MEDIA KIT CONTENTS Page 2 Synopses Page 4 Don’s Biography ... · Luhrmann, Don received a BAFTA nomination (Romeo + Juliet), and Oscar® and BAFTA nominations for Best Cinematography

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Actor/ producer Hugh Jackman and cinematographer Don McAlpine on the set of X-Men Orig i ns : Wolver i ne in Sydney. Image: Cathy Henkel.

MEDIA KIT CONTENTS

Page 2 Synopses

Page 4 Don ’s B i ography

Page 5 Don ’s F i lmography

Page 6 Quotes from Don’s Col leagues

Page 8 Company P rof i l es

Page 9 Direc tor ’s Notes : Cathy Henkel

Page 11 Producer ’s Notes : Tr ish Lake

Page 13 Crew Pro f i les

Page 15 Credi ts

L INK TO THE TRAILER

www.showmethemagic.com.au

The Adventures of Don McAlpine

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SHORT SYNOPSIS Show Me The Magi c takes us on an enthralling journey into the life and work of legendary Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine. A tender portrait of a life in film, Show Me The Magic weaves together footage from Don’s personal archive, his filmography, and on-set observation of his work. Including interviews with filmmakers Baz Luhrmann, Bruce Beresford, Gavin Hood, P.J. Hogan, Gillian Armstrong, Paul Mazursky and Hugh Jackman, Show Me The Magic will engage and delight anyone who has ever been touched by the magic of movies. MEDIUM SYNOPSIS Show Me The Magi c takes us on an enthralling journey into the life and work of legendary Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine. The filmmaker, Cathy Henkel, secured rare behind-the-scenes access to Don’s on-set world throughout his 50th film, X-Men Orig i ns : Wol ver i ne with Gavin Hood and Hugh Jackman, and to the set of Mental , directed by P.J. Hogan, (Peter Pan). Mental is Don’s 52nd film and his first digital feature. His career includes such seminal movies as Patriot Games, Predator, Peter Pan, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Show Me The Magi c tells the story of Don's journey from a one-horse town in outback NSW to the heights of Hollywood, weaving historical archive with Don's own personal collection and on-location footage. Directors Bruce Beresford and Gillian Armstrong recall highlights from Don’s remarkable Australian career, including the iconic Breaker Morant and My Brilliant Career. We meet Paul Mazursky, who enabled Don’s transition into Hollywood with Tempest and Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin take us behind the scenes of their two iconic films with Don, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! Show Me The Magi c will engage and delight anyone who has ever been touched by the magic of movies.

LONG SYNOPSIS Show Me The Magic takes us on an enthralling and joyful journey into the life and work of the legendary and world-renowned Australian cinematographer, Don McAlpine. A country kid from the small wheat-belt town of Quandialla in isolated south-western New South Wales, McAlpine was born in 1934 - the year before the first technicolour film was released. There wasn’t even a cinema in Quandialla. Don helped his mother support their family from the age of 14, when his father was stricken by tuberculosis. His part-time job at the Temora chemist as a darkroom photo developer struck a chord in young Don’s soul. Soon, a school performance of The Mikado ignited in him the desire to entertain an audience. His fascination with the magical images emerging from his darkroom set him on the winding path that would eventually lead to the glittering lights of Hollywood, where, in 2009, he received the American Society of Cinematographers’ “International Cinematographer of the Year” Award in front of the foremost luminaries of the American film industry. That same year, Don shot his 50th film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a big-budget, effects-driven action movie directed by Oscar-winner Gavin Hood and starring Hugh Jackman. Show Me the Magic takes us on set and behind the scenes of that film. In 2011, Don posted another landmark: Mental, a low-budget movie directed by PJ Hogan (Muriel’s Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Peter Pan). Mental was Don’s first digital film and his first Australian film in 25 years. As we travel with Don back into his past, and into the Australian outback landscape that he loves so much, we experience the extremes of movie making: embedded alongside him on the contrasting sets of Wolverine and Mental, we peel back the layers of what Don calls ‘the beautiful deception' of cinema to illuminate the world behind the screen. [CONTINUES]

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Joined by celebrated Australian directors Bruce Beresford and Gillian Armstrong, we explore the heritage of the remarkable Australian films that Don photographed, including the iconic Breaker Morant and My Brilliant Career. In Los Angeles, Don reconnects with Paul Mazursky who gave him his big break in Hollywood with Tempest and followed up with Down and Out in Beverly Hills. And two Australians of a later generation - Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin - take us behind the scenes on Don’s spectacular creative achievements – Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! At once the story of a remarkable man and an exploration of filmmaking at the highest level, Show Me The Magic will engage and delight anyone who has ever been touched by the magic of movies.

* * * * * PICTURED: Show Me The Magic producer / director Dr. Cathy Henkel with Don McAlpine, holding his AACTA Raymond Longford Award.

