Arts Minister on location for the Railway Man
Published Wednesday, 04 July, 2012 at 05:35 AM
Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
The Honourable Ros Bates
Arts Minister Ros Bates will today join the cast and crew of international film The Railway Man filming on location in the Numinbah Valley.
Ms Bates said the project will boost tourism, one of the four pillars of the economy, as well as employment.
“The Numinbah Valley, a stunning location in my electorate of Mudgeeraba, has been transformed into a Japanese Prisoner of War camp for this movie,” Ms Bates said.
“It’s ironic that such a beautiful, peaceful place can be portrayed as the scene of such horror, but it underlines the adaptability of the Gold Coast for film-makers.’’
The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, is a powerful story about the effect torture has on the human psyche and is based on the autobiography of Eric Lomax.
Lomax (played by both Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine) was a Scottish second lieutenant who was captured by the Japanese in Singapore during the war and shipped off to a prisoner of war camp in Thailand before ending up working in the rail yards of Ipswich.
Ms Bates will watch the filming with actors Jeremy Irvine and Hiroyuki Sanada, producers Chris Brown and Andy Paterson and director Jonathan Teplitzky.
"Productions such as The Railway Man filming on location in Queensland have multiple benefits for the State economy,” she said.
"Screen Queensland has invested $700,000 in The Railway Man and the production will generate an estimated $6.3 million in expenditure and create 235 jobs for Queensland cast and crew.”
Filming for The Railway Man has already been completed in Scotland and Thailand and moved to Queensland for its final stages.
The Railway Man will be released through Transmission in 2013. The film is an Australia/UK co-production between Brisbane-based Pictures in Paradise and UK company Archer Street, backed by Screen Australia in association with Silver Reel, Screen Queensland, Creative Scotland, Screen NSW and Lionsgate UK.
[ENDS] 4 July 2012
Media Contact: Peter Epstein 0415 865 768
Ms Bates said the project will boost tourism, one of the four pillars of the economy, as well as employment.
“The Numinbah Valley, a stunning location in my electorate of Mudgeeraba, has been transformed into a Japanese Prisoner of War camp for this movie,” Ms Bates said.
“It’s ironic that such a beautiful, peaceful place can be portrayed as the scene of such horror, but it underlines the adaptability of the Gold Coast for film-makers.’’
The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, is a powerful story about the effect torture has on the human psyche and is based on the autobiography of Eric Lomax.
Lomax (played by both Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine) was a Scottish second lieutenant who was captured by the Japanese in Singapore during the war and shipped off to a prisoner of war camp in Thailand before ending up working in the rail yards of Ipswich.
Ms Bates will watch the filming with actors Jeremy Irvine and Hiroyuki Sanada, producers Chris Brown and Andy Paterson and director Jonathan Teplitzky.
"Productions such as The Railway Man filming on location in Queensland have multiple benefits for the State economy,” she said.
"Screen Queensland has invested $700,000 in The Railway Man and the production will generate an estimated $6.3 million in expenditure and create 235 jobs for Queensland cast and crew.”
Filming for The Railway Man has already been completed in Scotland and Thailand and moved to Queensland for its final stages.
The Railway Man will be released through Transmission in 2013. The film is an Australia/UK co-production between Brisbane-based Pictures in Paradise and UK company Archer Street, backed by Screen Australia in association with Silver Reel, Screen Queensland, Creative Scotland, Screen NSW and Lionsgate UK.
[ENDS] 4 July 2012
Media Contact: Peter Epstein 0415 865 768