N.Z. producer makes film in Russia

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33941, 6 September 1975, Page 5

N.Z. producer makes film in Russia

(By

KEN COATES

The TVI producer,! Peter Coates, lias made two films, one in the! Soviet Union and the other in Germany, which] will be scheduled later, this year, and which! break new ground for New Zealand. The Russian film was shot] last December and is a sub-; jective record of a New Zea-I lander’s reaction to Moscow.! It was made in co-| production with the features; department of Russia’s No-1 vosti Press Agency. The German film features] the town of Bayreuth, near! Nuremberg, where the famous opera composer Richard Wagner settled when he was about 60 and established a festival centre for the performance of his | works. It includes a profile of the famous New Zealand singer, Donald Mclntyre. Both films were made while Peter Coates was working and studying overseas for nine months on a Queen Elizabeth Arts Council bursary. He also studied production with the B.B.C’s drama department and worked with

the production team of the, programme, “Softly, Softly.” ]

Peter Coates set out to! make a film in Russia that would not be affected by the many preconceptions that distort the New Zealand view of the U.S.S.R. 'Trivialities’ He realised that he would have little chance of coming to grips with a country so alien and complex as Russia so set out to “capture the trivialities of life — people! going with their kids to the! park, the shops and schools and factories.” He said the Russians gave him every assistance. Hei had three interpreters fluent) in English. One was a woman who had studied; Western literature and the) other two were journalists, i The chief cameraman, sound operator and assistant cameraman spoke no English. This caused some prob-1 lems, particularly over colloquial instructions, and there were “moments of terror,” particularly at the opera. The Russians spent 10l days taking Peter Coates to| all the places he wanted to I see, and the next 12 daysfilming.

His deepest impresion was; of a country whose people! are simultaneously imaginative and restrained. He also] sensed both exuberance and wistfulness which he believes is well interpreted in; Russian music. ! This rich variety of mood) is reflected in his title fori the film, “The Fire in the! Snow.” Up to standard Peter Coates said that al-j thougn his initial feeling; was to be overawed by the! Russians’ expertise, he’soon I found that as a New; Zealand-trained producer he ! was able to gain the respect I of his Russian associates. | This, he claims, was an- ■ other by-product of his trip;) the realisation that New' Zealand direct'ors while they! “may not all be Fellinis” are) well up to the standard attained by professionals in | other parts of the world. The New Zealand producer I visited Germany while the! Wagner Festival was in progress at Bayreuth and said he received tremendous I co-operation from officals (there, who had a high re!gard for Donald Mclntyre. ) The Russian film, filmed j in the intense cold of a Moscow winter, is likely to be seen on TVI about Christmas, in contrast to a New Zealand Christmas. The Wagner film could be seen also about the end of the year. Peter Coates is currently directing TVl’s drama serial, “Close to Home.”