N.Z.’s WAR EFFORT

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 July 1942, Page 4

N.Z.’s WAR EFFORT

FILM UNIT AT GREYMOUTH.

Representatives of the New Zealand National Film Unit are visiting Greymouth, filming various aspects of the wax - effort on the West Coast. The visitors are Messrs E. S. Andrews (producer for the Unit), N. H. Bridgman (chief cameraman) and A. G. Silk (Australian official war photographer). The Unit was established by the Government in August of last year, based on the Government Film Studios, to keep a running film record of New Zealand’s war effort in all its phases, and to publicise the effort on the screens of New Zealand and overseas. The Unit maintains 18 of a staff, and is constantly engaged all over New Zealand, producing a weekly reel, which is distributed in 13 prints, and a longer film about once a month. Since the Unit was established 10 months ago, approximately 13,500 feet of film taken by the Unit has been screened in theatres all over the Dominion.

In the Grey district, the Unit is concentrating on filming aspects of the training and work of the 17th Independent Infantry Company, and the Home Guard, against the background of the West Coast’s unique scenery.

Mr. Silk’s services have been borrowed from the Australian Department of Information to take “stills”, and his work is in the interests of both the Australian and New Zealand Governments. He was attached to the A.1.F., for two years and a half, in the Middle East, and was in Greece and Crete. He was attached to the New Zealand Division at Sidi Rezegh in November last.