Wars revisited

Press, 8 March 1978, Page 15

Wars revisited

Joint productions always raise the problems of editorial control, and the extent to which the' sponsor’s wishes should be taken into account. Tonight’s six-thirty special on TV2, “Operation Heritage,” looks a reasonable compromise. The New Zealand Army and the channel combined to make the hour-long special. The army’s interests have been served by publicising its campaign to raise funds for an army museum at Waiouru, and TV2’s interests have been fulfilled by the making of a programme about the part played by war in the history of Australia and New Zealand. The army previewed the film this week. Left to the public relations companies, it could have tarned out to be an exercise in the glorification of war. But the professionalism of the producer, Tom Finlayson, the script-writer, Marcia Russell, and the film editor, Simon Sedgley, made the result workman-like and objective.

However much one may dislike violence and militarism, the armed services have played an important

part in the making of New Zealand. The film is presented by Peter Sinclair (former frontman of “Mastermind” and "University Challenge") and was 'shot on location in Waiouru, Syd’ ney, and Canberra.

Sinclair plays the role of a roving reporter with assurance and authority, taking the viewer on a tour of military museums in Australia, and to the site of the proposed new army museum at Waiouru.