Inferiority complex?

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34105, 18 March 1976, Page 4

Inferiority complex?

(By

ROBIN TURKEL)

1 **“What gets me,” Rbger Donaldson said, sipping his beer, “is that t.’key always say there’s Dio-one in this country vrho can do a job —it always has to be someone from overseas.’’

IHe wasn’t crying in his beer. In fact, it was a celebration — if a little ’bitter-sweet. His Aardvark

films was about to present a wfaole drama series on television — the first time ever jfor a New Zealand indepenxiint. “Winners and Losers,” ah: half-hour plays based on Series by well-known New alanders, begins on TVI o>A April 5. '“l’m not complaining about this, it’s the over-all pit ture,” Donaldson said. "Illis attitude that people hire can’t do something goes way 'back. Basically, it’s an inferiority complex.” Donaldson ticked off the natnes of some talented New Zealanders he said had run Inti* the attitude and been fori :ed to take themselves off overseas —

Bria in Bell, Chris Thompson, Dav id Stevens, John Barningi tarn and John Mcßae, the lata :r two back now, but for hov» long? "1 don’t think they should havMJ had to leave the country,!!’ Donaldson said. “They hadl talent originally. Sure they sharpened their talent oven seas, but that could

lhave been done here if the opportunities had been provided. What going overseas and then coming back did was enable them to get the resources here to do the job.

“For instance, this thing Ted Morrisby has pulled off — six big documentaries for $360,000. More power to him. But I doubt he would have got a hearing if he hadn’t been from overseas. (Morrisby is Australian, and has worked in several countries).

"Sure Morrisby is talented — and he has a track record. But he’s using New Zealand as base. What we have to do is have the confidence in our own people to let them develop. It’s the only way we’ll build television in this country on any long-term basis.” The 30-year-old Donaldson has been trying to do his part, but it has been like

trying to push a boulder uphill. He began as a still photographer and switched to film-making six years ago. With actor lan Mune he founded Aardvark films in Auckland and has managed to make a living doing commercials. Aardvark first attracted public attention with its Feltex award-winning drama, “Derek,” in which Mune played a fantasising loser of a real estate man. Next came the Katherine Mansfield short story, “Woman at the Store.” Now comes "Winners and Losers," with dramatisations of stories by Maurice Duggan, Frank Sargeson, Maurice Shadbolt and others.