Aramoana film pledge honoured

The unofficial world premiere of a film based on the Aramoana massacre will be shown to the community hit by the tragedy in November 1990.

Filmed mainly at Long Beach near Port Chalmers in February and April, Out of the Blue will get a private screening before its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The move honours a commitment film-makers made to the people of Aramoana this year, director Robert Sarkies and producer Steven O'Meagher said yesterday.

The film tells the story of the community during the 22-hour ordeal when resident David Gray went on a shooting spree, killing 13 people.

When the project was announced in November last year the film-makers faced opposition from some in the Aramoana community who said they did not want old wounds reopened.

"What we will be doing is honouring a commitment to the Aramoana community to be the first to see the film," Mr Sarkies said.

Another promise was to remove the name Aramoana from the film title.

Mr Sarkies thought many people in the community would decide against seeing it.

The film-makers had originally hoped the film would have its world premiere in Dunedin during the international film festival currently on in the city.

But they realised after filming that more time would be required for editing.

"We're very disappointed to not get in a festival here," Mr Sarkies said.

"We didn't want to rush it for the festival deadline. We wanted to make a better film."

The invitation to screen the film at the Toronto festival next month meant it had been "recognised as something worthy of a festival", Mr Sarkies said.

"It's fantastic for the film that it gets a prestigious premiere.

"It will be interesting to see how it works for an international audience, which will be different to the local audience," he said. "We have got so much more emotional investment in the story."

Whale Rider and In My Father's Den went on to further success after they were screened at the Toronto festival.

The official New Zealand premiere is expected to be in Dunedin before national release on October 12.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES