New Zealand is not going down without a fight! Join the effort to keep The Hobbit in New…
Continue ReadingNew Zealand is not going down without a fight! Join the effort to keep The Hobbit in New Zealand by participating positive rallies throughout the country. A facebook page has been setup for the effort, including dates and times when rallies will be taking part in your town. If you are in New Zealand, join your fellow Kiwis this Labour Day Monday! [Facebook Page] [Rally Event Page to RSVP]
If you do attend, please send in your reports to spymaster@theonering.net. We’d love to hear from you all.
Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens were interviewed on radio NZ last Thursday (before unions lifted the blacklist on ‘The Hobbit’). Both ladies are clearly frustrated at the situation and are not afraid to show it. With WB execs flying in next week it is clear that Walsh, Boyens and Jackson are the only 3 people that can possibly save The Hobbit from leaving NZ. If they manage to prove NZ is a good choice as a location to make the films all can be saved. Now we wait…
These clips were previously available as MP3’s, however to add them to YouTube we’ve added a few photos of Fran, Philippa and Peter through the years. Take a listen.
Ataahua sends along this cartoon from Kiwi cartoonist Tom Scott. Scott comments on The Hobbit, featuring Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Robyn Malcolm and Hellen Kelly.
As news of the apparent resolution to this whole Hobbit mess hits the wire, we have more video to show you of the protest, and the local news coverage. First take a look at a fan made video of the protest, then a news report featuring Helen Kelly, president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.
New Zealand media commentator Russell Brown lends his perspective of where breakdowns have occurred along the path of seeking rights for New Zealand actors.
“If production of the Hobbit does indeed go to Ireland, there will be an extraordinary irony: the industrial relations environment around the film will be benign because Irish Equity did what New Zealand Actors’ Equity would have done had it been even minimally competent.”
A harsh look at NZAE, to be sure, but the piece also contains some good background information. Continued thanks to Kiwi staff member Ataahua for funneling all the ‘local’ media releases to us so quickly.
Ataahua keeps us informed from New Zealand once more. From Richard Taylor’s in interview 10 minutes ago on Newstalk ZB:
“This is incredible madness. It’s unfolded so quickly with so few people causing so much harm to so many. It’s like watching a slow-motion train wreck unfolding before your eyes. I’m not a spokesperson for the film industry – I don’t know the intricate details (of the movie’s future) as well as you think I would. I speak for myself. While I represent the voice of the team who work at Weta Workshop I have the same emotions and feelings as the Wellington film technicians who make a livelihood from the film industry.”
In response to Helen Kelly’s comments about yesterday’s meeting ‘winding up’ the film technicians:“That’s completely untrue, unfortunately like many of the things Helen Kelly says. She’s in the corner, she’s realising she’s made an incredible blunder. She’s empowered a very small group of people to put our film industry in jeopardy. I can’t imagine how they’re feeling now about themselves. “I sent an email at 3pm yesterday suggesting anyone who wants to talk were welcome to come along. I was amazed at the number of people who turned up. Obviously it was incredibly impacting and a statement in itself that so many technicians turned up – we figured maybe 30 or 40 times the number of actors that had turned up in support of the New Zealand Equity side.
“It was decided as a group to go down to the meeting (of NZ Equity) and try to verbalise our concern as the other side of the film industry, the other point of view, the people who are the film makers in New Zealand. The fact that the group that were gathered were emotional is understandable, although passionate is more appropriate. I believe the film industry is fired by passionate people. You don’t make a movie like The Lord of the Rings without passion, drive, determination and motivation, and that’s what the film technicians demonstrated last night.”
Stay tuned to TheOneRing.net for more breaking news as we get it.
