very first day, and what they want,[...]am sure his book on the actor will greater than mine. That w[...]have an extra chapter in it. in Jaws I decided to leave the[...]`Enemy of the People' part of the Given a lot of the film's special story not that well[...]effects were done in laboratories, I felt the same way about Close[...]were the actors often called upon Encounters. The military cover-[...]beat to death because in the U.S.[...]Watergate, the CIA, and people[...]upset with several moments in his already find them redundant.[...]rformance because he feels that Yet the film is made for an[...]had he seen the effects, he might international aud[...]erently. necessarily versed in American[...]r feel insecure about decide where the point of balance being in control of all these was?[...]I always consider the inter The child (Gary Guffey) drawn on by a strange glow in the sky. Close Encounters of the I never feel secure doing[...]this. The problem is when you would discuss the film more[...]that large you have to overseas than in the U.S. In the[...]sav it once U.S. I merely discussed the[...]eveyr get done. TIfr yy ou say it flashiness and the sound, the[...]excitement, the phenomena. Here[...]in Europe I am discussing the[...]story and the philosophy; the[...]
	[...]sick and living in New York like eight[...]The star of the film is a brilliant female[...]minute stage show is probably the film's[...]more interesting than a drag show is the[...]undercut one another to convey the[...]Its portrait of Canadian provincialism[...](significantly, the hero has to move from[...]which the Canadian Film Development[...]Corporation, who provided 60 per cent of[...]the budget, seem to have overlooked.[...]Being of a squeamish disposition, I[...]determ inedly missed the gorier of[...]of a plastic-surgeon victim turned[...]Sunshine, a look at the nasty long-term[...]chromosomal effects of a particular[...]strain of LSD), so it was a nasty shock to[...]find them turning up again in London.[...]on Night of the Living Dead); Death[...]Collector, a pale shadow of Martin[...]Ralph de Vito and built around the[...]lead, Joseph Cortese, and the younger Gregory Nava's medieval love tale, The Confessions of Amans, with William Bryan (Amans) and Susannah MacMillan Robert de Niro; and, most vicious of all,[...]A s s a u lt on P re c in c t 13, w hich This year's Edinburgh Film Festival formal ballad and the delicate precision establishes the toughness of its seemed freer of the factional in-fighting of a series of miniatures. that had sometimes soured its atmos The conflicting aspirations of phere in the past. It was also closer to passions and intellig[...]viding genuine sanctuary within primarily through the movements of which d ifferen t ideologies of, and hands and eyes, locate the film's real approaches to, "independent cinema[...]for their mutual At th e sam e tim e, th ro ug h the stimulation. All this in spite of the sinister hierarchical rituals glimpsed mainly as shadow which so many television domestic details in the corners of the personalities cast over the festival's frame, Nava, like the Flemish painters, second week, as well as the worrying almost laconically portrays the ordered long-term im plication of television world against which his characters[...]sgress. His actors' delivery is quite event as the site of its economic and aggressively modern, his social[...]were no major revelations, timeless. and that the various retrospectives (of films by Wim Wenders, Ula Stockl,[...]ent production was stronger than any groupings of new the Canadian film Outrageous, written works, was a reflection on the current and directed by the Kentucky-born, off- state of international production (cf, Broadway playwright[...]categorizations, and which admirably As in past years, the groupings which exemplifies its message. formed the Festival's strongest suits Its improbable plot (based on a short w ere its selectio ns of low -budget story by Margaret Gibson, a real-life[...]roductions (predominantly schizophrenic) concerns the growth of a North American) and its round-up of relationship between a schizophrenic girl Amer[...]xual hairdresser with Most noteworthy among the former transvestite leanings. Encouraged by the was, perhaps, Gregory Nava's The girl, the hairdresser starts performing in Confessions of Amans, a medieval love drag clubs and eventually becomes an story shot in Spain on an American Film off-Broadway star. Institute grant and with a primarily British The girl loses the baby she has been cast. Its story, of a young monk who carrying but is nursed back to her own becomes a wandering scholar in the East kind of unstable stability by the after fathering a child by the chatelaine h a ir d r e s s e r w ho c o u n te r[...]lynn's Rolling Thunder. Written by Paul Schrader, the film has he has been hired to tutor, unfolds with metaphorical despair with the punch all the measured gracefulness of a line: "You're not dead; you're alive and "worrying echoes of the National Socialist ideology." 322 -- Ci[...]
	[...]AND LONDON FESTIVALS credentials by having as the first victims Reich carnival of Hitler, using kitsch and to depict villains (or, more precisely, to have this time moved into the foreground. of its motiveless psychopathic gang a tin s[...]e an all-pervasive ideology that rather than the anonymous power of Yet a glance at the film (as distinct from and by encouraging its au[...]ecorded; most all hopes for `s a lv a tio n ' on the splendid of all, Krzysztof Zanussi's economic and political forces) has its table of contents) shows the advance Camouflage, one of the few films ever to always led him to oblique forms of resourcefulness of a convicted mass capture in both visual and verbal indictment: his[...]language all the com plexities of elegant than it is profound, has invar[...]conflict and conscience- led him to depict the tragedy of wasted musical analogy proves the most Edinburgh has a long tradition of crisis, with all the subtlety of Henry lives in the form of a comedy of manners. presenting B-feature films. This has[...]precise: politics exist, as always, in rested largely on the festival's well The tension within his films -- articulated assumption that it is in the These film events -- to be mulled over,[...]analyzed, slowly digested and appraised as the incompatible pulls of indigenous variations of the fundamental genre -- can in the short term only be damaged culture and imposed British influence, of reality, this time incarnated in the title rules, in the discrepancy between by their propinquity to the hollow the all-embracing, gentle tolerance of treatment and content, that embryonic pretentiousness of Rolling Thunder or Eastern religion, and the brutal, death characters. For well over half the film's a u te u rs might first be discovered. And to the latest student work-prints. The dealing reality of Western economic the Festival's credit, it pioneered the London Festival no longer appears to[...]ound its subjective screen time, the camera focuses on the work of Roger Corman, Martin Scorsese, celebrate the survival of quality in the expression in a d istin ctive idiom Brian De Palma and Paul Bartel. This cinema so much as the fact that the miraculously poised between nostalgia obsessive chess games of Mr Mir and Mr year's London Festival backed up its B- cinema (often in horrendous forms) has and tough observation[...]selection with no theoretical succeeded in surviving at all. and tragedy, betw[...]M irza, e q u a lly o b livio u s to the framework, merely on the specious[...]nds that "action films are sometimes THE CHESS PLAYERS disintegration of their marriage or their ignored by serious filmg[...]An obvious first reaction to The Chess study of thwarted hopes and wasted society. It is not so much the proportions Swelling the Edinburgh collection was, Players is that it[...]lives may owe much to Vittorio de Sica at the one extreme, the Yugoslav film departure for its director[...]his bicycle thieves, structurally (of history to 'real life') that have The Rat Saviour, by Krsto Papic -- Not only is it his first film in Hindi, but Ray's films owe still more to music t[...]ly more metaphysical than also (perhaps in part as a logical to any cinematographic antecedents. It is changed, as the tone in which the action-packed as it paints an oneiric consequence of his working in a no arbitrary coincidence that Ray has portrait of a nameless bureaucracy language which is alien to him) its always composed the music for his films. component parts[...]Carrying whose model citizens are actually rats in caustic and fragmented approach to its Their narratives are conceived and human form; at the other extreme was historical subject, its deliberate recourse approached in fundamentally musical his love of comedy to the verge of Rolling Thunder. W ritten by Paul t[...]ey develop as variations on a Schrader who wrote the script of Taxi commentary (from a contemporary, not a theme; and the theme itself is played out slapstick, Ray has -- in Mir and Mirza -- Driver, it expands some of Schrader's period standpoint), its mixture of film in a series of conflicting rhythms which more w orrying obsessions: the styles and genres (from cartoon t[...]onflicting social created a kind of philosopher's Laurel corruption and hypocrisy of modern city key naturalism to stylized tableaux), all pressures: the paralyzing pulls of a life (okay), the glorification of mass create an impression of a film closer in Utopian past and an unthinkable future, and Hardy, as rich in symbolic value as murder as a form of purification (less style and spirit to the work of Berthold between which lies only stasis, inertia -- okay), the equation of women with flesh Brecht than to those of Ray's previous the quagmire in which individual lives they are in wealth. Dramatically, they and fickleness, and of veteran Gl killers mentors, the Italian neo-realists. and hopes must founder. with purity and the true America.[...]function as the court jesters to a no less[...]Sanket (Distant Thunder) As with Taxi Driver, the morality of the that separate The Chess Players from already marked a turning point in Ray's stylized figure, the King, of whose film's ending is just ambiguous enough Ray's previous work prove, on closer career, in that -- as in his subsequent for it to be read as ironic. But such a inspection, to be the signs of a more films -- the tragi-comedy of domestic glorious higher vision their lives are but reading takes no account of the extent to profound continuity. In this film's elegiac manners are linked to specific historic which director and camera wallow in the depiction of human suffering and of the events: a view of history from, as it were, poor, pale sha[...]relatively undramatic process of attrition the unconventional end of the telescope. whereby the dispossessed and the Critics were not slow to announce that That the King, Wajid Ali Shah, is so Once again it is[...]d embarked on a new, political veteran cleansing the world by shooting stripped of their remaining sources of phase as a filmmaker, no less slow to frequently represented as part of a it up in a brothel; once again, there's the pride, hope or ambition, Ray's reluctance c[...]virtues, implicit assumption that whole classes of finding now in his persistent humanism a `tableau vi[...]lack of partisan commitment. and that their instant deat[...]background of singers, dancing girls or re q u ire s no a d d[...]In synopsis, The Chess Players executioner than the Great American would appear to mark the start of a ornate decorations -- is in large measure Conscience.[...]further stage of politicization, to the[...]ical/historical events a consequence of Ray's determination to The ease with which Schrader's heroes prefer their g[...]avoid screen villains. Tracing India's and the simplicity of slaughter to the complexity of life, has some worrying[...]present-day tragedy back to its sources echoes of the National Socialist ideology. The director's name this time is John[...]in Victorian imperialism, he maintains his Flynn.[...]customary tone of more sorrow than[...]anger by presenting the showdown in[...]Lucknow less as a clash of wills or a[...]show of force than as a collision of[...]styles: the lackadaisical, aesthetic[...]philosophizing East meets the philistine[...]pragmatism of the West.[...]Like Jalsaghar (The Music Room),[...]The Chess Players is impregnated with[...]cannot survive the harsh material[...]realities of the world. Unlike Ray's[...]tracing -- in the form of a comic parable[...]-- the genesis of that suffering already[...]so eloquently depicted in Ray's earlier[...]films. In the very tradition whose passing[...]he here laments, Ray -- ever the[...]his humanism by preserving, even in the[...]face of despair, a sense of the finer[...]ronies. * ^ Copyright Jan Dawson The London Festival has always been The Chess Players, Satyajit Ray's first Hindi film. presented as a Festival of Festivals -- a survey of the best of the year's new productions. But in the eight years since Ken Wlaschin took over the Festival's direction from Richard Roud, it has more than tripled in size to the point where it represents, not so much a survey of the best, as a cross-section of everything, good, bad and indifferent. (Including the `action films', 19 of its films had already received th eir B ritish prem iere in Edinburgh.) While it can be, and is, argued that Wlaschin's programming is a justifiable avoidance of value judgments and marks a respect for the right of the London public to make up their minds on what "best films" actually are, his festival is in danger of being amorphous, oversized and, most seriously, oversold. Hand in hand with his eclectic programming is a hyperbolic prose style which hails equally as masterpieces the latest student film from the National Film School (technically unpolished and[...]1 9 0 0 or Bockmayer's Jane bleibt Jane. In such a climate of enthusiastic but undiscriminating oversell, the few really major new films are apt to recede into the wallpaper: Satyajit Ray's Shatranjke Khilari (The Chess Players -- reviewed separately below), his first film in Hindi and historical costume, and a radically Brechtian departure from his usual comedies of desperate manners; Hans Jurgen Syberberg'[...]
