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Its official, refer below for a message received from Alister Grierson, the director of this movie.
received this message from someone who has already viewed the movie: quote:
this movie captured my mind in an unbelivable way. I must say this is one of the best war movies i have ever seen in my life. It shows how, what and when this war took place and showed the courage which the soldiers must have shown in the time of battle.
unquote
As I had not realised it was being shown to the public as yet, I wrote to the Alister Grierson the director and showed him the comments I had received. This morning I received his reply: quote
Hi Gail
That feedback is very encouraging, hope we get more of those! We're having media screenings at the moment as the marketing machine starts to roll out. Not many, theres been a couple in melb, syd and one in adelaide tonight. We'll also be having some preview screenings, some through ATOM for school teachers and some for general public to help build some word of mouth. Glad you'll be able to see the movie, look forward to hearing your thoughts.
alister
GFN Productions Pty Ltd
250a Glenmore Road, Paddington,
NSW, 2021, Australia
http://www.kokodathemovie.comThe movie was shot during September-October on Mount Tambourine Qld. There will be a premiere in Sydney on April 10th, and if things go to plan, a premiere at Isurava the night of the 24th April. If you're in country then – will be the experience of a lifetime…
Alister Grierson
Movie DirectorThank you for sharing the news with us and our readers who visit our website. The unfortunate thing however, is that the Australian High Commission and the Port Moresby RSL Club do not acknowledge or participate in a service at Isurava on Anzac Day. Their thoughts are that as everyone was buried at Bomana and therefore with limited resources they only provide a service there on the 25th April each year. As a result of this, hundreds of trekkers attend Bomana War Cemetery to pay their respects and a much smaller number spend the night of the 24th and morning of the 25th April at Isurava. If one copy can be made available for Isurava, why not make another copy available for the hundreds more who will be in Port Moresby on the night of the 24th April. Then on the 25th they attend the service at Bomana. This would really be the WOW factor!
Its a pity therefore, that a screening of the movie cannot take place in Port Moresby at the Gateway Hotel for example where the majority of trekkers will be staying. It would make a great climax to an emotional filled 9 day trek if something like this was waiting at the finish line and shown even at the Royal Papuan Yacht Club again on the afternoon of the 25th April – what a finish!
Therefore in answer to your question, yes I will be in PNG but in Port Moresby looking after our many trekkers who will have commenced their trek on the 16th April and who will be returning on the 24th in readiness for the Anzac Day service at Bomana. We will have trekkers at Isurava on the night of the 24th but sadly only a handful compared to Bomana.
I also hope one day that the movie is released on DVD so I can purchase a copy and show the hundreds of porters and guides the movie in Kokoda as without something like this they will never get the opportunity to view such a movie. Most of the descendants of the 'Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels' live pretty much today like they did in 1942, nothing much has changed.
That is with the exception of Russell Eroro my subcontractor and his extended family in Kokoda. Russell owns a 2.5 KVA generator; home theatre system; TV; etc and would be in a position to put on a showing for his porters and guides and anyone else in the community that might like to attend.
To all the people behind the scene, thank you for making such a movie as its an important story that needed to be told.
Only recently I had a young man come and fix my car here in Australia. He noticed the signwriting on my vehicle which states Kokoda Trekking. He asked about our business and when I told him what it involved, he replied that he had never heard of the Kokoda Track or what happened during World War II.
So whether we believe it or not, some Australian's are really in the dark about this subject matter…this movie perhaps is just what is needed to ensure our diggers are not forgotten and they did not die in vain.
Lest We Forget
anzac4.jpgEmail received this morning:
Hi,
My name is Andrew Grierson. I walked the trail With a group Emirates pilots in May 2004 with Barry as our guide/boss. I wrote a diary which I intended to send to you guys but completely forgot to do so I thought I would send it now. It is sort of a rough guide crossed with potted history of our walk and the track.
As well as this after the research I put in for my walk I told my brother, a young film director, that he should make a movie about the story of fighting on the track. He's done that and it will be showing all around Oz on the 20th of April. I understand that they intend screening it at Isurava around ANZAC day. Anyway all the best to the crew who helped us.
Cheers,
Andrew GriersonEditors Note: Andrew, this is excellent news. The more Australian's who learn about what happened during World War II the better. Please thank your brother for us. Only yesterday I attended my Aunty's funeral in Lismore who died at the age of 88. At another sister's funeral two weeks earlier she asked if I could obtain for her a copy of their brother's war records.
I ordered them immediately and they arrived in the mail last week. Before I could get them to her, she went into a coma. Yesterday, another surviving sister asked for them so I will now pass onto another Aunty. So many many years later, women like them have never forgotten the brother who didnt come home from the war.
Through what I am doing trying to take as many trekkers as possible at the lowest price possible, enables relatives to show respect and others to learn more about what happened on the Kokoda Track and other areas where fierce fighting took place. Once again, please pass on my thanks to your brother for making this happen.
Andrew, second from the right in the back row., Taken shortly before the Emirates Pilots trek boarded their flight to Kokoda:
Emirates_Pilot_600.jpgOn another note, we also have to thank this group for making me think about 24 hour ration packs for our trekkers. According to them, living on bully beef, rice, cheese and bikkies did'nt do much for their diet. Some of these trekkers had been on other treks throughout the world and they gave us very good feedback. The guy who organised this trek by the name of Granger Narara, is from PNG and he felt he could help his fellow wantoks to grow tourism as although he lives and works in United Emirate, he still calls PNG home. We would like them to think we took their comments on board and have tried our best to introduce items based on their suggestions.
During the early days when food was purchased and sent out on the track in bulk sometimes it was also hard for our porters to monitor it day by day to ensure they still had sufficient at the end and did not run out. All we needed was one or two who ate more than their share and such things as sugar and other items ran short towards the end.
With the introduction of our 24 hour rations packs, everyone is issued one per day. Most do not finish them but we do not care as they should satisfy the smallest eaters to the largest ones. Army guys have remarked they are far better than their ration packs. However, as Stan Bisset (2/14th) said to me once, tell your trekkers no matter what they are eating they will be eating better than we did!
So if the Emirates pilots are reading this, another big thank you. We purchase our 24 hour ration packs off Food4Treks (www.food4treks.com.au). The main meal is supplied by Back Country in New Zealand. Our staff also cook rice and purchase local village food, sweet potatoes/greens etc to be eaten with the Back Country meal.
Some trekkers say the food is used for all kinds of things. Some of the contents that may not be to their taste, they swap around with other trekkers. Some pass onto children in the villagers and swap for fruit and so on. We purchase A, B & C and rotate the packs around to try and make sure you do not get the same thing day in day out.
pack200_size.jpg
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