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Press
Kit & Stills Cast Biographies Filmmaker Biography Director's Statement Birth Of A Colonel Production Notes |
Director's Statement
But deep inside we yearn for something more. Perhaps, like the Colonel, we can see the life we want to live, but are convinced that the world – or at least certain portions of it – are conspiring against us to keep our dreams locked down. Or we could, like the Matron, be so trapped in the past and afraid to let go – afraid that if we do, we will cease to exist because we’ve broiled for so long in our memories that we have nothing left to move on to. When I first read Steve Attwood’s story “A Man’s Man” about five years ago, I’d be lying if I said I was overcome by the above wave of melancholy thought – I simply thought it was a great story, with great characters that had not been seen on screen before, which is always a motivating factor for me when putting a film together. But as I adapted the story and started to work on each of our three main characters, something happened – the realizations described above, the traps that Tristan, Colonel and Matron shared, along with their desires to live the lives they want to live. For everything to be perfect. This, for me, is what is at the heart of the story and why I believe it will appeal to both young and old. As a 33-year-old man, my experience of World War II is limited to the vicarious experiences of my late grandfather and an endless array of historical accounts – some good, some garishly vapid. But I often think about what life will be by the time I reach 80 years of age, and whether I will be happy. Whether I will be living the life I want to live, or whether something or someone (most likely myself) will be preventing me from doing that. During the editing of this film, a friend of mine took his own life, and – along with my grief – made these thoughts only resonate deeper. Yes, some of us might not make it as far as the Colonel. This film could not have been made without the financial support of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand’s Out Of The Blue programme, which combats depression. We are immensely grateful to Boris Sokratov and the team at the Foundation who saw the value in this story being told, in seeing that a journey to wellbeing can start as simply as stepping outside your front door, asking a question, or – perhaps most importantly – being willing to listen to the answer. I hope The Colonel’s Outing will leave people with a sense that’s it’s never too late to change, to adjust your life so you can wring a degree of happiness out of it, no matter how small or insignificant that may seem to others. Some people want to be pop stars. Others are just content with a place to live, a good bottle of wine, friends, and a pile of old records to pass the time. Whatever your dream is, don’t lose sight of it. Move towards it. Little steps are cool. Because we’re only here once. Christopher Banks January 2011 |
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(C) 2011 Number 8 Films Trust. All rights reserved. |