	[...]How long have you been working " Weekend of Shadows" is director Tom Jeffrey's sec that's all we will spend. on the project?[...]the film? ond feature, following his earlier adaptation of the David Five years. In March 1973, Sue W illiamson play `The Rem ovalists'. Set in a small Five weeks and two days, plus Milliken picked up the book ( The[...]Australian town in the 1930s, the film follows the hunt problems ruined a day's shooting. Reckoning) in a second hand shop ing down of a suspected murderer by the male townsfolk. It was a heavy schedule because, in Oxford St., Paddington. She[...]read it, and thought it would make The film was produced on a budget of $500,000, with Adelaide,[...]a good film. I also read it, and investment by the South Australian Film Corporation[...]n. liked it very much. I thought the and the Australian Film Commission. mood, and some of the social The story is one of men on a aspects of the story, would The principal cast includes John Waters, M elissa[...]it that day, because the next day[...]location. What was the major hold-up? Tom Jeffrey, who also co-produced the film with John[...]Film with There were a couple. In 1973, I Morris of the SAFC, has had a long involvement in the a fairly well worked out plan of was employed by Air Programs[...]years spent working in Britain in the 1960s, Jeffrey spent This enables me to make quick In tern atio n al and we were 14 years at the Australian Broadcasting Commission.[...]ething isn't working on a number of projects. I There he directed " Pastures of the Blue Crane" , and working as I originally visualized suggested The. Reckoning to Wal[...]it. I can then keep the film moving[...]Hucker and he agreed. It took episodes of " Delta" and " Dynasty" . 95 per cent of the time the whole In 1972, Jeffrey left the ABC to direct " The crew worked like bloody slaves. nine months to sort out the rights; Rem ovalists" . This was followed by the shooting of The script required a good deal of we also had to get a writer.[...]night shooting . . . Then in 1974, I worked on The tions managed for Walt Disney Productions in Australia.[...]which we did at the beginning of nine months out of my life. API the shoot; it was a really tough[...]ed for me to come back from Jeffrey's involvement in the industry has also included other night scenes which we split The Removalists and then they[...]cted a scriptwriter. being a chairman of the once Film, Radio and Television[...]Board, and president of the Producers and Directors Guild work[...]until midnight. Who did write the screenplay? during 1972-73. He is now chairman of the Film and You used actors of very mixed[...]Peter Yeldham, an Australian Jeffrey was involved in the final stages of post film . . . writer. He went to Britain in the late 1950s and achieved some production on " Weekend of Shadows" when film W[...]producer Richard Brennan interviewed him for C in em a texture of people to tell the story.[...]Each of the characters was quite he wrote so[...]separate in the sense that they[...]represented a type of person. We, screenplays. involved because of their script At present, private investors are therefore, looked for actors who In late 1974 I heard that Peter writing investme[...](chairman of the SAFC) took First see how the amendment to the tax who could play off one another in was coming back to Australia, so I bite of the cherry by coming in as act is written; whether it is going an ensem[...]ucer, as well as putting to be a new section to the act or tracked him down and discussed up one-third of the Finance. This just an amendment to the clause The male actors found that they the project. He went back to happened late in 1976. Then in pertaining to the writing off of were able to come to terms with Britain but called me from early 1977, the AFC followed with copyright. But I think this new their parts quite easily. The two London and said he'd love to do an investment of $200,000. With legislation should encourage women, Melissa Jaffer (Vi) and the adaptation. that sort of impetus, we were then greater private investment in the Barbara West (Helen), found it[...]able to approach a number of future. less[...]ifFicult At that time, I found the private investors.[...]rojects were building up at Air Did you find the current tax lot of nervousness over Programs and ta[...]situation, where film investment investment in films, particularly In fact, on this Film I found that[...]can be written off only over a on the Government side, is I directed the actors less than I had particular marketing policy of period of 25 years, a stumbling overages. How did you e[...]s investors? We came in under budget, and quite good with them. not really able to get on with the those monies saved in production[...]One character I found very job of making films. that basis. We did[...]ure. Sue Milliken interesting was that of Bernie. I I decided to leave,[...]like to play this part. He read the agreement with Wal Hucker to[...]said `yes'. Even so, I take over the rights to The Reckoning. Peter Yeldham wrote the script and delivered it to me around the middle of 1975.
	TOM JEFFREY really had no firm idea of who the was listed as co-producer, director Graeme Blundell as Bernie, the " comic" character on the hunt for a murder. Weekend character Bernie was.[...]s a ability to retain an objective view of Shadows. good shape, and that he would fit of the project. However, since in with the rest of the men in they have seen Weekend of ideas, one of which is The Odd Women go through a changing terms of their shapes and sizes. I Shadows, I think any[...]onship as well -- with was looking for a picture of the had in regard to my ability as a themselves, the people around person, rather than looking inside[...]ilm after that is them, and with their men. The him and trying to work out what[...]riginal screenplay film will have a background of sort of person he was. I have already adapted the elegance in the form of classical screenplay, so the only problem written by Ted Roberts called music, and we hope to begin On the first night of shooting we r e m a i n i n g is t h a t of my Quartet With Strings, which is a filming in 1979. were all in peals of laughter involvement as a producer. But I[...]cause Graeme was doing these see that only in terms of initiating felt that period dramas (a) have We are looking now to the latter antics with a bag stuck around his the project, which will allow me to had their day and (b) were getting part of 1979 and 1980 for further foot. I then went over[...]too expensive. Having to go away projects. The package has allowed and asked him if he would li[...]en a to move a bag so that he could One of the exciting things I find and stay on location is also great advantage to us. move more easily around the fire about filmmaking is that it is such becoming very expensive. to get to the truck. " Oh no" he a social activity. A prod[...]idea for a light, then realized that Bernie was the director; a director is dependent romantic comedy, set in the city. comic within the group. That set upon the inputs of his crew, the his character for the rest of the actors, and the relationships It has an under-current theme of Music in Australian Films is film.[...]ween them all. exploring some of the problems often regarded as underdeveloped[...]Another exciting thing about around the age of 40 when you Charles Marawood approach the of producers on other projects. the Australian film industry at the tend to wonder where you are s c o r i n g of " We e k e n d of Did you enjoy the autonomy of moment, and certainly over the going. One gets a different Shadows" ? working as a co-producer? past five years, is the degree of perspective of life, and this affects[...]one's relationship with women. We have used a lot of music in greater burden to me, but it is an crew, even the caterers -- to put enjoyable one and fortunately[...]working give 150 per cent effort. I rue the relationship with the SAFC on day when we start arguing about[...]and individual levels. how much effort we put in and how mu[...]out because then, to me, we will objected to the idea of the become like those problem-bound producer and director roles being overseas industries such as in combined. Has this presented Britain or on the west coast of the any problems with this, or any future, projects? U .S. Our next film will be The Odd I believe "The Odd Angry Shot" Angry Shot, which we hope to is part of a package . . . begin filming in July. With that project, I have listed myself as a The leadup time to a film that is co-producer with S[...]ect it and because I had a about two years. One of the good strong idea about the way in which things that the AFC agreed to do a one could adapt this script, I couple of years ago was introduce attempted the screenplay adaption its policy of assisting with package from Bill Nagle's book. developments for the producer.[...]ink there was some concern with this policy, in that certain by the AFC, which had offered us ideas might never come to a 50 per cent investment in The fruition. But Sue and I were Odd Angry Shot, that, because I fortunate in late 1976 to be given encouragement from the AFC by way of investment in a parcel of Kevin Miles (left) as the Police Superintendent, with Rob George (Constable Forrest) On the way to a beer and a bet. Knock-off time at the brickworks. Weekend-of Shadows. and Barbara West (Helen Caxton). Weekend of Shadows. 326 -- Cinema Papers, April/June
	[...]course of action that is regarded[...]as common and usual by all of[...]am trying to make in my work is a[...]plea for the individual.[...]forced into a situation of having to[...]toe the line. We are told so often[...]with the mass, do what everybody[...]Certainly in Weekend of[...]study of a person's failure. He is a[...]Also, the relationship of the men Richard Wallace (director of photography) and Tom Jeffrey (co-producer and dir[...]of Shadows. trigger the men to do certain[...]things. But I don't think that was the film -- about nine different Dean, who, in his own right, is a You've had a long association[...]used twice, very good composer and vocalist. with the film industry . . . while there are three themes During the final mix, we[...]" aggression" theme in The which are used up to 15 times retained a separation of the music Before getting into the feature Removalists which I was actually throughout. It is a means of tieing on three stripe, 35mm sprocketed film area, I suppose my major working against. The thing 1 liked characters together and setting tape to allow us full flexibility in claim to fame would have been about The Removalists as a stage moods and so on. balancing the music to the my work with the ABC Television play, which I thought should work[...]t. as a film, was the way in which an Marawood for a number of years was a great asset. In 1969 I directed Pastures of i nd i v i d u a l , or a group of and I respect his work greatly. I think the music adds a lot of the Blue Crane, which was an all individuals, become a sort of a More than a year ago I gave him tension and drama to the story, film serial for television, with pack and try to assert their the script and we discussed some but whether the audience will Jeannie Dryden, Harold Hopkins auth[...]me is having music moved on to a series -- a very The intriguing thing in the down to South Australia and we coming in and out like strings. expensive one -- called Delta, d r a m a t i c f o r m of T he spent a couple of days visiting That's the difficulty, getting into which again was all film. I did R e m o v a l i s t s , as D a v i d most of the locations. Later, I and out of the music. However, I about eight episodes out of the 23. Williamson wrote it, was that the gave Charles a cassette copy of the think we are close to solving it. Then Dynasty came along, balance, the centre of authority, fine cut and spent two or three There is about 45 or 50 minutes of written by Tony Morphett. It kept shifting. It wo[...]in Miles, Ron Kate and her sister Marilyn, as we the music score. Charles works cent of the film; it's quite a lot. Graham, Nick Tate and John called her in the film, against the very closely with arranger Alan[...]s father, who came out Sergeant; then it would be the from Britain to take the role of the Sergeant and Kenny against the father of the dynasty.[...]During 1971, we made one film and the removalist against the[...]was a pilot for a proposed Sergeant. Perhaps one of the[...]series called Devlin -- it was one reasons the film failed was of my less happy experiences at because I didn't qui[...]the ABC. I was then offered a grips with that. It is[...]consultant's job with the Interim enjoyed making and I am sorry it[...]Counci l of t he Film and didn't do better -- it should have.[...]from the ABC and did that job for Why do you think the film was[...]In 1972, 1 felt there were things[...]happening outside the ABC which There were lots of reasons. But I[...]were, for me, more exciting and am glad the film is getting[...]toward what I was striving exposure now and a lot of people for in my work. So, at the end of are enjoying it, though I would be[...]1972, I resigned from the ABC worried if I was a producer and[...]and took up the appointment with saw the exposure -- but I wasn't[...]Air Programs International. the producer.[...]If Weekend of Shadows fails, I In "Delta" , "The Removalists" have only myself to blame, which Me[...]ies to persuade John Waters (Rabbit) into joining the hunt. Weekend of Shadows. and in "Weekend of Shadows" , is the way I like it. I don't want to[...]there is a common theme of a kick anybody else in the arse.[...]