Show Me The Magic The Adventures of Don McAlpine

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DON McALP INE: BIOGRAPHY Don McAlpine was born in the isolated outback village of Quandialla, NSW. He was working as a physical education teacher in a small town nearby when he boldly talked the Australian Broadcasting Corporation into giving him a shot as a newsreel stringer. His achievements in the ‘60s filming regional stories led to a full time job at the national broadcaster. From there he moved to the Commonwealth Film Unit, where he was assigned the job of travelling to exotic places to shoot ethnographic pieces on colour 35mm film. In 1972, Don took leave from this position to shoot his first feature film, Bruce Beresford’s The Adventures of Barry McKenzie. And so began a career spanning six decades and over 53 films, from the iconic Australian classics Don’s Party, ‘Breaker’ Morant, and My Brilliant Career to international box-office hits like Parenthood, Mrs Doubtfire, Patriot Games, Predator and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. For his films with Baz Luhrmann, Don received a BAFTA nomination (Romeo + Juliet), and Oscar® and BAFTA nominations for Best Cinematography (Moulin Rouge!). In 2009 Don was honoured as the ASC (American Society of Cinematographers) Cinematographer of the Year, and in 2011 he was granted the first award to be bestowed by the newly-established Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA): the Raymond Longford Award, which recognises a person who has made a truly outstanding contribution to the enrichment of Australia's screen environment and culture. Throughout his career, Don has earned a reputation as a brilliant craftsman, fast and flexible, with a knack for innovative solutions to tricky on-set problems. His mercurial adaptability in working with directors to realize their visions has resulted in an incredibly diverse filmography. From Oscar-winners to first-timers, they all applaud Don’s sensitivity and simpatico, as well as his humility and fortitude. PICTURED: Don McAlpine on location for Mental . Photo: Cathy Henkel.

As he approaches his 80th year, Don shows little interest in slowing down. He and his lifelong partner Jeanette still travel the world, shooting on location from Dolphin Heads to Durham. Don is adapting to new digital cameras and continues to embrace cutting-edge technology, shooting his first digital film, Mental, with P.J. Hogan. Don’s personal history in film is a history of the medium itself; he developed as an artist in parallel to the growth of the Australian film industry, winning the respect of his peers and great international acclaim. Show Me The Magic is a tender portrait of a life in film, weaving together footage from Don’s personal archive, his filmography and on-set observation. The film includes fellow filmmakers Baz Luhrmann, Bruce Beresford, Gavin Hood, P.J. Hogan, Gillian Armstrong and actor/producer Hugh Jackman.


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DON McALPINE: FILMOGRAPHY

1. Gentle Strangers (1972) 2. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) 3. Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974) 4. Don's Party (1976) 5. Surrender in Paradise (1976) 6. The Getting of Wisdom (1978) 7. Patrick (1978) 8. Money Movers (1978) 9. The Journalist (1979) 10. The Odd Angry Shot (1979) 11. My Brilliant Career (1979) 12. 'Breaker' Morant (1980) 13. The Earthling (1980) 14. The Club (1980), AKA Players 15. The Children of An Lac (1980) (TV) 16. Puberty Blues (1981) 17. Tempest (1982) 18. Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder (1982), AKA Vietnam: Hell or Glory 19. Blue Skies Again (1983) 20. Now and Forever (1983) 21. Harry & Son (1984) 22. Moscow on the Hudson (1984) 23. King David (1985) 24. My Man Adam (1985) 25. Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) 26. The Fringe Dwellers (1986)

27. Predator (1987) 28. Orphans (1987) 29. Moving (1988) 30. Moon Over Parador (1988) 31. See You in the Morning (1989) 32. Parenthood (1989) 33. Stanley & Iris (1990) 34. The Hard Way (1991) 35. Career Opportunities (1991), AKA One Wild Night 36. Medicine Man (1992), AKA The Last Days of Eden 37. Patriot Games (1992) 38. The Man Without a Face (1993) 39. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) 40. Clear and Present Danger (1994) 41. Nine Months (1995) 42. Romeo + Juliet (1996) 43. The Edge (1997) 44. Stepmom (1998) 45. Moulin Rouge! (2001) 46. The Time Machine (2002) 47. Anger Management (2003) 48. Peter Pan (2003) 49. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) 50. X Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) 51. Main Street (2010) 52. Mental (2012) 53. Enders Game (2013)


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QUOTES FROM SHOW ME THE MAGIC If you read the blurb, you’ll realise I’ve completed 50 feature films. I’ve worked with 32 different directors. Bruce Beresford offered me my first film... the only other director I’ll mention is Paul Mazursky. His mantra, “Show me the magic!” has been my guiding force all my career. I’ve seen many corners of this world; I’ve worked with the most beautiful people. I’ve had a chance to see some fantastically creative minds at work... I am lucky and thankful that my darling wife of 52 years seems to relish the gypsy life.

