'Bridge to Nowhere' sells for $1.3m

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 3, 11 June 1985, Page 1

'Bridge to Nowhere' sells for $1.3m

The film, Bridge to Nowhere, which was shot in the Ruapehu region earlier this year has been pre-sold to the United States for $1.3 million. The sale more than covers the $1 million cost of making the film, which tells the story of five Auckland child-

ren who venture into the bush for a weekend. Embassy Home Entertainment, the video division of American company, Embassy Communications, has bought the film, which it will release in the United States and Canada during the northern winter. The company has reassigned the rights to release the film to theatres elsewhere in the world to Mirage Films Ltd, which shot the movie. Mirage 's managing director is Larry Parr, son of Ray and Iris Parr, licensees of the Ruapehu Hotel in Raetihi. The Ruapehu Hotel was Mirage's base when the company was in the area in March and April shooting the film.

Bridge to Nowhere stars Phillip Gordon, who plays the eldest of five children who come from Auckland to see the bridge. While they are in the bush they upset a hermit named Mac, played by Bruno Lawrence. Mac's girlfriend kills one of the children and the hermit decides that none of the youngsters should leave the area to tell the story. The original scenario was written by Larry Parr, with the screenplay being penned by Aucklander, Bill Baer. Several locals were actively involved in the making of the movie, including former Waimarino Hospital midwife, Angela Fahey, who was the on site nurse.