	Home, a study of the child welfare system. Margot Oliver's The Moonage Daydreams of Charlene Stardust, one of the films produced by the Women's Film Workshop in 1974. Barbara Alysen The enthusiasm with which the 40 films and Sally?, (about housework), The Moonage[...]Daydreams of Charlene Stardust (wishful There has been a much-vaunted upsurge in video tapes were received suggests that fil[...]sed commonly to exploring women's lives are in demand and as films about personal relationships, and describe the sudden abundance of serious that audiences are not overly discriminating experimental works. A year later, when the roles for women actors -- from Vanessa about how they are made. Content, even if women in the first year of the full-time Redgrave and Jane Fonda's laundered po[...]y expressed, is what matters. program at the Australian Film and Television in Julia, Anne Bancroft and Shirley[...]st productions, this McLaine's thwarted ambition in The Turning The chronology of independent women's division was quite m[...]iane Keaton's new-found sexual production, in Sydney at least -- and Sydney licence in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. leads here, perhaps because of easier access to Of those first full-time program AFTVS[...]inly women want to see, and are towards the supremacy of message over Polite Girls (on working[...]strongly political line. Other films are about of themselves reflected in feature films. means.[...]ndependent films have, however, been The Australian founder of the film tradition but they appear more intent on e[...]en's lives for years. Recently, with to which the Womenwaves films are heir, is grant funding more accessible and women in Women's Day 20c. The film, made in 1972 by Obviously, there is nothing wrong with the full-time program and women's course at four women, is about the loneliness and entertainment per se, but the market for the Australian Film and Television School, desperation of a young housewife. It was shot independent fil[...]s a powerful statement. set up a projector in their home, school or hall,[...]to want to be instructed Late last year, many of these films were During 1973, Sydney Women's Film Group brought together under the general title members completed Film for Discussion Margot Oliver's, film on the problems faced by women " Womenwaves" , and screened for one month (questioning the narrow range of choices open seeking higher education, Charlene Does Med at Uni. at the Sydney Filmmakers Cinema. Currently, to women in work and at home); Home (made the package is showing in similar venues as part of the campaign to change the child interstate. welfare system, especially in relation to its treatment of teenage girls); and imported the Assembled by the Sydney Women's Film American Women's Film because it was Group, the films are grouped into four judged to fill an important gap in the local thematic programs: " Sexuality/Love/[...]extents from the technical deficiencies that[...]accompany low budgets, they convey an The categories reflect convenience rather urgency, a clear raison d'etre, not obvious in than precise definitions of content. Moreover, some more recent films. These films are no value judgments were made, at least clearly the work of people with something to formally, when films were submitted for say (rather than of those with artistic inclusion in the collection; this has led to an complexes to work off), and can't be judged by enormous divergence in style, content and whether they make money[...]and the demand that exists for them. In this In Sydney, there were a few cases of titles respect, films such as those mentioned[...]have aged well. opticals pencilled over the workprint. Yet, despite these flaws, the Co-operative cinema The films produced by the 1974 Women's was consistently packed for the month-long Film Workshop reveal the*changing concerns of women filmmakers. Among the 10 or so season.[...]feminist leaning --such as What's the Matter 328 -- Cinema Papers, April/June
	[...]Shirley's A Day Like Tomorrow, All in the responsibilities. Same Boat follows the daily routine of a For those who missed Getting It On a[...]hich have western suburbs housewife, a mother of two[...]fe, one who simply needs a bit was produced at the AFTVS), shows the birth successful as a theatrical package, it will be of checking up on now and again. She regards of a child under the Le Boyer method. This[...]tries, but who method is intended to minimize the trauma for interesting to see how individual titles fare in can't understand her predicament. At night he the baby, and the film, depicting a relatively the rental market.[...]slumps in front of the television and they Some of the films explore the now familiar converse during commercials.[...], elicits varying responses from women territory of the genre -- consumerism, something which dulls the senses and quietens viewers: some are gratefu[...]veal new preoccupations. Nearly half, for the nerves is revealed gradually and confirmed for the mother, while others are adamant that[...]as a chemist counts out the tablets and types since it might be, Gentle B[...]le, deal with relationships, sex, up the label -- V. A. L. I. U. M. procreation (or its a[...]Other depictions of sexuality offered by A few also go to show how there are few things Produced at Film Australia for the Health " Womenwaves" include Robyn Laurie and more boring than the filmmakers' best friends Department's drug education program, All in Margot Nash's erotic feminist pot-pourri We recorded on celluloid. Most films, however, the Same Boat doesn't offer solutions, and are insig[...]term proposals Aim to Please, a collage of doubts and[...]. Instead, it assertions; and, conveying the life of a girl who In Liz R u st's videotape D e fin itio n s/[...]ke her own choices, Linda Blagg's Redefinitions, the tapemaker and her ex provides a kind of camaraderie between Just Me and My Lit[...]h father-daughter incest -- his dominance farce; in Barbara Levy's Paralysis, Levy explains her infa[...]Hopefully it will be seen by many schoolgirls, of the teenager and her acquiescence to this and her breakdown on his departure. Part of forcing them to question the limited horizons extreme form of parental authority. of the career of " homemaker" . the film consists of animated stills of a woman The remaining films span such diverse topics in various states of anguish, accompanied by Gilly Coote made[...]ly as contemporary dance (Dialogue, Rosalind the sound of her sobbing. While the acme of for screening to high school students, to[...]rsonal cinema, Paralysis is also a very the popular notion that a condom is worn Gillespie), the depiction of women in rock general film, describing the responses of a " over two erect fingers" . A combination of music (Glenda Shaw's They Call Us great man[...]Boxes, Sarah Similarly, Debbie Kingsland's All in the an effervescent approach to one of life's most Gibson's Ailsa -- A Woman Sculptor[...]depressing subjects, and is unique in the problems faced by women seeking higher Same Boat is an individual rendition of a[...]others parody the better known polemic in The[...]of cliches, political manoeuvres and music[...]nearly every faction and tendency currently in[...]involves a degree of thematic repetition, but[...]sloppiness, especially in the sound[...]department, is the most notable fault in the[...]collection and probably, given the purpose to[...]which most of the films are directed, is a[...]The Sydney screenings were punctuated by[...]inconclusive, suggest that the audiences these[...]films attract tend to be forgiving of technical[...]
	[...]sound" . Although it contains reports on methods of film A HISTORICAL SURVEY[...]education, its value lies in lengthy, scholarly studies of[...]film directors (e.g. Robin Wood's 113-page study of[...]Howard Hawks) and national cinemas (" History o f the[...]r s d u C i n e m a a polemical stance, and with the influx interviews with French film direct[...]o f aggressive young reviewers in the mid-50s (Truffaut, For those with little knowledge of foreign languages, Rivette, Domarchi, Godard, Scherer, Chabrol, etc.), the There is also news o f c[...]y on cinematic themes, studies in techniques, and new films useful extracts and translations of articles from foreign o f r[...]'s " p o l it iq u e d e s a u t e u r s " , o f the month. film periodicals. A specialized journal in this respect is and the auteur theory provided an impulse to the C T V D : C i n e m a - T V - D i g e s t , an American quarterly. First beginnings of the French New Wave at the end o f the C i n e m a 7 8 (each number has the year of publication published in 1961, it has translations and summaries from[...]included in the title) has experienced a chequered career. fo[...]During the mid-60s, the American journal F i lm Q u a r t e r l y pon[...]In the U.S., the concept o f the auteur theory became referre[...]well-known in the writings of Andrew Sarris, film critic h[...]V films, amateur More substantial extracts of foreign articles have and teacher, who joined the editorial board of F ilm C u l tu r e filmmaking, etc." , but last year the I n t e r n a t i o n a l F ilm appeared since 1970 in the F ilm S o c ie t y R e v i e w in an inter in 1955. The work of Sarris led to a revaluation o f the G u i d e concluded that C i[...]agua. These nature of the Hollywood film, and the establishment o f a rather du[...]chosen from a hierarchy of film directors on the model o f C a h i e r s d u sociological point of view, with an emphasis on cinema[...]One reason for this change was the appearance o f E c r a n and politics.[...]exodus o f most of the editors and writers o f C i n e m a to the Since 1972, the British film journal S c r e e n has Sarris also became editor of the C a h i e r s d u C i n e m a in new and more independent journal. translated a number of theoretical articles from French E n g l is h series which was published in New York from journals, such as C a h i e r s[...]h i q u e , and 1966-67, and included reprints of many earlier articles. In During 1970-71, C i n e m a , which is the official magazine has printed documents'in translation from early Russian Britain, the auteur theory became known through the o f the French Federation of Film Societies, had many film journals such a[...]8). contributors to M o v i e in the 1962-63 series. inte[...]entinian, Cinema and Politics, Cinema and The American left-wing film magazine C i n e a s te is a rich During the '60s, C a h i e r s d u C i n e m a concerned itself the Amerikkan Way of Life, etc.). But as an official source of translated material from European radical film[...]increasingly with structuralism, and as a result of the journal, its political stan[...]political events in Paris in May 1968, when revolutionary[...]te break with its One of the best definitions of E c r a n was given by Peter[...]previous philosophy of film criticism. Cowie in I n t e r n a t i o n a l F ilm G u id e . He sai[...]blend of information, documentation, opinion, and With continental Europe being the first to recognize The new policy was announced in an editorial in the historical sense as the criteria by which to judge a film cinema as a[...]ar October/November number of 1969, entitled " Cinema/ magazine, one must regard E c r a n as the best periodical of in major European countries. In his manifesto, T h e Ideology/Criticism" . In this editorial (reprinted in trans its kind in France. Not as strong as P o s i t i f on theory[...]s t C i n e m a 1 9 1 6 , F.T. Marinetti said: " The cinema lation in S c r e e n , vol. 12, no. 1, 1971), the writers Jean- deep analysis, but sti[...]ly wide- being essentially visual, must fulfil the evolution of Paul Comolli and Paul N[...]ing." This view o f cinema as art was soon echoed in film is political . . . there can be no room in our critical many of the French film journals of the following decade. practice[...](com m entary, The original aims of E c r a n were extremely idealistic:[...]retation, de-coding even) or for spacious raving (of the editorial policy included " fully independent and In January 1920, Louis Delluc, a pioneer of the French the film columnist's variety). It must be a rigidly f[...]o u r n a l d u C i n e - analysis of what governs the production of a film pluralism, coverage of all aspects of cinema" . There was C l u b and then a film weekly, C i n e a , in which he (econom ic circu[...]to be a " denunciation of the `dream factory' and the expounded his theories on the role of the `cinematic' in response) and the meanings and forms appearing in it, pushers o f filmic drugs . . . an affirmation of the cinema film art.[...]as an art, an entertainment, and a source of specific[...]pleasure" . By 1926, the film journal A r t C i n e m a t o g r a p h i q u e had The events of May 1968 also led to the founding of a been founded in Paris (it was recently reprinted by the new French theoretical film magazine, C in e th i q u e , which In the second issue (February 1972) each editor stated Arno Press in New York), and in it Filmmakers such as claimed that it, and not C a h i e r s d u C i n e m a , had the only his principles. One found the average film critic to be " an Marcel L[...]
