Northland On The Screen

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1939, Page 4

Northland On The Screen

IT is safe to say that the large number of people who are expected to visit the Northland Court at the Centennial Exhibition now in session at Wellington will be pleasantly surprised when they see a film which has been prepared for Northland publicity purposes, and . which is to be one of the features of the court.

The film, which was adopted as one of the principal methods for bringing the tourist attractions and the farming and industrial potentialities of Northland under the notice of those who have not yet visited the territory, promises to do what its promoters hoped it would accomplish.

A screening of the film was made in Whangarei last evening, and Northlanders themselves were no doubt surprised to realise the beauty and size of their homeland, and the development that has taken place during the. past hundred years of settlement. The film gives an excellent presentation of the outstanding features of Northland's endowment by nature, and the extent to which man has taken advantage of that endowment.

To those unacquainted with Northland, the film will be a veritable eye-opener. An effort has been made to make the film as comprehensive as possible. This has not been an easy task, for the plenitude of material has rendered difficult the work of selection. There has, however, been assembled a series of pictures which place on record the historic spots associated with the birth of civilisation in New Zealand; the outstanding scenic attractions, in the §hape of landscape and seascape; the farming developments, especially in connection with dairying; the industrial activities, ranging from toheroa canning to coalmining and cement manufacture; and the principal towns and country centres. It will probably be found possible to rearrange features of the film in the light of experience. Some footage, for instance, should be devoted to deep-sea fishing, which is one of Northland’s best known tourist allurements, but, taken altogether, there is little room for criticism, and all responsible for the making of the picture have good reason to be pleased with the result of their effort. The photography, which is of the colour variety, is of outstanding merit, and, from every point of view, the film is an admirable one. As a publicity medium it should be of incalculable value, for it is only reasonable to expect that spectators of the film will be stirred by desire to make personal acquaintance with the romantic, beautiful and fertile territory of Northland.