Fulfilling early ambitions to become a film-maker

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 16, 18 September 1984, Page 3

Fulfilling early ambitions to become a film-maker

The Waimarino has many sons and daughters who have left the area to seek fame and fortune abroad and who return from time to time to see family, to meet friends and to revive memories. Many of them have found fame and fortune by carving out a career that would not have been possible had they stayed in the Waimarino. One such is Larry Parr (pictured) born 32 years ago in Raetihi, the eldest son of Ray and Iris Parr who recently took over the Raetihi Hotel. Larry attended the Raetihi Primary School before completing his secondary school education at St Stephens, Bombay Hills, south of Auckland. He then went to Auckland University where he obtained a Law degree. On completing his degree he joined Broadbank Finance and worked in their legal and financial department for five years until that organisation amalgamated with the Challenge Corporation. While at Broadbank he was involved in the arrangement of finance for the New Zealand feature film 'Sleeping Dogs' and it was this experience that both rekindled a childhood interest in film and also gave him an opportunity to work more closely with that medium ... he joined Kerridge Odeon as assistant to the Company Solicitor. Larry's interest in films had started a long time ago when he was still a child "but a career in film was not a realistic or available option for a boy from a family farm in Raetihi," he said when interviewed last week. However, while at Broadbank he had met Roger Donaldson, director of the 1977 film 'Sleeping Dogs' and they both started working independently on television commercials and film projects. Larry had formed his own film company 'Mirage Films' in Auckland in 1979 but didn't start serious trading under that title until

he had left Kerridge Odeon in 1981. He had continued to work with Roger Donaldson and the first feature film to come out of this partnership — Larry was producer and Roger was director — was one that will be familiar to all Waimarino readers ... 'Smash Palace.' Using a lot of local talent, 'Smash Palace' was filmed in Ohakune, Rangataua and Horopito during 1981 and released in a special gala performance at the Kings Theatre in Ohakune on Monday 1 February 1982. Soon after 'Smash Palace' Roger Donaldson went overseas to pursue a career in film directing and, with Dino de Laurentis, made 'Bounty'. Larry and Mirage Films have been involved in many New Zealand films since they won critical acclaim with 'Smash Palace'. These inplude 'Constance' which Larry produced and which has recently been sold to a film distributor in the UK and the BBC. He was assistant producer for the film 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence' which starred David Bowie and was filmed in Auckland and Rar otonga.

He produced and directed a 30-minute television drama 'The Makutu on Mrs Jones'. And more recently he has produced two more films which were shot in Wanganui — 'Pallet on the Floor' and 'Came a Hot fFriday',both of which will be released early next year.

Asked abdut the logistics of producing a film, Larry explained that 'small' productions usually involved moving about 30 film crew members around the country whereas| 'large' productions could involve as many as 7080 people for whom accommodation and equipment has to be provided, travel arrangements made, ind salaries paid ... all within a schedule that could be affected by weather and other unpredictable factors. His most recent project has been 'Shaker Run' which stars Lisa Harrow — the NZ born actress who | played the part of Lady Nancy Astor in the recently , screened TV series — Cliff j Robertson and Lief Erickson. j 'Shaker Run' was filmed 1 mainly in the South Island — Dunedin, Queenstown, Alexandra and Blenheim — but some scenes were shot in Wellington and it was on his way back from this film that Larry called in to see his parents in Raetihi last week ! before heading off for Los Angeles. He makes several overseas trips each year to attend film festivals — Cannes, Manila, Milan — to see what's going on and to meet others in the industry. In a busy schedule — he is involved in the production of about 20% of all films made in New Zealand — he has very few opportunities to return to the Waimarino so the Bulletin was lucky to get this 'exclusive' interview with him last Week. He told us that the next six months are going to be i very important ones for the f New Zealand film industry. . "We won international t critical acclaim with 'Smash Palace' but what New Zealand now needs is a major financial success to boost the local film industry and put us on the international film distribution circuit." Waimarino readers will no doubt hope that one of Larry Parr's films will achieve this objective.