	[...]interests (" Cinema in the School and University" , " New Yugoslav. Many of these countries also have English- Michelangelo[...]ated with Legislation and the Cinema" ) that include industry language journals. the Italian school o f Neo-Realism. C i n e m a cease[...]reports and statistics, plus reviews of non-Italian films. publication in 1966.[...]Of the Scandinavian film periodicals dealing with film[...]R o s s e ( R e d S h a d o w s ) is a quarterly review which history and criticism, the Swedish Film Institute's C h a p lin The Italian film school, the Centro Sperimentale de discusses films from a Marxist-Leninist point of view. It is most i[...]
	[...]and step-printing photography, it captures the beautiful movements of young dancers, at a ballet class and in open fields. M ade on 16 m m and utiliz[...]8 m m by its director Lisa Roberts, it succeeds in experimenting with m ovem ent and time in a more innovative way than, say, David Hamilton does in his short ballet film. At times, images resemble Marcel Duchamp and others, but it is the m om entum of the cutting that impresses. Images click on, repeat, then disappear. The tone ranges from faint tinting to full color, and the superimpositions flicker in and out.[...]anted to see a series o f images stretched out in time; yet the kinds o f aesthetic and conceptual decisions madefelt the same as in painting. Also, the subject matter (movement)[...]
	GUIDE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN FILM PRODUCER; PART 9 MISCELLANEOUS AGREEMENTS In this ninth part of a 19-part series, Cinem a television cameramen, onto the set or location distribution agreement -- or vi[...]ter who want any interior work on the production to be[...]is enables them to Baillieu discuss a miscellany of agreements attends, and who uses film not supplied by the provide work for their facility and in some[...]tances to charge a "production overhead" . which the producer will encounter during the publicist, sign a photo-release which vests copyright in any photographic material This is a variable percentage, often around course of production.[...]10 per cent, which is added to every bill the[...]featuring the film 's personnel in the the production. It is charged on top of the[...]actual cost of studio facilities. Depending on A. Location Rele[...]any. This is particularly their strength in the market place, the major important if any of the film's actors are studios increase or dec[...]o include more potentially merchandizeable by way of posters, from time to time, and in some instances location shooting than those made by most T-shirts and the like, as certain less reputable remove it altogether. other industries in the world. This is partly due publications have been known to produce to the lack of studio facilities within the unlicensed posters, etc., which will put the In Australian studios and most non-U.S. country. In filming on location, the co producer in breach of any merchandizing facilities, the producer can structure a deal operation of owners or occupiers of premises agreement of the producer or the star. with an independent facility to meet his hired or otherwise provided is vital. To The release form gives to the publication for particular requirements. Generally, he can forestall later problems, the producer should which the journalist works a limited licence to make use of some, or all, of the equipment or ensure his agreement gives him the following use the photographic material in its pages, but facilities the studio has to offer, or he can bring rights:[...]in his own gear and personnel.[...]not for any commercial gain. (i) to represent the premises by its own name The studio hire rate will generally vary[...]tructing and striking (ie. breaking (ii) to move in and out equipment and C. Equipment Hire down and removing) the necessary sets.[...]Frequently, the construction and striking rate personnel and to build sets; There are a number of specialist film will be around 50 per cent of the filming rate. (iii) to present the filmed material in the equipment hire companies in Melbourne and Generally, Australian[...]e a completed film and to precede it and Sydney. The larger of these organizations set hiring[...]ally have fairly standard hire conditions of letters. It is important for the producer to (iv) ownership of any still photographs taken which they will not deviate from. provide: during the filming; Generally, the producer will be given the[...](i) that he can have access to the studio for a (v) the right to bring (and if appropriate option of accepting an insurance cover on the guaranteed period over and above his charge a fee for) spectators onto the equipment provided by the hirer, or providing contracted period, if he gives notice by a premises to view the filming.[...]evidence of his own insurance cover. scheduling delays); The owner of the premises, or his legal Frequently, the producer will be able to better (ii) tha[...].; representative, will warrant that he has full the rate offered by the equipment hire[...](iii) the question of power bills, phone access legal rights to contract with the producer to company under his total film insuranc[...]led; indemnify him against any proceedings for The equipment hire company's terms are (iv) in a large multi-stage complex the liability or loss due to personal injury, (and/o[...]terference from other death) omission or default of the producer. in favor of the renter. For example, the hirer is productions; In some instances, the owner may require not entitled, without consent of the renter, to the producer to provide evidence of his public use camera equipment in a privately hired (v) the extent of insurance cover (if any) the liability insurance, or even to have the owner/ plane. The hirer will frequently claim that any studio requires; occupier included on the policy as a named equipment hired is in good condition when it insured. Alternatively, the owner may require leaves the renter's premises.[...]P. 383 some security bond to be provided as a If the equipment is transported to the hirer's guarantee that the premises will be cleaned up location by air, the onus is on the renter to All the topics covered in this part are covered or repaired after the filming. in more detail in the " Australian Film[...]e the hired equipment took place during printed in Cinema Papers as part of the " Guide[...]for the Australian Film Producer" . See notice B. Film S[...]The hirer's only power is his market place Some problems arise in this area. Firstly, it strength, and as most local film producers might be wise for the producer to endeavor to work on a one-off basis,[...]ses from any non-contracted persons who appear in publicity stills taken by the unit photographer in the event the D. Studio Rentals producer's publicist proposes to have them In the U.S., the major distribution- published.[...]production entities have their own studios in Secondly, the unit publicist will frequently Hollywood a[...]
	[...]GUIDE TO THE PRODUCER The Australian Film Producers & Investors Guide[...]THE EXHIBITOR Leon Gorr B. Juris., LL.B., (Mon.) M.[...]Registration of cinemas. Regulations affecting cinema The Australian Film Producers and Investors FINANCING A FILM. INVESTING IN A FILM operation. Economics of cinema operations. Guide is now in production and mailings have commenced. Explanation of terminology. Similarities and differences in TAXES AND DUTIES An updated and improved version of the continuing financing of preproduction and financing of production. series of Cinema Papers articles entitled "Guide for Methods of cost reduction: economies of scale; trade Australian income tax law and practice as it affects the The Australian Film Producer", the new Australian discounts; contra dea[...]partnership formed by investors. Forms in which finance systems. Overseas taxes payable on earnings of Australian a loose leaf, hardcover, regularly ex[...]investors; various kinds of loan; various kinds of presale; Gift and death duties as they may affect investors in a film. The Australian Film Producers and Investors various kinds of equity-sharing. The terms of an equity Guide will be an invaluable aid to all[...]nvestment agreement. Financing coverages. Sources of REPORTING, ACCOUNTING AND AUDITING in film business, including the producer trying to set finance: government, trade and private; policies and up his first film; the investor contemplating financial statistics of government film corporations. Solicitation of Various accounting and audit requirements imposed by participation in a production; the writer about to sell finance: government f[...]management, and by investors. his first script; the lawyer, accountant or distribution procedur[...]Record-retention obligations. Inspection of accounts. Distri executive who finds himself confronted with new requirements; use of an agent. Check-list for intending bution of film proceeds. Retention of moneys to provide for problems as the local production industry grows. A in[...]s. Reports. Special audits. chapter dealing with the foreign producer in to invest in a foreign production. Australia will also be included.[...]LANEOUS Prospective subscribers should note that in most PRODUCTION instances subscriptions to the Guide are tax Glossary of terms. Frequently encountered clauses in deductible.[...]s and stages for different kinds contracts. The authors of the Service, all practitioners with of film. Production insurances. Engagement of production Exchange control applications to Reserve Bank. Effect of experience in this field, will also draw on a number of executives, crew and cast. Special issues arising with Trade Practices legislation on the industry. List of useful specialist consultants. The combined information engagement of foreigners and other special classes of books and periodicals. Film archives. Other miscellaneous will provide, for the first time, a comprehensive personne[...]not easily classifiable under reference work on the subject of film financing, pendent contractors, and its consequences. Problems of other chapters. production, distribution and exhibition in Australia. producing in a foreign country, e.g. New Guinea, Indonesia, Set out below is an abbreviated table of the New Zealand. Location permission. Dealing with spectators. THE FOREIGN PRODUCER IN AUSTRALIA proposed contents of the Service that subscribers Catering. Film stills. Use of pre-existing film footage. Film will eventually[...]and necessary agreements. Information of particular use to a foreign producer planning wi[...]vely made available to subscribers Use of laboratory. Editing, crediting, dubbing and subtitling. to mount a production or co-production in Australia. by mailings at regular intervals. It is envisag[...]une and accounts. Retention and custody of preprint materials. INDUSTRY SURVEY AND WHO'S WHO 1981, after which the contents will be updated when Production reports and accounts. Production of trailer. necessary. Various kinds of package productions. Coproductions of General observations on current issues of importance to the various kinds. Extent of financiers' rights to control or future of the industry. Cumulative catalogue of films PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE PROJECT interfere with the manner of production. produced in Australia; giving production details. Directory of[...]board members and Need for preliminary analysis of project aims and project ACQUIRING A COMPLET[...]executives. Directory of Australian film schools. feasibility. Estimating the costs, technical problems and[...]Alphabetical Who's Who of the Australian film industry. risks of the production. Estimating the monetary returns Investigation of vendor's title and credit-billing obligations. f[...]oreign-made. Agreement to LEGISLATION during the preliminary assessment stage. Laws hindering[...]. Import formalities. production or exploitation of the proposed film: defamation,[...]Copyright Act, Acts incorporating the various government passing-off, censorship, etc. Rights and permissions EXPLOITING THE FlliM film corporations, and extracts from other legislation of needing acquisition: confidential ideas, copyrig[...]r use or relevance. permissions, etc. Assessment of chances of project Nature and protection of rights in a completed film; practical progressing to the production stage. and legal remedies for prevention of piracy. Relative Regular readers of Cinema Papers should note importance of Australian and foreign film markets. that in the future no further precedents, forms, ORGANIZATION OF THE PRODUCER Austra[...]m and tables or schedules will be provided in the other. Directory of Australian cinemas. Alternative methods quarterly Cinema Papers articles. The Film Considerations governing choice whether to use company, of releasing film in Australia. Decision by producer whether Producers and I[...]er precedents, together with a more requirements of each form of organization. Planning and im[...]istration and detailed and expanded text on the problems and censorship in Australia. Choice of exhibitor and various circumstances discussed in the magazine SECURING NECESSARY RIGHTS types of exhibition contract. Choice of an Australian articles, which have ine[...]distributor. Terms of an Australian distribution contract. limitations of space. Producer's acquisition of necessary rights to complete Examples of gross and net returns achieved by films in screenplay and to make film. Price and other terms. Quit Australia. Film markets overseas: theatrical, television,[...]title. 16mm and other. Relative importance of various foreign For subscribers joining during 1978 the Various stages at which it is appropriate to secure various territories. Methods of promotion to foreign distributors. subscrip[...]$A 150, rights. Establishing exclusive rights to the project: title Export assistance grants. Assistance from Department of which comprises an installation fee of $A75 and the registration, trademark registration, goodwill,[...]licists, and current annual subscription rate of $A75. sales agents. Choice of a foreign distributor. Terms of a Subscribers who are prepared to prepay t[...]foreign distribution agreement. Examples of foreign subscription to June 1981 ma[...]earnings of Australian films. Extent of financiers' rights to rates, and are invited to contact the publisher for Different forms of screenplay for different types of film. control or interfere with producer's exploitation of the film. further information. Stages in the creation of a screenplay. Choice of screenplay Directory of Australian and foreign film festivals and film To subscribe, please fill out the order form below writer. Agreement commissioning the writing of a awards.[...]and mail it with a cheque for $ 1 5 0 to The Australian screenplay.[...]Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Please DEALING WITH A COMPLETED SCRIPT[...]note that the print run of the Service is limited. Nature of ancillary rights, compared with rights in the film. Nature and protection of rights in a completed screenplay. Exploitation of the production as a spectator attraction. ORDER FORM Assessment and valuation of a completed screenplay. Documentary about the production. Book about the Agreement for acquisition of a completed screenplay. production. Publication of the screenplay. Book of the film. Please record my order to The Australian Film[...]Papers Pty Ltd is enclosed. Different meanings of "preproduction". Additional work[...]ides acquiring rights and developing screenplay, in order to bring project to point[...]To: The Australian Film Producers Budgeting for script d[...]e, production. Usual item classifications. Rules of thumb for[...]Melbourne Victoria 3 0 0 0 Australia Budget presentation. Expenditure timetable and cash-flow statement. Treatment of deferments. Examples of Australian film production costs.[...]
	[...]Weeks in[...]Weeks in[...]
	G eoff Burton. Director of photography "Storm Boy." "Storm Boy" . . . first there was the book, with m agnificent illustrations by Robe[...]stel colour washes. They w ere all so evocative of the owesom e and majestic wilderness area -- yet incredibly romantic, in keeping with the story of o boy and his pelican companion. So when the opportunity com e for m e to shoot the feature, I knew I w anted m y pictures to look[...]ith Ingpen's work. These drawings becom e the basis for our thinking. Photographically, w e felt we neede d to wash out the strong colours, reduce the overall contrast generally and carefully control the density to achieve the tim e /w e o th e r progress throughout the film, building up to the final storm sequence. But Iw onted m ore than that. I w onted the interiors to be worm and comfortable to contrast with the cold, threatening w eather raging outside. What I was doing most of the tim e was "down grading" the photographic im a g e with the use of heavy filters, m inim al light and extremes of colour temperature. To d o that I had to start w[...]ial elements. And those three elements hod to be of a qualify and reliability I knew I could count on under extrem e film ing conditions. The work the lob. did speaks for itself, as does the excellent quality o f the high-speed Zeiss Lens I used. What's not so obvious, is the third of these elements -- the Kodak 5247 stock. But then film stock isn't m ea[...]ound os much as you dare. I like to "use" the negative a lot. Work it to its extremes to produce a particular look or effect. It's the reliability and consistency of Kodak 5247 that makes it so attractive for this style of shooting. In fact I just can't im agine how I could ho[...]
	" Dawn!" is the personal life story of Dawn Fraser, the world's greatest ever woman swimmer. Produced by Joy Cavill and directed by Ken Hannam, the film has been shot in a wide range of locations from Tokyo, Japan, to a Balmain pub; from the Melbourne Olympic Pool to the palm groves of Townsville. Budgeted at $764,000, the film is now in post-production. PRODUCTION REPORT Bronwyn Mackay-Payne in the lead role of Dawn. Cinema Papers. April/June -- 337
	[...]PRODUCER/WRITER THE SCRIPT Joy Cavill has been involved in the film and television finance: a[...]industry, in Australia and overseas, for 25 years. She On the basis of this SAFC To tell Dawn's complete story produced two feature film s before " Dawn!" -- " The would have taken six hours, so Nickel Queen" and " The Intruders" -- and worked on money, I applied to the Australian one of the hardest decisions was to several television ser[...]Film Commission which nominate the most interesting writing experience is eq[...]subsequently put in $250,000. period of her life. I selected the ATN, the Channel Seven years 1955 to 1970. I believe this With " Dawn!" , Cavill is handling a subject of great Network, came in with most of period tells in the most colorful personal interest, and one she filmed before in a the balance. and dramatic way the story of the documentary made in 1964. This was at the time of Dawn individual. Perhaps bigger things Fraser's car accident which badly damaged her neck. The Did you have a director and[...]ut during this period she went she did. And in that dramatic 100 m freestyle final at the talked with John Morris? throu[...]s a Tokyo O lym pics, Dawn Fraser achieved the person. " impossib[...]No, only the script. What balance did you strike In the following interview, conducted by Peter Beilby And the AFC? between her life and sport? and S[...]Ken Hannam, the story behind the film 's production, I h[...]rting financing and marketing; she begins with the screenplay. Ken Hannam, but I did say he film, I wanted to make the story of[...]would probably be directing it. I the individual; that she was a after races.[...]that. had to be very honest with the champi on swi mmer was of THE FINANCE AFC and told them the[...]y importance. So there is sport in Dawn!, and[...]obvious we weren't As a producer, I could see the place to the story of Dawn Fraser, going to be able to find an production value of the Olympic[...]established actress to play the Games as the background, yet I the individual. role. was really only interested in that person as a character. This was The high point of Dawn's career When did you begin approaching I think one of the main reasons one of the hardest things I had to was 1964. Since this occurs two- potential backers? the AFC committed themselves overcome in raising finance, thirds the way through the film, to the film in the early stages was because every time I mentioned don't you run the risk of ending I had just finished the first draft my past record in the business. I the name Dawn Fraser, people on an anti-clim[...]hn Morris years, here and overseas, and I the box-office; that is one of the No, I don't agree. Up till 1964, -- he was sick -- as head of believe I have a reputation for reason[...]a w n 's whole world was production at the South integrity, and for bringing projects years to get the film off the swimming: suddenly, that world Australian Film Corporation. I in on budget. I feel they trusted ground.[...]idence. changed and everybody now is the greatest swimmer in the the corporation. I turned down the wants to make the personal life world. That is what makes the last offer and said I had a script I Did the SAFC request a story of a sporting champion. So, 1 part of the film so interesting. wanted to produce. John read it production role in "Dawn!" , or think the timing has been good.[...]s n't a down-beat offered to put up part of the " Rocky" , however, does strike a ending . .[...]producers. The contractual billing afford to make a film about[...]is " Aquataurus Productions in sporting personality without a[...]association with the South Aust reasonable amount of sport in it?[...]ralian Film Corporation." The[...]SAFC put up the first money and My marketing sense said there[...]handled the initial financing. Jill had to be some sporting[...]Robb was then at the SAFC and I chose the ones I thought most[...]she was responsible for getting the interesting. Obviously her first[...]ATN investment. gold medal at the 1956 Olympics was one, because it changed her[...]han that, they have not whole life and opened up the[...]nk they feel, as I world to her. I also included the[...]individually. The SAFC and the her life changed again; suddenly,[...]final creative control on the film. by reporters, it all cut out.[...]The SAFC's next major role, In between these two Olympics,[...]one, is in the promotion and that had nothing really to do with[...]marketing because that is the area her triumphs but with her person[...]in which I don't profess any ality, her behavior be[...]Was your deal with the AFC the 338 -- Cinema Papers, April/June
	[...]CTION REPORT - DAWN! standard 70/30 split with the[...]gave Ken complete rein, in that he production company?[...]could direct the script the way he[...]wanted to; that was where he put That is the sort of figure.[...]his creative talent. Is that also the deal you have[...]I let him edit the film to that with the SAFC and the Seven direction, in collaboration with Network?[...]the editor, Max Lemon. It was[...]only then that I looked at the film. As far as the investors are[...]away for several weeks, concerned, their equity in the film[...]so I think I returned with a fresh is in relation to how much they[...]approach. put in. But there are the investors and the producers, and the[...]ly be cut according producers are Aquataurus and the to the way it was shot. If you SAFC.[...]don't influence the shooting, how[...]can you influence the editing? So the SAFC is getting a bit both Coach Harry Gallag[...]ing charge with two policemen. can be edited in a number of ways,[...]irrespective of how it was shot. A They are, but then they are[...]one way is dictating to has been some criticism of this, Yes. In one scene, for instance. known Ken Hannam for a long the editor and thereby depriving but investors and p[...]time and worked with him before. him of his contribution. As a two different things and I think if in Townsville. There was some I know this prod[...]someone is prepared to put up criticism of my shooting there, can be very restricting on a to this limiting of talent. money as an investor, they are bu[...]with entitled to get their equity as an Gary in Townsville created a Ken before he took on the film. I As far as the shooting is investor. Similarly, if they come in different relationship than told him I would be on the set concerned, I looked at the rushes as a producer, they are entitled to meeting him in Sydney. A every day because, as a producer, and daily discussed them with the their equity as one. number of people said it was I like to involve myself in the director. If I felt that a particular[...]artist needed a little more care, I Is the Channel Seven deal an the story a bit and have them meet accepted that, an[...]ld say so. advance against a network sale, in Sydney. After all, people over together well.[...]er Dawn was going to be on vision style of shooting, and I investment plus they have the set every day. I knew that I pointed it out to him. He acknow purchased the television rights. But I can assure you th[...]meeting John Diedrich in the Ken terribly. I could appreciate corrected it. I also sent him back What is the hold-over period? tropical setting of Townsville, how he felt, because not only did[...]with this Hawaiian shirt and 1964 he have the producer and script because I wasn't ha[...]atmosphere that could not have but also the person whose life carry them out, being a very Did the SAFC request you shoot been captured in Sydney. It is not story he was filming. conscientious director. in South Australia or employ a a very long sequence, but it was number of South Australian worth every penny in the final What happened on the first So, I don't mean that once w[...]They did ask us to do some These are the sorts of decisions recognized that Dawn was a followed it very closely. shooting in South Australia. One you have to make, despite the tremendous advantage. The crew of the main locations in the script criticisms, because some people also seemed to work a lot better Did you ever feel the need to be was a pub in Balmain, NSW. are inclined only to add up the when Dawn was there, as did mor[...]dollars and don't see the value on Bronwyn who admired her greatly. involvement as a writer con You can't easily shoot in city the screen.[...]flicted with your role as pro pubs because of the lost trade,[...]decided to Australian films that have been the risk of inhibiting the make the pub a set, and this was logistically complex[...]I was always aware of it, but I built in South Australia at the Dog Morgan" and " Jimmie think I coped. At the moment, the Norwood Studios. Ross Major Blacksm it[...]drastically over-budget in the when he was directing. In the sequences have to be cut. So I[...]U.S., for example, producers are have the struggle within myself of Apart from the pub, we also did did you cope?[...]control because they knowing that to keep the pace I a number of location sequences in are no longer Wall Street money will have to cut one of my favorite Adelaide, and were there for 10 I am delighted we came in men but creative people who have[...]ays. under-budget in that area. I the final responsibility for the down I am a producer first and a[...]ully and was overall film. A producer is also the writer second. As for crew, I was asked to use guided by the fact that a number only person who is really aware of as many people from South of people in the past had under all the problems and facets of a Did you ever consider directing Australia as I could. That wasn't a budgeted. particular film. the film yourself? problem; South Australian techni[...]ed producers It was strongly suggested by the[...]as a sounding board because -- AFC, the SAFC and several other Shooting in a studio in Adelaide DIRECTOR and I should be the last to say this people that I direct the film; I was must have been more expensive[...]to very tempted, because if there was than in Sydney . . . There has been some[...]cted, made of producers being writers. to a film than I am on Dawn!. But this would have been the one. It was, but I felt I had a How d[...]so aware that when you Every shot was in my mind and I commitment to do some shooting attitude? employ a number of people for had lived with it for so long. in S outh A u st ra lia . At their creative talents, you have to the same time, the construction[...]em have their freedom. I But that is the very reason you people did a magnificent job, an[...]need somebody else to come in the set was faithfully reproduced. I[...]ng their talents. I felt that can't say I regret the decision. between the writer and producer I[...]eeded a director, and I still You have also shot in many[...]believe that was the right decision.[...]
