Survivors' views factor in Aramoana film rating

Chief censor Bill Hastings says a movie about the 1990 Aramoana massacre will be subject to the same ratings criteria as any other film.

Out of the Blue is based on events in a remote Otago beach settlement where gunman David Gray killed eight adults and four children before he was shot by police.

The movie is due to be classified next week.

Director Robert Sarkies told the Press newspaper yesterday he hoped the film would be judged on a level playing field with other movies. "Sometimes New Zealand films can be judged more harshly," he said.

Mr Hastings said today he didn't know where Mr Sarkies had got the idea that New Zealand films were treated differently. But Out of the Blue was a unique film because it dealt with shocking, true events and many survivors were still alive.

Mr Hastings met with the Aramoana community, who had been given the opportunity to see the film before its release, in Port Chalmers on September 20.

One meeting was for the town's general population and another was held for survivors, their families and the families of victims.

"The opinion was pretty spread to be honest. There were people who said while it was being made, and insist now, the film should not have been made. They are opposed to the very concept of the film and want it banned, " Mr Hastings said.

Others had watched the film, and wanted some sort of restrictions on it, he said.

"Nobody wanted kids to see it. The film involves kids being stalked and shot at and killed by someone they know, and that's not a concept people want kids to be introduced to. "

For the survivors of Aramoana, the movie would not be cathartic, he said.

"It just dredges up the horrific memories all over again. One of the main objections of the people was that ... they had been thrust into the public spotlight by this event. Every time an anniversary comes around or a film is made it happens all over again.

Mr Hastings said under his mandate as chief censor he had to consider the "dominant effect" of the film -- whether the depictions of violence were necessary and meaningful, or gratuitous.

"The less gratuitous the violence, the more in context it is, the less restrictive I suppose the classification will be."

Mr Hastings said the fact that Out of the Blue focused less on David Gray and more on "the heroism of ordinary people" would work in its favour.

Some of the survivors were concerned about inaccurate details. One woman who had been portrayed as a smoker was upset because she had never smoked in her life, he said.

"But I had to tell them that I think nobody knows the whole story of this. Nobody knows what David Gray was thinking when he was alone at three o'clock in the morning. Everybody has their own window of truth on things, and together they can paint a picture, but I don't think it will ever be the whole picture."

Out of the Blue is due to open on October 12.

- NZPA