Van Diemen’s Land the Movie

[SurferShane]

Apparently this film started showing in cinemas a few days ago. David on the movie show was absolutely impressed by the realism of the movie. It is filmed on location in Tasmanian, near freezing and hungry actors included. In fact, in one scene on the trailer you can clearly see Frenchman’s Cap in the background.

I have to admit I have been totally obsessed with the Alexander Pearce story since reading Paul Collin’s extremely well researched book “Hell’s Gates”. As far as bushwalking is concerned this is an incredible tale of survival in the wilderness. Their improvised rations aside, it is still an absolute feat of endurance given the terrain and total lack of equipment.

I just hope the film is showing next week in one of my local cinemas

Here’s a link to the official site and trailer: http://www.vandiemensland-themovie.com/

[dee_legg]

I saw the trailer for this late one night earlier in the week, and then remember reading about the filming when i was research that horrible other movie, Dying Breed. This one actually looks very good, and quite full on.. but i'll definitely be going to see it.

[Jaxter]

I saw the movie yesterday and was very disappointed. Actually it was mostly filmed in the Otway ranges and doesn't look very much like the Tasmanian bush we know and love. My biggest gripe was that the numerous river crossings (there were at least 3 major rivers crossed!) were obviously not filmed in Tassie as the water was not brown! There is some Tassie scenery, but the only spectactuar (and recognisably Tasmanian) shot is the one of Frenchman's Cap in the distance.

Sadly the plot was pretty limited:
a) walk through bush [with about 3 variations on scenery - open rainforest, open eucalypt forest, grassy (not buttongrass) field],
b) kill someone and eat them,
c) exchange meaningful looks
d) repeat 5x.

I thought the telemovie "The Last Confessions of Alexander Pearce" did a better job of exploring and developing the characters of the men over the course of their experience. Still, I'd hate to discourage a first time film-maker - good on them for trying and I do wish them better for their next effort.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Actually it WAS filmed in Tasmania. and was a pretty good movie I thought for what they had on offer. not all of Tassies rivers are constantly brown
It's showing at the STATE cinema in Hobart for at least the next few days.

[stepbystep]

Actually it WAS filmed in Tasmania. and was a pretty good movie I thought for what they had on offer. not all of Tassies rivers are constantly brown
It's showing at the STATE cinema in Hobart for at least the next few days.

Double Actually, the majority of it was filmed in VIC, you can blame ScreenTas for that don't get me started.
I hear it's a pretty good effort for such a young director, but fails to fully engage the audience. Personally if it was ALL filmed in Tas it would have been a lot better for a lot of reasons.
Some friends got 'extra' roles on it, they had lot's of fun shooting it I hear.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanls for the clarification. Several people walked out after the second murder in the screening we were at. Gotta wonder what they were expecting....

[Trackmaster]

Maybe they ate pork before the screening and went

[stepbystep]

Thanls for the clarification. Several people walked out after the second murder in the screening we were at. Gotta wonder what they were expecting....

...some polite cannibals with table manners perhaps?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Haha maybe!!

Pass the peppercorns with that forearm please......

[SurferShane]

@ Jaxter

Re: I thought the telemovie "The Last Confessions of Alexander Pearce" did a better job of exploring and developing the characters

If you liked this program you would also like the book “Hell’s Gates” by Paul Collins. He is a Roman Catholic priest and avoids gratuitous gore to explore a lot of the real history and system of crime and punishment of the convict settlement. Like the "The Last Confessions of Alexander Pearce" the book also delves into what it was that would make a man harden to eating his fellow inmates.

I should also note that I am disappointed to discover Van Diemen’s Land was not entirely filmed in Tasmania. In contrast, from memory the actors who played Pearce and his priest in the last confessions both came from Pearce’s hometown in Ireland.

If you DO like gratutios gore, go watch “A Dying Breed”. You won’t be disappointed; just don’t expect anything to be based on historical fact. Maddest thing was that there was this article in “The Australian” talking about how the some tourism body thought the scenery in a Dying Breed would attract moviegoers to holiday in Tassie. How cool – come to Tassie, enjoy the wilderness and get ate!

[Trackmaster]

Surely where it was filmed is irrelevant?? I enjoyed the planet of the apes and im pretty sure that wasnt on location.....