~ Don McAlpine, upon accepting the 2009 American Society of Cinematographers award for Cinematographer of the Year

Don is totally “can do”, and not in a sense of “whatever you want” but “can do” in the sense of “we can solve that problem”... It’s that kind of pragmatic, low-tech solution that he was extremely good with. Coming from the ‘having to make do’ that comes from being a news reporter, having to shoot in Australia, and all of that. He’s been the absolute heartbeat of cinematography in this country. From those that have been hugely recognised, from those that have won Oscars - ask them - from first-time directors - ask them - he has not only been their mentor, their supporter, but he’s really been the godfather and grandfather of cinema in this country.

~ Baz Lurhmann, Director, Romeo + Juliet

A good relationship between a cinematographer and a production designer is fundamental to creating good images. He made me see how unforgiving film can really be; you know, if you don’t have it in focus, if it’s not correctly exposed, then everybody else’s job is a waste of time. That ability to admit you’re wrong and just say “Yep, I take that, that’s my responsibility” is an enormously endearing quality and I think it allows you to take more risks because you’re less scared of failure.

~ Cather ine Mar tin , Production Designer, Romeo + Juliet

PICTURED: John and his wife Jeanette, 2011 AACTA Awards, Sydney. Photo: Cathy Henkel


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One of the hallmarks in Don’s career is that he’s shot so many movies and people have often said “What is your style, Don?” and I think what’s so interesting about Don is he will say that his style absolutely depends on the movie that he’s working on, and that his first job is to try and get to understand what it is both story-wise and emotionally that the director’s trying to get out of the film and then figure out the style that best suits that particular project. ~ Gavin Hood, Director, X-Men Origins: Wolverine It’s my job to take Don’s vision for the lighting and the look, and translate that into actuality without him having to worry about it so he has time to actually shoot the movie. When you go in the theatre and the lights are off, that’s when there’s some magic to it, when everything comes together; not just the cinematography but the directing, the acting, the writing, everything. When you see it all come together, all these iconic moments, you just think “this is really cool” and that’s why you do it. ~ Steve Math is , Gaffer, X-Men Origins: Wolverine

As a producer it’s really important to have a cinematographer who not only has a great eye, but also to be able to do it in a reasonable amount of time because you’re always playing with a finite number of dollars. And Don kind of has it all, which is why I think he’s worked so much; look at his career and all the movies he’s made. It’s amazing. ~ Jerry Zucker , Producer, Mental

What I loved about Don was he could light the scene so fast that I’d think “Is this actually going to look any good? Or is it going to look like a Rock Hudson movie?” But it always looked beautiful and of course the thing that’s great for a director is it gives me more time to work with the actors. Sometimes I’d walk on and rehearse it once with the actors and say “How long before you’ve lit it?” and he’d say “It’s lit!”. I said, “It’s lit? Already?!” but it was!

~ Bruce Beresford, Director, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie

This is new territory of me because it’s my first film with a digital camera, and Don’s. You know, I really needed somebody I could trust because I didn’t know my way around digital. We have a shorthand now because we did Peter Pan together. I really trust Don, and now what I do is just say how I want it to feel and I’ll leave it to Don. ~ P. J . Hogan , Director, Mental

He was obviously a very, very bright fellow and of course his credential was The Getting of Wisdom, as far as I’m concerned. Of course, he did a lot more than that, but that had the look that I wanted so I admired him and boy, was I pleased... I know that his solutions contributed hugely to that film. It’s not called “the pictures” for nothing. The visual effects he got there were just outstanding. ~ Margaret Fink, Producer, My Brilliant Career I saw a movie called Breaker Morant and the cameraman was Don McAlpine, so I immediately dialled - I didn’t realise it was 3am in the morning in Australia - and a voice answered and... he was speaking Australian. I had no idea what he was talking about. I said, “Look, I’m going to send you the script. As soon as you get it, read it and call me back”. He hung up and I’m sure he then called people to say, “Who is this crazy guy?”. Anyway, a day or two later he called me, spoke a little slower - still had trouble understanding him - and he liked the script. Who knows if he read it? You know, he’s a cameraman, they don’t always read the scripts! And I said, “You’re hired”. I hired him on the telephone. I did, I’m very proud of that. We met about two weeks later in Greece where we shot most of Tempest. And that was my first experience with Don. It was thrilling. We made Tempest, it was a wonderful success for me, one of my favourite pictures. You know, “Show me the magic!”, and Don showed me his magic. ~ Paul Mazurski , Director, Tempest


