Out of the Blue premieres in Dunedin

A scene from Out of the Blue.

The premier of a film documenting one of the darkest moments in New Zealand's history opened tonight, at a red-carpet ceremony in Dunedin organisers deliberately kept low-key.

Out of the Blue tells the story of loner David Gray's massacre of 13 people at the tiny coastal township of Aramoana, near Dunedin, on November 13, 1990.

Under-armed local policemen were the first on the scene and struggled to control the situation as Gray evaded capture and terrified residents remained trapped in their homes over a 22-hour shooting spree and siege.

Director Robert Sarkies' film does not go far beyond those 22 hours, beginning on the morning before the shooting began and ending just after Gray's death at the hands of the Armed Offenders Squad the next day.

Controversy has surrounded the making of the film, with many arguing it is a story that should not be told on screen.

Stacey Percy was three when Gray shot her and her entire family and one of only two people that survived their injuries that day.

She told Campbell Live today she initially opposed the film being made, but now thought the makers had done a good job.

"I don't think anyone could have really done it better," she said.

At the premier, actor Matt Sunderland, who plays Gray, told the television show he was thrilled with the way the film had turned out.

"I couldn't be happier with the spirit behind the film," he said.

"I think it was done with a lot of integrity and I'm just really thrilled to be a part of it."

Only two shootings are shown on screen - that of Gray and his first victim, neighbour Garry Holden.

Out of the Blue focuses on the bravery of the people involved, and the ordinary lives that were shattered by New Zealand's worst mass murder.

The very ordinariness of the people and lives depicted is what brings home to viewers by contrast the horror of Gray's actions.

The filmmakers used police radio transcripts, official reports, scene photographs, television news reports, documentaries and detailed interviews taken at the time to reconstruct the events of the day.

They also worked closely with the Aramoana community and Bill O'Brien, the police media officer who dealt with the tragedy and the author of Aramoana: Twenty-two hours of terror, the book on which the film was based.

Chief censor Bill Hastings gave the film an R15 rating, saying a story that involved children being stalked and shot at by someone they knew was not a concept people wanted children introduced to.

However, Mr Hastings also noted the film had merit in "sensitively portraying the responses of ordinary people to an extraordinary and horrific event."

In a statement, Sarkies said the people of Aramoana and the police involved - one of whom was shot and killed by Gray - acted selflessly to help each other through the night, and that was worth remembering and paying tribute to.

Graeme Tetley wrote the story with assistance from Sarkies.

He said it was "incredibly difficult" to reconcile his feelings about David Gray.

"He was isolated, thought every bit of the world seemed against him and he was swamped with mental illness.

"He had a hell of a hard time. And then you'd remember four kids are dead because of him," he said.

The film opens in national cinemas tomorrow.

- NZPA