[walkinTas]

Pretty sure it was!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Lol! some of the cast may have been locals

[Steve]

This movie looks to be alright - starts showing on the 15th in Burnie (only 2 weeks though). Dying Breed is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. For starters (as mentioned) it not based on anything factual at all, there's barely any shooting in Tasmania, and its a rip off of movies like Wolfe Creek. Could rant on for ages about it but Dying Breeds not even worth it.

[SurferShane]

This movie looks to be alright - starts showing on the 15th in Burnie (only 2 weeks though). Dying Breed is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. For starters (as mentioned) it not based on anything factual at all, there's barely any shooting in Tasmania, and its a rip off of movies like Wolfe Creek. Could rant on for ages about it but Dying Breeds not even worth it.

I am a horror and Australian movie fan so I have a bit of a bias in favour of A Dying Breed and enjoyed the concept on the backdrop of some nice wilderness shots.

However, I still can't disagree with what you have said. If you are not a fan of B-grade slasher movies you WILL HATE THIS FILM! I know David and Margaret on the movie show where very displeased about how it was just another bad example of a current genre of gore flicks.

[Phil]

I just saw in today's Examiner that 'Van Diemen's Land' will be screening at 6:30pm on Thursday the 29th of October at Village Cinemas Launceston for 1 showing only.

No free tickets......tickets $10 each and includes opportunity for Q&A with the director (so it says in the paper).

I imagine that it would be worth pre-purchasing tickets just in case it sold out?

I better have a chat with the boss when I get home tonight and see if I can get a night off the 'putting the kids to bed' duties

[wander]

A lot of food for thought in the comments above.

A bit disappointing to find much / some was shot in Vic? It does explain why some of the woodland really did not match my experience of Tas.

I kept expecting thick scrub and horizontal scrub and scrub you cannot see you hand in front of your face, but alas was disappointed.

One of books I have read on the Pearce story was fairly convinced the party was observed and left alone by the locals. Not an issue touched upon by the film.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Film Tasmania turned the project down so they had NO FUNDING to shoot the film in Tas.
Victoria Film said YES PLEASE! So they had lots of funding to shoot over there!

Bit sad I agree but Film tasmania are the ones left with egg on their face after how well the movie has gone on to do!

[johnw]

One of books I have read on the Pearce story was fairly convinced the party was observed and left alone by the locals. Not an issue touched upon by the film.

Possibly Paul Collins' book Hell's Gates. It suggested that they were watched closely by members of the Braylwunyer and Larmairremener aboriginal people (Big River tribe). They were supposedly waiting to see if Pearce's party had guns and planned to kill them if not, in defence of their territory from invasion.

[Steve73]

Does anyone know where I can buy the book? It seems to be out of print and is very diffucult to find, even online!

[markoskyblue]

First off, I really liked the film. It's a film that you really immerse yourself into. Alexander Pearce's poetry-like narration combined with the haunting music sets a slow but nice pace to the film. To a degree it's repetitious but that's how the story goes. It's not going to be for everybody. I would have loved to have seen (and recognised) more Tasmanian landscapes but with films it ain't always going to be possible. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

I was hanging out to see this film since seeing it on At The Movies. I couldn't believe that a film about a famous Tasmanian story was originally only getting a showing in Hobart (I'm in Launceston). So I was fairly pumped when Wide Angle Tasmania put the screening on at Village in Launceston with the Director's Q&A session.

The Q&A session was very interesting. The whole film was made for ~$250,000 which is extraordinarily cheap compared to so many movies. And it was the director's first feature length film. Jonathan auf der Heide (the director) (a Tasmanian) said that they couldn't afford to film everything in Tasmania. Most of the cast and crew volunteered their time (I hope they get some money back if it earns enough!) and I guess they were generally Victorian based. I think he made the comment that Film Victoria came on board with money after they'd actually finished the film. He also commented that they couldn't film in dense bush as he wouldn't get the right 'angles'. Though I'm sure it was more the cost of filming on location that prevented more Tasmanian footage from being included. The music, which I really liked, was done by one guy (Jethro Woodward) in his loungeroom in Hobart. He played all the instruments himself.

I believe that it has a two week screening in Launceston from the 11th of November onwards but I can't find the info on the Village website, the VDL movie website or Wide Angle Tasmania website.

I'd recommend people to go see it as it's a very good film and it's not often you'll be able to see a local story on the big screen.

[markoskyblue]

I just checked the Village website and the film is showing three times a day until at least the 18th of November in Launceston.