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COMPANY PROFILE: FRESHWATER PICTURES In a career spanning three decades, independent producer and former ABC Television journalist Trish Lake has worked in the media, communications and entertainment industries. Trish is principal of Freshwater Productions, which she established in 1991 to pursue commercial and creative interests in film, TV and publishing. In 2001 she established Freshwater Pictures to develop and produce feature films and television drama. Three years later, Trish won the prestigious SPAA Feature Film Producer of the Year Award for her first feature, Gettin’ Square. In 2008, Freshwater produced the award-winning feature documentary The Burning Season (dir/prod: Cathy Henkel, dist: Gil Scrine, Freshwater/Virgo), and in 2009 released the feature film Subdivision (produced in Hervey Bay, Queensland, distributor: BVI/DIsney; Dir: Sue Brooks). Trish has also recently produced two half-hour documentaries – Roller Derby Dolls for ABC Television / Film Australia, and Rare Chicken Rescue which won Sydney Film Festival’s Best Documentary Award (the Dendy Award) and the Best Short Documentary Award at the 2009 Slamdance Festival. Trish is the Executive Producer of the cinema documentary ‘My America’ (Distributor Rialto; International Sales, Horizon Motion Pictures; SBSi) which will have an Australian theatrical release in 2012. Projects currently on Freshwater’s development slate include three dramatic features, Red Earth with writer/director Liselle Mei, The Eighth Sea with writer/director Chris Cudlipp, and Dance For Me with co-producer Cathy Henkel of Virgo Productions.

COMPANY PROFILE: VIRGO PRODUCTIONS Virgo Productions is an award-winning, boutique screen industries company founded by Cathy Henkel in 2009. The strength of the company lies in telling inspiring, positive, global stories with cross-platform delivery and engaging audiences world-wide through cinema, television, online, mobile, DVD and education release. The company is developing an innovative finance and marketing strategy that explores new pathways for Australian screen industry development. Under the banner of her former company, Hatchling Productions, Cathy produced, wrote and directed five documentaries for television, cinema and online and over 20 educational, corporate and community titles and short films. She has won numerous awards for her work including two IF Awards for Best Documentary and the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival Best Documentary Award. Virgo Productions is producing two documentaries using alternative finance and distribution models: Show me the Magic , and Rise of the Eco-War r iors , an action adventure feature documentary set in Borneo. Cathy was awarded Documentary Producer of the Year by the Screen Producers Association of Australia in 2009. She completed a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in screen industries in 2010 at Queensland University of Technology. www.virgoproductions.com.au www.anactionmovie.com


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DIRECTOR’S NOTES by Cathy Henke l “All cinema is deception - a beautiful deception.” ~ Don McAlpine I first met Don in 2005 when I was filming a documentary about the legendary British comedian Spike Milligan. Don had met Spike during the filming of his first feature, The

Adventures of Barry McKenzie. At this meeting, Don showed me his behind-the-scenes scenes footage from Romeo + Juliet, which was fascinating, and I became curious about this unknown Australian who had such a rich and extensive working life. His career includes such seminal films as Patriot Games, Predator, Peter Pan, Moulin Rouge! and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. At that meeting, I asked Don why no-one had ever made a film about him, and he answered “No-one has ever asked”. So began our collaboration to tell Don’s story - not only of his impressive and stellar career, but his personal story, from a small ‘one-horse’ town in outback NSW to the heights of Hollywood. There was something so unassuming - yet charming and intriguing - about Don and his wife Jeanette that I wanted to know more. That is how we began the seven year process of making this film. My goal was to take the audience on a journey into Don’s life and work using on-set observational footage, Don’s recollections, and his extensive archive collection. We agreed from the start that Don’s professional life would be best revealed by observing him on set of a movie and watching what he does, rather than having him talk about it. This was to be show me the magic, not tell me the magic. I also set out to relate the story with no narration, and am proud of the fact that I achieved this. It was also clear to me from the start that Don’s wife of 56 years, Jeanette, was integral to his story and an interesting character in her own right. When we met, Don’s next project was his 50th film: X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Gavin Hood and Hugh Jackman. I managed to secure rarely-granted access to the usually closed, behind-the-scenes world that Don inhabits, and filmed him at work in New Zealand, on Cockatoo Island in

Sydney Harbour, and in Vancouver. During filming, I was able to speak to director Gavin Hood, actor and producer Hugh Jackman and gaffer Steve Mathis who all shed light on Don’s unique qualities and what it’s like working on a big budget movie. This footage provides the core to the ‘A’ story of the film: Don’s working life and his role as cinematographer. What emerged, apart from the fascination of watching a movie of this scale being made, was Don’s charm, humour, authority, vast knowledge, and the respect he commands from his peers. In 2008, producer Trish Lake joined me on Show Me The Magic, and we set about the long and arduous task of raising the money to make the film. This was not an easy film to finance, mainly because no-one had heard of Don (although they knew his work), or if they had, they were not convinced his story was worth telling. The more I came to know Don, the more we discovered about his personal style and backstory and the values and qualities that have guided him through life, the more convinced we became that the naysayers were wrong. So, despite many rejections, Trish and I found ways to finance the film and keep going. In 2011, we secured access to the set of Mental, a new Australian film directed by P.J. Hogan, (Muriel’s Wedding, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Peter Pan). This was to be Don’s 52nd film, his first digital feature, and the first time he’d worked on a purely Australian film in 25 years. When he is not working, Don and Jeanette like to travel to remote places in inland Australia and get as far away from civilization as possible. In November 2011, I took a small crew and we travelled with them to locations in western NSW where Don grew up and where he and Jeanette worked as school teachers and started their family. During this trip, at picturesque lookouts and waterholes, in small country pubs or around the camp fire, Don and Jeanette shared the stories of their early life and the events and experiences that shaped them. This footage, and some excellent archive footage we were able to uncover, became the core of the ‘B’ story: Don and Jeanette’s personal history outside the film industry.