	[...]DIRECTOR Did you contribute much to the " D aw n!" is director Ken H annam 's fourth feat[...]After a successful career in television where he directed[...]It doesn't matter whether you No, by the time I became episodes for several s[...]are making a skin-flick or an epic, involved, the script was pretty the films that really mean some well finalized. There were a few returned to Australia to make " Sunday Too Far Away" in thing are those that show[...]75. Critically acclaimed worldwide, " Sunday" was the passion in their making. It's not a[...]question of social or political things I felt needed attention, and first Australian film to be shown in the Director's statem[...]t will Joy and I worked on them. We Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. come across. made a lot of minor changes. In 1976 Hannam directed " Break of D ay" , a period Take The Devil's Playground:[...]this was Fred Schepisi's story and Was the film already financed? love story written by Cliff Green. This was followed in it had to be told. What c[...]producer Patricia on the screen is the compassion[...]ovell. Scripted by Green, " Summerfield" has been the[...]Take also Peter Weir's rapid Summerfield, and in fact Dawn! centre of a controversy in the film industry over the development be[...]Hanging Rock and The Last relationship between writers and directors, and the Wave; this was because he Joy kindly waited for me. As it quality of Australian writing.[...]ents. very mild winter; otherwise, we In the following interview, conducted by Scott Murray[...]In Australia, we are at the stage might have been in a lot of trouble and Peter Beilby, Hannam discusses his attitudes to of making films as if playing with[...]new toys. Sure you have to go with the weather. scripts and screenwriters, the problems of shooting a through that[...]reached the stage where we One criticism you have made of logistically complex film like " Daw n!" , the role of the should have a pretty good re[...]lian producers is that they producer/writer in the Australian situation, and, finally,[...]s. Dawn is a living person: motion exercise, but in Australia[...]she is not a piece of history. The writers should be encouraged to[...]wash her; it tells the other side of perfect.[...]" Dawn!" is a different type of have to work hard, often doing[...]film for you, in that it involves a things we won't be paid for.[...]lot of sport and action. Did you[...]done a considerable amount of[...]le. Certainly there is action in a script until he is sure it is right.[...]will be However, there are many in, keep backing new projects. The this situation seems to be surprised by how little swimming pressures put on a producer in this solution, therefore, is in making changing. there is. area. For instance, money is made the producer's return such that he available by gove[...]and distributors for a limited new film. The same goes for scripts for the funding bodies? about films is the relationships period, and if the film doesn't get writers: if they were paid m[...]people. I am not a into at least pre-production in that one could expect them to spend[...]ast landscape; such time, it will be taken back. The more time on a script. if it falls into the hands of failed or things interest me in other producer is, therefore, often[...]whether they are people's work, but not in my own. obliged to go ahead with a film[...]eelings about directors assessing I think the main reason I was the work of other directors for the attracted to Break of Day, for This situation is possibly[...]itute awards. example, was that I had been in connected with producers raising there is[...]oney on first drafts . . . scripts on the way they are It is very difficult to[...]Hopefully, a it has a greater chance of getting dramatic potential. producer will al[...]Break of Day called on me to do director in finalizing the script emphasis on presentation, though[...]Australian films fail to make I think the problem could be due to misplaced benevolence by the funding bodies, which, knowing that producers don't get a fair return on the work they put * The A g e, January 21, 1978. 340 -- Cinema[...]
	[...]PRODUCTION REPORT - DAWN! intimately with the actors, and to Coach Harry Gallagher (Tom Ric[...]wyn Mackay-Payne) for a That is part of the problem with make a beautifully lyrical film. So[...]race after a bout of illness. the documentaries made here. A when I took it on, th[...]know if I could get my eye back, I Director of Photography Russell Boyd lines up the special rig designed by John Seale and degree of bias. If I don't like you, knew I had to try.[...]entitled to let my There is considerable debate in you con yourself into thinking you dir[...]feelings seep through. Somebody the industry over the producer/ can do it. Sometimes it falls apart, say to each other. So the first thing else can then make a fil[...]we can be more honest and In Australia, there is a habit of I think the producer/writer is shooting script?[...]following a bad remark with the most dangerous combination.[...]afraid to up with is a grey mass in which very happy relationship because to[...]you have made a lot of Joy has been involved in many and just wander around, getting to[...]statements, and said nothing. facets of the industry and is know the feel of the landscape. extremely objective.[...]." I Actually, I believe one of the[...]film was because she wanted of producer/writers only become[...]pproach go? the same time, the last thing she a son or a daughter and having to[...]wanted was a documentary. face up to the fact that one night[...]bout a fortnight there, doesn't always have the time to The film is about Dawn, and at and the art department was based make films as a co[...]no time during her life does she It's the same with a script: it is on the island. Mike Molloy came effort, and I don[...]and people have out from Britain to shoot the film that much to be gained, anyway. plunges forward. That is part of worked a lot on it. But at some three weeks before we started, Somebody has to make the her magic, part of why she stage it's got to get up on its own, a[...]xury on an Aust statement, and it should be the survived so long as a champion. and the writer just has to let go. ralian film. director on behalf of the writer[...]producer. Otherwise, there is The approach I therefore As for director/writer, this has But it's no use bringing out a a danger of the statement employed was to try and get inside worked very well in Europe. The director of photography six weeks becoming grey.[...]r. argument against it is a possible before the shooting if he and the lack of objectivity, and if I were a[...]THE SHOOTING writer/director, I would want a script[...]How did you handle the respect and who would talk to me[...]events. The first, the 1956 games, who are able to control the[...]was easy because the Melbourne machinery and the money, and[...]Olympic pool was still there. We this is the best way to express[...]opened this scene out in a big way, themselves. Fred Schepisi is a[...]hundreds of people look like[...]the Rome Olympics, but there is a[...]sequence at the Fina carnival in I was greatly helped by our[...]participate in an exhibition race. were too tough when I was f[...]The third event is the Tokyo to be.[...]would feel, see and hear it. To do During the last four weeks we[...]this, John Seale (the operator) were doing four minutes a day and[...]and Ross Erikson (the grip) spent still not up to schedule. It was an[...]scopic device for the camera, very lucky that the weather was as[...]the camera. How closely were you involved in planning the schedule?[...]The scene starts with the girls[...]dive in and then tracks along can. I have always worked[...]It is so good, in fact, that it is a is remarkably good. He organi[...]bit of an anti-climax; you sit and the schedule with the production[...]In leaving out important events, felt a scene would[...]such as the Rome swim, are you then left him to it.[...]running the risk of disappointing[...]audience expectation? You tend to live in a fool's paradise: you know damned well[...]personal story about Dawn; the[...]
	The only specialist negative matching company in Australia now celebrates its fifth year of service to the[...]lm and Television Industry. An exclusive range of specially imported equipment for 16mm invisible[...]Take advantage of our negative examination[...]supply the negative to us each day. your[...]
	[...]think the actors, indeed we don't cover the Rome swim,[...]everybody connected with the we cover other aspects of her trip film, put in a tremendous amount there.[...]of devotion and love. What about the other[...]"Summerfield" is probably the characters?[...]most consistently acted of the[...]recent Australian features. John The character I am most fond of The re-creation of the 100 metres freestyle final at the 1956 Olympic Games in the Waters' performance, in[...]. . . is Gary, Dawn's husband. It was very bold of him to allow us to tell[...]thankless part. Simon is a very sort of villain, in the scene where[...]n and makes a great honesty. It is something all of us cock-up of it. have at some stage wanted to do, but not ha[...]nicely tailored for him -- and he Len, the man who comes into[...]ficult roles and they but suddenly frightened by the[...]worked like demons to achieve intensity of her feelings. We never[...]whether he is seizing an opportunity to get out of the[...]"Break of Day" doesn't . . . says is true. MARKETING How do you feel about the way[...]That's true. The most disap[...]pointing thing about Break of Day your previous films have been[...]no impact at all. Marketing is the area that has[...]Summerfield, I must point out I still to come of age. It is strange[...]myself. If I felt the script needed that many distributors are willing[...]Then it would have been up to the to invest in films, but are hard put[...]apartment. Dawn! in his Hawaiin shirt and pink Cadillac. Many critics have found the[...]ending of " Summerfield" If people suspect a film is going[...]Dawn! unrealistic. The Abbotts are[...]e m a n 's another; they can't -- because of have moved i nt e r s t a t e or it out and avoid the situation performance. Her role was a very the period, the place and the overseas to protect their where[...]ifficult one because she had no circumstances in which they live. name . . . into the market place with a more than 60 or 70[...]So it's got to be bloody low key, helpless shrug of the shoulders. most of those were " Thank you" , doesn't it? I suppose the ending is a device. No wonder they often disappe[...]In fact, it was not the way Cliff had[...]you" . lack of confrontation is agreed wit[...]should be something happening In the original, after Nick had film and should appeal[...]t . . . returned to the island and seen age range. What Joy and Hoyts marvellous sense of humor and be them through the window, John have in mind is to run separate very sophisticated[...]red towards various nothing to indicate any of these something that didn't quite come the night. Now, I don't think a facets of an audience. It is going to things and nor does[...]Cliff also left the bohemian If the ending was going to work,[...]ify your I felt we had to convince the group for[...]udience his act was purely SUMMERFIELD and BREAK OF imagined was that she had had an[...]nd DAY affair with John Bell, but left the Summerfield is a fil[...]interested me greatly. The minutes, things may have been[...]commune when she found the problem was that the script wasn't different.[...]y, given your feelings " Summerfield" and "Break of she was no longer sure of its However, Pat Lovell (the about scripts, do you have[...]producer) was in a position where to find a subject and develop it Day" don't always indicate the value. she had to go; the people funding yourself? passion you talked of earlier. Her move to the town was a the film thought the script was Was that because the films transitory experience, and she[...]ough to imagine that Again, probably because of my enough, that's what I'll do. If[...]he would feel the same -- but he strengthen the things I felt were really want to do[...]experience -- for me at least. Break of Day; what he did was like her. So, when she found the very interesting, but perhaps he key to her pa[...]le miss about Break anything to say, while his of Day, and perhaps this is subsidiary characters[...]that it is about non What I admire enormously in confrontation. It doesn't matter Break of Day -- which, inci whether the audience wants the dentally, I think is my best film -- tw[...]
