“Tribute to Achievement”: Pacific Film Unit

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 79, Issue 5, 15 November 1949, Page 500

“Tribute to Achievement”: Pacific Film Unit

THE rather meaningless title, “Tribute to Achievement,” carried by the copy of the 20-minute-long documentary of the New Zealand meat industry previewed recently was about the only thing to cavil at in what was otherwise a most entertaining and instructive film. It is to be hoped that before it is released on its circuit of all towns in New Zealand, arrangements for which have been completed, it will be given a new title that will convey to prospective theatre patrons, particularly farmers, something of what .the film is about.

ROGER MIRAMS, of the Pacific Film - Unit, has produced in “Tribute to Achievement” . a . film which all farmers should see. Films have been, used ? fairly extensively in New Zealand in ■ campaigns for increased production both during the war and afterwards, and; because of shortage of film stock and other technical difficulties there ■ , has been far too little local production ..' offered. Many of the overseas pro- . ductions used have been of little real value from the point of view of stimulating . production, and some of them , , have left much to be desired a ; entertainment. ': W. and R. Fletcher Ltd., for whom “Tribute to Achievement” was produced, are to be congratulated on having sponsored a film, that should leave ’audiences who see it with a .■ feeling of pride in this local cinematograph production and in the production of the country’s pastures. It is nearly .70 years ago that the first shipment of frozen meat was sent to Great Britain from New Zealand. In 1948 N*ew Zealand provided more meat for Britain than any other country in the world. That is the theme of the film in which a tribute . is paid to those who have helped to build the meat industry, which has become this country’s greatest enterprise.. (. ‘ .. . Excellent photography has reproduced. in the early sequences of early morning mustering of sheep some scenes of such great beauty that one regrets the absence of colour. It is only a fleeting regret, however, as one is eventually left with the feeling that there is more authenticity in the pastel

effects of black and white in the pastoral sequences. . The mustering of sheep and cattle, drafting, droving to the saleyards, the moving of store sheep from the hills to fatten on the low country, the operations of buyers from the freezing works, and the co-operation of the transport industry in the movement of stock are authentically reproduced. Every activity of a huge freezing works processing meat for export and treating and preparing all the byproducts is picked out by the camera, and the tremendous organisation required to process 1200 pigs, 1000 cattle, and 8000 to 10,000 sheep per day in one works at . the peak of the season makes a surprisingly entertaining and very instructive theme. ...The last sequence of a refrigerated ship loading meat for Britain rounds off aptly a . film that is a very faithful record from the farm to the consumer in Great Britain of the achievements of New Zealand’s meat industry. “Tribute to Achievement” was recorded by Fox Movietone, Sydney, and the shooting script was by Alun Falconer. Rex Walden’s commentary is ' capable and convincingly knowledgeable of a generally: technical theme. The sponsors of the film have generously arranged for 16mm. copies of the original to be made for the National Film Library and other distributive agencies through which they will be available to educational and other organisations desiring to show them.— G.J.N. “Tribute to Achievement”: Pacific Film Unit; 20 min.; black and white with sound.