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This film is targeted primarily at those who are interested in how movies are made and who love going behind the scenes to observe the movie-making process in action, as I do. I also wanted to examine the role of the cinematographer in creating movie magic and the relationships he has with the director, lead actors and other members of the crew. I began with the assumption that most people know very little about Don, or what a cinematographer actually does. As they get to know him through his work, I hoped that, like me, their curiosity would be sparked to find out more of his personal life, what drives him and how he came to be one of the leading cinematographers of his time. My hope is that this story will be of interest not only to cinema lovers and students of film, but also to the general public, who will be inspired by the love story of two people who decided to make a life together in the surreal and stressful world of high end film-making... and then escaping to remote places to just be together. As I spent more time with Don and his equally enigmatic wife Jeanette, I became curious about their relationship and how their marriage endured the pressures and demands of Hollywood life and lasted all these years. I also wonder why it is that so many directors want to keep working with Don, over and over again, and they continue to seek him out even though he is now in his mid 70s. What is the secret to his longevity in this industry, his notable success, the inspired choices he makes, and the respect he commands from those who have worked with him? The person behind the camera and asking the questions is me – a documentary filmmaker with a history of telling stories, often about unknown people who have inspired and fascinated me. The subjects of my films include a timid environmental protester who steps out of her comfort zone (Walking Through a Minefield), a woman who confronted grief head-on following the death of her baby (Losing Layla), a well-known comedian who suffered from bi-polar disorder and whose private life was a mystery (Spike Milligan), a young environmental entrepreneur who set out to save the forests (The Burning Season), and my own mother who was raped and wanted justice (The Man Who Stole My Mother’s Face).

The common thread in all these stories is the focus on unknown or unrecognised characters who take us into worlds we don’t usually inhabit, and who engage, enlighten and ultimately inspire us. My next film follows very strongly in this tradition: Rise of the Eco-Warriors is the story of 11 young people who spend 100 days in the jungles of Borneo confronting deforestation. The story of Don McAlpine is both an extension of this curiosity, and an obvious fascination for me. My own father, a gifted but flawed filmmaker working under the constraints of apartheid South Africa, played a major part in my decision to become a filmmaker. In some ways, telling Don’s story felt to me like a way of honouring my own father. The more I heard about the struggles, joys and sacrifices Don and Jeanette made to stay together in what can be a punishing, ruthless and highly stressful industry, the more I knew this film would ultimately be a love story. It is not only their love story, and Don’s love for the industry that has shaped his life, but a love letter from me to the subjects of the film and the world they inhabit. A premise for the film is something Don said to me very early on: “All cinema is deception, a beautiful deception”. Show Me The Magic reveals some of the ‘deception’ necessary in creating movie magic. It reveals the dedication, artistry, long hours, collaborative effort and skill required to create every moment that we see on the screen. In telling this story, I always looked for what was surprising, playful and unexpected in Don’s working life and personal history, whilst making sure I captured his very unique sense of humour. Don’s wry and sometimes cutting wit has been one of the great joys of this journey for me. Despite the brutal hours and sheer hard work, Don has never forgotten the fact that making movies is fun. Which is why, at 78, he has no plans to quit. Cathy Henkel September, 2012.


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PRODUCER’S NOTES by Tr ish Lake Show Me The Magi c has required huge commitment from everyone who has worked on the feature documentary, as well as support from an incredible array of Australian and international film industry professionals. It is also a film that is testament to the dogged determination of its director, Cathy Henkel.

From a producing point of view, without the dedication and commitment from Cathy and every one of the filmmaking team, as well as the supporters, investors, and sponsors, the film would never have been completed. This is a story about a man at the top of his game in one of the most competitive industries on earth. It’s the story of Don McAlpine – now in his late seventies - who has created a breathtaking body of work and has inspired enormous respect and admiration from his peers. Yet for most of his career, he has remained relatively invisible to the outside world. The film reveals Don’s world behind the camera and behind the scenes in the movie making business. The documentary also takes us to Don McAlpine’s other world in outback Australia where he escapes the pressure of film-making with his life partner Jeanette. The documentary is a remarkably personal film, which – because of the huge body of work and career of its central character – I believe will stand the test of time. It’s also very personal because of the strong bond that its director, Cathy Henkel, formed with Don and Jeanette very early in the piece.

The idea for the film came from Cathy who met Don almost by accident when she was making her film about Spike Milligan. She was amazed that no-one had made a biography of Don given the huge number of films he’d made back in 2005 – already over 50 features. Later as Cathy and I were producing another film, The Burning Season, she asked me to join her to be her producing partner on this film. Naturally, Cathy was already very close to Don and Jeanette when I came aboard. They’d started the journey together after Cathy approached them to open the family archives to her, and with the assistance of the entire McAlpine family, in particular their daughter Robin, she began piecing together Don’s story. It was clear to me from the start that Don’s legacy was one that had to be shared with others – not just filmmakers but with the wider cinema-going public, indeed anyone who loved movies. This was a very difficult film to make. There were many disappointments over the years. Sometimes, in chasing down various financing rabbit-holes often requiring extreme effort from the filmmaking team, all I could do was to offer moral support to Cathy in the face of failure. Sometimes it was enough to simply reassure Cathy after a long list of rejections from broadcasters, financiers and other “enablers” that we would make and finish the film “come what may”. From the start, Screen Queensland has been a strong supporter of the film. We secured a broadcast pre-sale with Studio, Australia’s arts and entertainment channel, and support from Screen Australia. A major breakthrough came when Jan Rofekamp, from the renowned sales agency Films Transit International (based in Montreal & New York), signed up the international TV rights, and both Deluxe and Panavision agreed to support the film. The post-production team at Deluxe, and the very talented Michael Gissing, have delivered a beautiful sound and vision quality to the completed film. We have produced a 72-minute feature length version and a 52-minute TV version.


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As a producer I am proud to say, aside from some early re-enactments that were dropped because of budget constraints, Cathy’s vision based on that initial story has never wavered. Since the early days, the script hasn’t veered hugely from a concept that Cathy and writer Charlie de Salis originally wove together. During part of the editing phase Cathy was shooting another film in Borneo which allowed me to spend more time than usual in the edit with Scott Walton. I observed what a fine editor he is while Cathy fed into the process on-line from the deep jungles of Borneo. It’s a testament to Cathy as a director in the editing process that she is so open and collaborative. Our times together in the editing room (and indirectly for me) working with Nicolette Boaz and Andrew Worboys on the music were personally very satisfying. “Don’s Theme” and the rest of the music score for this film is probably the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing on a film I’ve produced, and that’s a huge call. The finished film is a testament to Cathy’s remarkable persistence in pursuing film industry notables such as Baz Luhrmann, Hugh Jackman, Gavin Hood, Bruce Beresford, Margaret Fink, P.J. Hogan, Paul Mazursky, Catherine Martin, and Gillian Armstrong. Every person she asked to assist or be interviewed or both, true to their commitment and her vision, has ended up in the final cut. The film has taken five years to complete. We began with Don’s work on Wolverine in Sydney, Dunedin and Vancouver – a DP role consistent with Don’s stature and reputation in Hollywood, and finished with the independent Australian feature, Mental, P.J. Hogan’s latest comedy. A notable contribution to this film came from my long-standing friendships with two key people who I introduced to Cathy and the film – Alaric McAusland, now CEO of Deluxe, and Alan Finney, ex-Disney and now Chairman of AACTA. Both men already hugely valued Don and very quickly became champions of the project. And both have well and truly earned their Executive Producer status along with Jeanette McAlpine, who has been a

wonderful resource as well as being willing to be so open and honest as a key character in the film. We often hear how many Australians - particularly cinematographers and directors - do well in Hollywood, but it remains an enigma why this is so. Don’s story does shed some light on this question. At time of writing, all Australian licence holders of archive and movie footage used in our film have agreed to zero-fee licence agreements in honour of Don and his contribution to the Australian film industry. All the major Hollywood studios whose footage we have used are also considering similar agreements, which once again is testament to the high esteem and respect that Don has earned internationally. His story also provides a fascinating insight into the new Australian film industry that emerged in the 1970’s, and how the pioneers of that era, many of whom are still at the top of their fields, battled with limited resources to create some iconic films that still have resonance today. Those films include Breaker Morant and My Brilliant Career. Don’s story also reveals itself as a chronicle of technological advancement through the 20th century, reflecting how Don and the industry have experimented with and shaped the styles, tools and technology used in telling cinematic stories. Trish Lake September, 2012