	[...]s question of me letting Joy know Major joined the ABC as an assistant designer. He then the kinds of things I wanted to do. on the film?[...]nt to Britain where he was assistant designer for the at the outset were: (a) Was she A production designer should BBC on the series, " Lorna Doone" . He also worked at[...]making a documentary? (to co-ordinate the look of a film. But[...]Bristol television and on several plays at the Edinburgh Was she l[...]national market or just the the art director as well. This[...]Australian one? Both affected the means you are designing and Returning to A ustra[...]ing. occasional work for the then Commonwealth Film Unit,[...]Ideally, you should have a and sets for the Community Theatre. Since then, he has separate art director whom you worked in television and commercials. " Dawn!" is[...]before shooting; by then most of brief, just as you do the wardrobe[...]had been or make-up people. In the following interview, conducted by Peter Beilby[...]talk to Russell on a day-before The designer also has the[...]be done as we were shooting, responsibility of viewing the film and Scott Murray, Major talks about the overall design, because Dawn! wasn't the kind of from beginning to end and you construction of sets and the liaison between an art[...]film you could line up completely can assist the look and flow of a[...]ilm greatly by keeping your director and the key creative personnel.[...]Did you participate in the backgrounds fairly even.[...]selection of locations? On Dawn!, I tried to simplify a[...]Yes, though a lot of swimming[...]pools had been teed up with lot of these backgrounds into plain[...]councils beforehand. I then went areas of color, and on locations 1[...]the most suitable. Later, I went[...]around again with Ken. This way I could keep the background moving at an even pace instead of jumping. We see Dawn's house, for example, over a period of 15 years; so by grading the colors, I subtly altered the background without it ever being obtrusive.[...]THE PUB SET colors, such as costumes or cars? Not as much. A lot of the Production designer, Ross Major, breasting the bar o f his set o f the Riverview Pub, What sets did you design for the clothes were, of necessity, certain[...]. What I tried to do was put them example, in a crowded games Then, with about eight weeks to The Balmain pub is the only set against a background that didn't stadium? go, I started on the pre- in the film; the rest are more clash.[...]supplements to a location, like the Lighting is a help in those sorts addition of a wall. The set is also The wardrobe created the of situations. But Dawn was the In retrospect, I don't think this seen over a period of 10 years and period more than my backgrounds biggest help, because in Rome she was long enough because I didn't[...]nsisted on wearing a white track have time for the kind of pub, it had to look reali[...]a problem, so as soon as for instance, had lived in their regulations. She is an attention-[...]I started on the film I measured it house for many years, so it l[...]e, Judith Dorsman up and sent the drawings down to more 1920s or 1930s. There was[...]she often placed had more or less started on the Adelaide for costing. the odd 1950s furnishings, like herself in such situations. Apart wardrobe when I came along, and new curtains, but the period from that, we did watch colors in though we worked very happily The set wasn't constructed in comes from the hair and track suits and so on, and[...]tood out. slightly different view of it had I[...]No, it was entirely built by Herb In terms of color, I found the PRE-PRODUCTION Pinter in Adelaide. The building 1950s a particularly unco If most of the key personnel period was four[...]earlier, you men full time, plus the odd tiler don't like too strong a design for a[...]location problems -- Did you use the same materials to wall colors, and that kind of like filming more on shooting as in the pub? thing. So as long as something[...]Did Cavill define a look for the tiles, for instance, aren't^read[...]duplicate Did you use foreground color as a way of isolating something Twelve weeks before filming. In a way, but it was more, a within the frame: Dawn, for 344 -- Cinema Papers,[...]
	[...]PRODUCTION REPORT - DAWN! the look. The Balmain tiles are[...]Not really. In fact, I wouldn't light cream, yet they appear mu[...]m provided everybody older and darker from years of involved was aware of the smoke and grime. On film,[...]props? ones to get the same murkiness and tone. They also helped Russell in lighting the set. To what extent did you design In Major's pub set, drinkers celebrate the birth of Dawn's daughter. Dawn! Ideally, $30,000. We started at the set to suit Russell Boyd?[...]$23,000 and ended up spending The pub is sited on a corner,[...]$29,000, which does not include facing north, so the sun comes in all day. This gives it a lovely[...]hire alone was an additional would light the set the same way. I[...]$7000. just made sure during the building that there was enough space[...]Basically, I think a producer behind it to place the main light[...]he is doing a budget, just to From all accounts, the set is a[...]talk things out. A lot of art perfect replica. What techniques did you us[...]directors are given an amount of[...]money and have no say in the You have to treat a set as if you[...]ere building it from scratch. Then you duplicate the little bits[...]ver, things are improving and pieces that add to the overall all the time and art direction is an effect; light condu[...]area in Australian Filmmaking that window Fittings, plug[...]--"riiari1nini fake tiles or windows on 35mm. The more real things you use,, the STAGING THE OLYMPICS greater the chance of getting the reality of the set across, which was Mr and Mrs Fraser (Ron Haddrick and Bunney Brooke) in their Balmain home. The You restaged the 1956 Olympics important in this instance as the period is 1950s. Dawn! in Melbourne. How did you do pub was the only set in a Film of[...]Dawn! because of the plain wall you find that extra responsibility First, I looked at all the What about pub fixtures or areas I wanted, which is in direct demanding?[...]s a demanding but necessary could copy it. The people, the We got some old counter units there was[...]nsibility. You should always flags and all the paraphernalia and bar Fittings from the breweries[...]ve spent, were too much. Fortunately, in Adelaide. As for glasses, I If, for inst[...]shot otherwise you don't know how the original pool in Melbourne always wonder about the necessity where the operator wanted to much is left. was available. of having every detail exact in a move a picture to get a better period Film[...]ould prefer to By keeping a running cost of the As for the Rome and Tokyo obviously not wrong for the take it out. I try to keep things as s[...]nimal as possible. early on that the budget was too concentrate on the swim, and the[...]a problem Tokyo swim was actually done in Did you use old building Were you on the set all the time because I kept everybody the Melbourne pool. Of course, materials or new ones which you or[...]as informed. Then as costings came the building was not like the one had to age? designer mean you had to be in, we would change things to suit. in Tokyo, but I wasn't trying to[...]For example, I reduced the recreate it. Sometimes you have I didn't do any ageing in the estimate on the pub by taking to forget the overall and Film. It doesn't matter if the I went to Adelaide a number of three metres out of the middle. concentrate on the details,, and if materials aren't the same, as long times to see the set being built, you make the small elements very as you get the right effect. The but I was mostly at other Were you involved in deciding accurate, the audience tends to heavy architraves were stained locations. This is not an ideal the budget, or was it given to you forget that[...]not be quite right. without ageing, and I aged the prefer to spend all my time next to interior of Dawn's house more by the camera. The budget had been set, but Design by implication . . . the choice of furnishings. I chose from the outset I think even Joy old and shabby pieces, b[...]mix in 2000, it has an entirely light switches; 1didn't[...]by the lim itations of your On "[...]Do you get a master shot of the In Rocky, for example, a lot of stadium? the ageing of the sets was very bad --you could pick it up instan[...]You do, but on the day before because it tended to make things[...]the race. Then you cut to the look dirty, rather than old and[...]Dawn goes through the film in a Does a set designer subtract[...]lot of wide shots, but as her life is rather than add?[...]to go in close.[...]when Dawn walks to the[...]swimming pool in Rome, or[...]leaves in a bus for the Tokyo[...]
	[...]- DAWN! Olympic Village, were really hard In advertising, storyboards are work with its[...]n used. Would you like to see All pools have in d iv id u al buildings, while leaving bottoms in Sydney that architecturally storyboarding[...]? about each that is the same. And money and give far greate[...]this sameness provided the visual on the screen. For the 1960 Rome Olympics, I Yes, but you are ta[...], it might take six designers and art directors in advanced than ours. months. From a designer's point Australia are limited by the I will go from here to an of view, it would be really fantastic availability of resources? advertising agency to hustle for What were the problems involved to design a film with the director some work. It is very hard once a in shooting in Japan? and cameraman, scene by scene, Special effects in Australia is a film ends, because suddenly you[...]an indulgence, but it's certainly a those in The Last Wave were very see productions[...]eir -- it took ages to have an luxury in Australian production. good. One thing lack[...]which, as I said earlier, could save scene in a police station which was Actually, I tried[...]the producer money. Also pay an existing set. I re-dressed it the film as we went along. I had all The painting done for films like them mor[...]they don't slightly, and fiddled as much as I the photographs of the pools on Earthquake is impeccable, and have that awful feeling of having could. I wanted to put a lot of pens my wall, and after a while I got this[...]ut and get work straight and pads and pencils on the desks quite potty about swimming pools. great help to period films. In away -- you ought to be able to -- the kind of paraphernalia one[...]for a few months at least. I would expect -- but the Japanese The Sydney Olympic pool, for have changed the whole Sydney think the industry owes that to its just didn't understand. They don't example, is an amazing piece of[...]...............Dawn Very good. We talked about the film at length before we started[...]lming, then he left me alone. Having spent a lot of time in[...]ing where I am so used to people being critical, of people[...]ley.................................. Kate about the sets. It was a nice surprise, because compared w[...]can do, then left to do it without people coming in and[...]............Chaperone Who will be distributing the[...]................. Johnno Hoyts. It will be one of their few times out as a distributor.[...].............................. Ken Paul Davies of the SAFC and I have already had sessions with[...]................ Reporter their agency about how the film is to be promoted, but we are[...]avis . . . . Second Board Member holding back at the moment. Ja[...]terrogate Dawn after she has been caught stealing the Olympic flag Piere Von Arnim....................[...]ummer film from the Emperor's Palace grounds. Dawn! and we don't want to release it in[...]ser.................................... Official the middle of winter.[...].......................... Barmaid With a budget of $764,000, the film must break the overseas major distributors in the same markets?[...]Yes, but I don't think we are market, and, in a funny way, the Screenplay.........................[...]approaching it the same way as U.S. I know every producer sa[...]Wood Fred. The film is not going to the he will crack the U.S., but I am Executive Producer..[...]have been ready in time if we had[...]shortened the post-production Japan is obviously a very big Director of Photography. . . . Russell Boyd[...]crazy. I would rather have a good the interest when we were there Produc[...]to see the film. Costume Desig[...]rsman At the moment, the plan is to go[...]premiering in Cannes. And, strangely enough, w[...]was in Moscow 18 months ago I[...]ow valuable, then, do you spent a lot of time at the Mosfilm[...]n consider the Cannes Festival as a studios, and one of the leading Assistant Directors.......[...]ms? fascinated by the story; he had[...]never heard of Dawn Fraser, but It depends on the film; some that didn't matter, he loved the[...]others it is a waste of time. With[...]not worried that it Last week, I heard that the AFC is not[...]Moscow. They had asked if the What do you see as the major film was finished, because they[...]were interested in seeing it. This Boom Operator.[...]
