Hello again.
Here are a few remarks about MARK II which I feel should be added to the record.
My friend Gary Ryan, who was First Assistant Director on the film, died some years ago. Gary was the one who urged me to put my hand up to save the film. He became a successful Producer later on and ran his own production company in partnership with Ted Sheehan and Peter Metcalfe.
Mike Walker was actively involved with post production at Avalon and attended all film editing/director sessions with Paul Sutorious and John Anderson. Mike stayed at John and Ali’s place up on Mt Cook when he was in town. So he had lots of input into the shape of the film and it’s general feel.
John and Mike had opposing styles of directing. Mike was very visual and John saw things from a political and cultural viewpoint. It was John’s politics which mostly affected the film’s main themes and the telling of the story. The plot, such as it was, never really featured. We made the effort to recognise the importance of Tikanga. Our cultural advisor was a local Māori named Ross Wilson.
But however sincere our efforts were in today’s cultural terms it seems ludicrous that a bunch of pakeha, however good the intention, could make a film about the problems faced by Māori youth.
It did get those polynesian faces up on the screen I guess.
Mark II is not a great film. It suffers somewhat from the rush to get it made but it has a good heart and has become something of a cultural icon. The crew were the best in the business and that shows through in the technical aspects of the movie.
Just eight days ago Mark II had a screening at the Whau Pacific Festival in Tamaki Makaurau. So there she blows. Still being watched.
After it’s first screening on Saturday Night at The Movies in 1986, one reviewer (I think it was Simon Wilson) said that Mark II was a film about the healing power of love.
I’ll take that and I guess John and Mike would too.
We had one traumatic incident after the main shoot was over but I wont go into any details as some of those involved are no longer here.
I think we may have broken Tapu on one occasion during filming and although I am a rationalist myself, I have encountered things in the Māori world which gave me pause to think.
It’s all resting in peace by now I think.
Remembering: Gary Ryan, Joe Von Dinklage, Karen Alexander, Richard Martin, Jo Grimond, John Anderson and Mike Walker.
Hey Dan, Not sure if you are aware of this postscript, so I’ll tell you anyway: Mark 2 was finished before I started at Avalon, but the two prop cars were still parked in the back car park. When I was in the props department, one of the Paul’s was making arrangements to sell the cars when a guy rang up wondering when he was getting his car back! Turns out one was purchased, one was borrowed. Oops. Luckily he rang before we sold it
Joe von Dinklage 💔
I was TPA on one of his first cam assist shoots with Leo Shelton and Lorraine Englebretsen, with Peter Coates and Brian Brake in Arthur's Pass, which became an epic Kaleidoscope doco of Brian's life and work