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CREW PROFILES CHARLIE DE SAL IS, Wri ter www.charliedesalis.com Charlie de Salis is an independent screenwriter, director, producer, script consultant and script editor. His screen credits include commercials, short films, documentaries, television drama and feature films. Based in New Zealand from 1989 until his return to Australia in 2000, Charlie wrote and directed three New Zealand produced short films - ‘Secrets’, ‘A Moment Passing’, and ‘Flying’. ‘A Moment Passing’ has screened at numerous international film festivals, including Venice, Cannes, and Melbourne, winning Jury Awards at Dresden and New York. Flying has screened at the Hawaii, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch International Film Festivals, at the Sydney Flickerfest and the Madrid Experimental Short Film Festival, and at the Giffoni, Montreal, and Hyperbad International Children’s Film Festivals. ‘Flying’ and ‘A Moment Passing’ were Best Short Film category finalists in successive New Zealand Film Awards. Both films have sold extensively to international television and between them have screened at more than 26 international film festivals. Charlie worked as a writer/director on the award winning New Zealand drama series ‘True Life Stories’, and has written two television plays for New Zealand television - ‘Highwater’ (sole story and screenplay credit) and ‘Money For Jam’ (co-writer and script editor). He has written and directed two documentaries for New Zealand television, ‘High Hopes’ and ‘A Load Of Rubbish’. His recent script consultancy and script editing credits include the feature films ‘Undertow’ and ‘Bad Karma’, and the ABC telefeature ‘Cliffy’. He is a script assessor for Screen Queensland and Screen Tasmania. Charlie has worked extensively as a mentor for developing filmmakers, including delivering 10 short films as a Supervising Producer for Queensland screen development agency QPIX. He has lectured at the Centre for Film and

Television at Bond University and taught screenwriting and documentary at the SAE film schools in Brisbane and Byron Bay. Charlie’s current projects include 3 factual series, a documentary, a major online/television cross-platform project, and two feature films. SCOTT WALTON, Edi tor www.fiftyfifty.tv Scott is an accomplished editor with a committed focus on documentary. He has edited several award winning documentaries and has been nominated for an AFI Award for Best Editing in a Documentary. With a background in architecture, Scott found an affinity with the world of filmmaking and was compelled to make the move. Initially he worked creatively in video installation and theatre, and then started making music videos. As a co-founding member of production house 50/50 Films, director/editor Scott has received seven ARIA Award nominations for Best Australian Music Video and collaborated with artists such as actor Russell Crowe, director Ron Howard, Australian rock band Powderfinger, World Champion Boxer Anthony Mundine and AFL star Ben Cousins. Scott has nearly 30 years creative experience and the last 14 years have been focussed on editing. Scott’s other screen credits include ‘The Curse of the Gothic Symphony’, nominated for a 2012 AACTA Award for best feature length documentary. ‘The Worm Hunters’ won the prestigious Jackson Hole Jury Prize and numerous other awards, whilst ‘Rare Chicken Rescue’ was nominated for four AFI Awards, winning Best Sound in a Documentary.


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NICOLETTE BOAZ, Composer www.nico let teboaz .com www.hypnopaedia.com.au Australian based composer Nicolette Boaz has worked in the film industry for nearly 30 years. She has written compositions for documentary, feature films, theatre, advertising and music libraries. Specializing in working with music from ethnic cultures, Nicolette has a double degree in Contemporary Music and Aboriginal Studies. She has written for every musical genre from grand soundtracks to contemporary hip- hop: from funk to award-winning relaxation music which has been featured on Qantas in-flight entertainment. Recently Nicolette completed an album ‘Hypnopaedia’ featuring artists from 10 diverse ethnic Australian backgrounds. Having lectured in world music at the Australian Institute of Music at tertiary level and played in numerous bands playing Latin and African music, Nicolette has often composed for projects requiring an understanding of music from other cultures. She is a long time supporter of indigenous affairs and Aboriginal land rights. Her screen credits include ‘Show me The Magic’, the story of legendary Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine, who filmed 53 features including ‘Wolverine’ , ‘Chronicles of Narnia’, ‘Romeo + Juliet’ as well as many early Australian classics such as ‘Breaker Morant’ and ‘The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie’. Nicolette has also composed music for 'Jabiluka' (David Bradbury’s film about the Aboriginal Mirrar people from Kakadu), 'Losing Layla' (Atom Award winning documentary), 'My Home The Block' (the on-going dispossession of Aboriginal people from Redfern), 'Eye on the Reef '(screened in 25 countries) and ‘Our Generation’, the story of the colonization of Australia and its effect on Aboriginal people.

She also wrote the score for ‘The Burning Season’ narrated by Hugh Jackman which was pre-sold to BBC (UK), ABC (Aus), CBC (Canada) and PBS (USA) and won numerous awards including the 2008 IF Award for Best Documentary. Music for Image is Nicolette’s specialty and passion.


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CREDITS Directed by Cathy Henkel Produced by Trish Lake & Cathy Henkel Executive Producer Alan Finney Executive Producer Alaric McAusland Executive Producer Jeanette McAlpine Editor Scott Walton Composer Nicolette Boaz Orchestrator Andrew Worboys Cinematographer Cathy Henkel

Writer and Research Charlie de Salis Tracklay and Sound Mixer Michael Gissing Off l ine Post Production Fifty Fifty Films Onl ine & Sound Post Production Efilm Australia Addit ional camera Ismail (Ezther) Fahmi Lubis Erika Addis Peter Baker Austin Andrews Paul Butler Tim Barnsley Boris Vymenets Rebecca McElroy Sound Cathy Henkel Douglas Ly Steve McDonald

Production Manager Rebecca McElroy Associate Producer Tara Wardrop Head of Production Kyla Bridge Edit Assistant Marcus Wilson New Zealand Sequences Director Sandra Cook LA Production Manager Dan Lake Archive Naomi J Hall Tara Wardrop Brooke Lagana Robin McAlpine Assistant to Producers Felicity Blake Sam Lara Tara Beardmore

Music ians Andrew Worboys, Piano Ben Fink, Guitars Tim Oram, Tenor sax, clarinet, flute Christian Marsh, Harmonica Tina Harris, Drums, bass, guitar Music Mixing Bob Scott, Dodgy Sound Music Engineering Tamlin Tregonning Blair Greenberg Post Production Serv ices Efilm Australia Post Production Producer Helen Kok Post Production Supervisor Matthew T. Griffin Colourists Jamie Hediger Assistant Colourist Matthew T. Griffin

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Onl ine Editor Kristian Whitlock Mix Engineer Sam Hayward

J ohn Durney Dav id Orman DCP Creation Kirstin Cetinich Ben Tant

Ben McNeill, James Baker

J enny Lalor

Special Thanks to: Phil lip Adams Blanche Ambrose Gil lian Armstrong Bruce Beresford Martin Brown

Martin Cayzer Kim Dalton Marga ret Fink Todd Fellman Meredith Garlick PJ Hoga n Gav in Hood Hugh J ackman J enn y Lalor Baz Luh rmann Catherine Martin Marga ret Mathieson Steve Mathis J ocelyn Moorhouse Paul and Betsy Mazursky Robin McAlpine Marga ret Murphy J ack Thompson J erry and J anet Zucker

Special thanks to al l l icence holders for their generous support

Archiva l footage courtesy of The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia NFSA Film Australia Collection

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Library Sales

South Austral ian Film Corporation for excerpts from Breaker Morant

Marga ret Fink for excerpts from My Brilli an t Career Phil lip Adams for excerpts from Th e Adventures of Barry McKenzie

Th e Gett ing of Wisdom

Footage from

X-Men Origins: W olverine, William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge (2001) and Predator Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved

Peter PanCourtesy of NBC Universal

Patriot GamesCourtesy of Paramount Pictures

Tempest and Peter PanCourtesy of Columbia Pictures

Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Walden Media, LLC for footage from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeDown and Out in Beverly HillsPeter PanAll Rights Reserved

.

Special thanks to:

ABC Library Sales

Cyrus Irani

Catherine Mulhall

Adam Taylor

South Australian Film Corporation Richard Harris

Greg Marsh

Sharon Cleary

Kevin Hatswell The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Simon Drake Bronwyn Coupe Brendan Smith, Kathrin Di Rocco, Amanda McCormack Dav id Hoga n

David JamesWebsite, Marketing

Production Accountancy

Legal Affairs

Data Management

Naomi Wanner, FAC Research Librarian 20th Century Fox Sunder Kimatrai Marc Wooldridge Ralph Winter J anice Tay

Universal Studios Mike Baard Paramount Mike Selwyn The Walt Disney Company J ohn Cracknell Nick Capes Thanks to: Nina Angelo Gubby

Allen Murray Anderson

J anet & Dorothy Norton Neryle Smurthwaite Patsy Hill

Parkes High School Michelle Kessey Quandialla P&C Sharon Reardon Patrick Nethery Sue-Anne Matthews Celina Harvie Temora High School Bill Speirs Temora Reg ional Museum Temora Town Hall QUT Creative Industries Wayne Taylor J osh Dawson Jeff Canin Australian Cinematog raphers Society (ACS) Ron J ohanson American Society of Cinematog raphers (ASC) Patty Armacost

J ules Munro, Simpsons Solicitors Ang ie Walton-Godwin Sam Lara

AACTA/AFI Damian Trewhella Renato Rispoli Alan Finney AFTRS David Court Lisa Olesen Lyn Norfor Samantha Lopez - Perey ra

Panavision Paul J ackson Martin Cayzer David Dodson

STUDIO

Executive Producer Marg aret Murphy Developed and produced with the assistance of SCREEN QUEENSLAND Developed and financed with the assistance ofSCREEN AUSTRALIA Copyright 2012 Screen Queensland Pty Ltd Virgo Productions & Freshwater Pictures EPK by Felicity Blake.

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Special thanks to The McAlpine fami ly Dedicated to the memory

of South Afr ican f i lmmaker

Peter Henkel 1924 - 1992 International Distribution Films Transit International J an Rofekamp Deluxe Australia Alaric McAusland Andrew Robinson

Australia’s arts and entertainment channel

Peter Giles

Deborah Marriott

Documents

MEDIA KIT CONTENTS Page 2 Synopses Page 4 Don’s Biography ... · Luhrmann, Don received a BAFTA nomination (Romeo + Juliet), and Oscar® and BAFTA nominations for Best Cinematography