	[...]LLIP O LI THE UNKNOWN INDUSTRIAL[...]Cast: Ruth Cracknell, John Frawley, Kerry THE BLOODY HALF MILE[...]........................... MattCarroll, Based on the novel by David Ireland[...]Synopsis: Exploiting the furore surrounding Director..................................... Eric Fullilove Synopsis: The epic story of the Anzac Length.......................[...]emerges from the claustrophobia of a[...]victim to criminal, stalking the streets of[...]Sydney by night in a relentless pursuit of Technical Advisors................... Marian Dry[...]..........f.....r....B,.............,...........r.iN..h..e.rn...P...................i.o.....y.s.......[...]PP...t...DA.....r..GP..,eW..f.......s...lAJ..oe.e.of..bs.....ar..arA...i...r....s....d.i...w.a.o..a...[...]..i.r.............................b...n.aas.M.or..in......r.....r...,...a......r..........,........t..[...]ltrltagrdnt k, S yn o psis: A comedy that traces the Cast: Steve Renyon, Sean Mye[...]listings. Forward details unusual social history of a small country O cch ipin ti,Li[...]and stills to: town over the three days that lead up to the Binassi, Ralph Kurl, Alan Hale Jnr.[...]Production Survey, marriage of Maureen Delaney to Morrie Sy[...]carried out in Australia, the film is an action-[...]early life in Australia, to his final exit from[...]cannot and does not accept this country. Several of Flynn's close friends[...]nsibility for inaccuracies resulting are featured in the cast.[...]
	[...]ettLmamJrt0l0ft4i'9otmcaaayilrrN7rnreitiod0iot0ri7in0natnncoahun.acni8hhieyie0nnnnmgl80nsps.stentgenle[...]Progress...................................... In Release[...]............................ Alan Cole was the strange influence he possessed? A[...]....Jan Tyrell hospital, a relationship, a sense of the usual love and sex in alphabetical order.[...]Progress............................... In Production Exec Producer.........................[...]are turned upside down in a thrilling emotion Casting Director............[...]Synopsis: The stripping of a late model car Editor..........................[...].................... Steve Greenaway 35mm IN RELEASE[...]THE CONFESSIONS OF RONALD Mixers.[...]Prod Company... The Grundy Organisation[...]AFTER THE BREAK[...].No......g...m.ot......s.............a....i.....t.in.....................rt.......t.......r........b..[...]...a...r.alb.....Yt.a......y.b.t..i.ao..D.Mga..na.in.Pa.n..A..n...kS...OrOP.y...rn.sni.VsB(Vn.LLL(No.N[...]and various other cameos, Christine Ian Goodrell, the Kapo Brothers.[...]Synopsis: Surfing in Hawaii and Europe[...]Synopsis: A documentary shot in Brazil, featuring contemporary Hawaiian and[...]France, England and Australia on the re Australian surfers.[...]telling of the Ronald Biggs story by Biggs[...]himself. It traces the story from the Great[...]Train Robbery to his life in Brazil. Prod Company.....[...]Synopsis: A study in infatuation. Photograp[...]S ynopsis: Passionate love story of PATRICK[...]changes in an idyllic relationship, which Prod Company.....[...]Progress....................................... In Release Co-Authors......... .........Jennifer[...]THE KING OF THE TWO DAY Screenplay........................Ever[...]ard McQueen-Mason for a murder suspect by a group of men in a Titles..................................[...]
	[...].. John Lewis anywhere. His son, Nick, born in South East[...]der................... Craig Campbell in Australia to join his father. Days pass with[...]min Prod Company.........................Film Australia Progress................................. In Production Continuity.............................. Jenny Quigley Bailey threatening to send the boy back and[...]6mm Dist Company......................... Film Australia Grip.....................................Craig T[...]................. Lee Pearce, remain with the South East Asian friends he[...]Progress................................. In Production Producer.......................[...]grew up with and in the environment he[...]Synopsis: Stopwatch is a series of Photography................... Andy Fraser A.C.S. Cast: The people of the Solomon Islands.[...]ilson his trusty Mallard Seaplane and those of his[...]produced specially to fill the demand for Prod Manager............................... Roy Bissell' Synopsis: The people of the Solomon Makeup........................................ Nan Dunn son with his Asian friends make the exciting,[...]Australian shorts for the 12-14 age group. Camera Asst.[...]The series will be released as supports for[...].......... TonyGooley disastrous adventures of Bailey's Bird.[...].................. Eastman July 1978. Film Australia will cover this Length..........................[...]For details of the following TV series and Relea[...]..... July 1978 historic event and show the lives of the Gauge................................2" videotape Prod Company... The Grundy Organisation[...]S ynopsis: Fundamental principals of Cast: Marian Henderson, Dallas Lewis and[...]people of this shattered country. We will eighty children.[...]study the cultures, crafts and the changing Synopsis: Five television pilots aimed at the[...]way of the life of the people. The film will[...]Dist Company................... Film Australia 5-12 year age group, each program is Directors.............................. Graeme Arthur, films see the previous issue:[...]..David Roberts designed to encourage children in the[...]Julian Pringle their eyes and discover the world around Producer........[...]i..en..s..r.erW..yr63aLA5dme.mCdtitny.smS. them. The Rainbow Tribe -- to go out into[...]Nolan At Sixty the environm ent and enjoy practical[...]Run From the Morning activities. Rainbow Road -- to enjoy mus[...]....Eastman a children's media world -- run by the Prod Manager.................................. Mi[...]................... 20 min Synopsis: A film shot in Bamyili where[...]............................ 35mm Gulpilil lives in the Northern Territory. It SPDCEPPDweSAGASCGPCECPM[...].argoisusec..o.syERoru..r.C..rD.lsses.r..sioi.se..in/p.o.sCnt.m.gstA..o.DDdeL.e.oroi.o..Pt..rye.sco..y[...]uh.........m...H.....t...Ao.......D........a......In...h......n...f.......l...".O............K......p.[...]hysanSld.linatmecermsSmriitan88nhnaegayyiec.earrr.Australia[...]p ro fo u n d in flu e n c e o f vis u a l c o m m u n ic a tio n Synopsis: In a case study followed over a Director............[...]at e v e ry s ta g e in th e d e v e lo p m e n t of period of several months at a Sydney Producer..............[...]Prod Company................... Perth Institute of[...]factory, we see a specific example of Photography..............................Kerry Br[...]management, the productivity improvement Sound Recordist.........[...]FILM AUSTRALIA project is taken on by factory personnel In a Length.......................[...]creative process of problem finding and Gauge[...]Progress................................. In Production Prod Designer....................... Bernard Hides threatened by sand-mining and is the Post-Prod Co-ordinator........ Don Saunders reported site of an old Dutch shipwreck.[...]......................... Ian Goddard, LOSS OF IN N O C ENC E[...]of South Australia Gaffers..................................... D[...]S Synopsis: The film aims to show the[...]Progress................................. In Production general public the advantages of libraries,[...]Synopsis: Children talking in entertaining[...]Prod Company...................... Film Australia libraries. It also aims to recruit people to the[...]dresser............................ Michelle Lowe the life of Peter Robinson from boyhood in[...]..................................... 26x30 min the depression to manhood in the 1970s.[...]n Prod Company................... Perth Institute of Length...........................................[...]............. Bob Hayes S ynopsis: To demonstrate the various opts out of life in the Western world and Steve Jodrell, Brian Beaton, Progress................................. In Production Mixer.................................[...]methods of conditioning for sport, e.g. remains in South East Asia, operating a one-[...]n, Glenda Hambly, Synopsis: A microscopic look at the Great Length..............................[...]
	THE IRISHMAN Susan Dermody The Irishman is a film that lovingly Paddy Doolan (Michael Craig) leading his team of'Clydesdales. Don Crombie's The Irishman. recognizes, frames, and puts on record certain Australian ways of life, and their Caddie has a central figur[...]Either way, the pictorial values of the accompanying bric-a-brac, that are all but woman battling and surviving the odds, The device of Michael (and the perfor film emerge as its greater strength, and if locked in the recent past. It carries out its with true-life and huma[...]this has unbalanced the film, then it is still refurbishing and cataloguing work with ation for its audience. The Irishman mance of Simon Burke) saves the film a pleasurable way to lose one's balance. exquisite care, and if you share the film's would appear to share some o f these pl[...]this shift. But it is only if you notice that The use of golden-toned Agfa-Geva- technology, transport and streetscapes, fading of a life (and way of life) into the the film is not about the colorful, color seals the film into the past like a richly set in resonance with northern Aust landscape.[...]inate, time-locked Paddy, but about patina of age on the images. Composition ralian countryscapes, then y[...]non-heroic son Michael, who looks, within the frame is at once highly formal in frame by frame.[...]cess is decentra listens, and takes to heart in a way that is its arrangement of tones, and meticulously lized by focussing on the two sons (and to slightly gauche and immensely graceful. casual in its framing of objects -- like the The Venus Battery, the corrugated some extent the wife) of Paddy Doolan, paintings of the Heidelberg School to houses on stilts, the outlook through the Irishman, the last teamster in the gulf The death of his father turns out to be which it so often alludes (even down to the wood-slatted verandahs, the shade-wells country. In particular, it follows Michael, the platform from which his maturity can Tom Roberts-style tents in so many back of shop awning and town interiors -- they the younger son, as he necessarily shifts spring, and Michael rides off towards the grounds). are not just set in but set off by the ragged about for possible sym bolic fathers job with Dalgleish, but on one of the shapes of Australian trees, odd hillocks because his[...]Irishman's Clydesdale horses. The cinematography is particularly and boulders, sleekly-curved sandbanks, swings decisively in the direction of sensitive towards the way that light falls banks and streaks of cloud in the bluest Dalgleish (replacing untrustworthy I[...]All four leading performances are within the cavernous corrugated-iron possible sky. with dye-straight Scots). Will, the elder excellent, though Robyn Nevin and interiors of the film, picking out tea-towels[...]er's pig-headedness Michael Craig suffer from the film's strung up to dry, and walls and objects If you were to see The Irishman in back at him in a way that Paddy cannot inability to decide between its grounding slightly out of plumb, as if everything is another country in the middle of winter, tolerate, driving him to a near murderous in the pictorial, and its pull towards story. settling slowly with the earth. attack on his son. This, in turn, becomes The part of Jenny, and of the Irishman you would want to come home the wedge that drives Paddy away -- or, so himself, tend to belong to the first, but It seems to me to be reasonabl[...]to believe. dragged along by the second. They are well defensible that a film[...]cast, but Craig -- and Robyn Nevin in spotlight this role -- of lovingly putting on of the heart in it. because it is a world you This is the most dislocating and unmoti particular. seem to have too much record some aspect of the visual store of cannot come home to. It is a past that can vated development in the plot; one that energy and potential to be confirmed as the immediate past -- even at risk of hardly ever be pried open again for the severely undermines the sense of under- they are.[...]lightening its narrative force. We are a eyes or the imagination. And, conse stated-because[...]oo light on memory, and quently, there is a kind of quiet exotica the opening phase o f the story has I am not sure that this split between the quick to discount what we have as being of made available through the film, an meticulously built up -- particularly in the narrative and the visual is sufficient to little value. exoti[...]andled opening sequence which account for the failings of the film as a artisanal elements of Australian life lost in takes us through the return of Paddy with story -- especially since there seems to be Films like The Irishman, with a sense our transition to the centralized, consum- him teams and up to nightfall of that day. so many good constituents of the story and of historical seriousness towards the visual erized, Fraserized present.[...]quite richly worked scenes within it. Or the store they're prising open, may help locate Suddenly, the plot asserts that Paddy is opening sequence' I have already Australians in their own country. 'It is The narrative of The Irishm an, at heart the kind o f Australian father mentioned, that so well articulates many culturally boring to live in a society that however, tends to slip too frequently back whose allegiance is not to family but to of the film's themes. Or the use of the two remains vague and

Cinema Papers no. 16 April-June 1978 (2024)

OCR

TXT