11 October 2005

World Public Premier Of 'The World's Fastest Indian' On Waiheke Tomorrow Night

The world public premier of prestigious N.Z. movie "The World's Fastest Indian", starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, has been secured for Waiheke on October 12 to coincide with an invitational screening in Invercargill.

To be screened outdoors at the OneTangi Vineyard on Onetangi Straight, the event is being staged to benefit the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Foundation campaign to raise funds for a new helicopter.

Pre-screening entertainment will start at 7.00 with the premier at 8.30 and tickets are $15, with concession prices available. Tickets are available at the gate.

"We were very lucky to secure this premier screening," said Alan Smythe, co-writer of the film and newly appointed foundation trustee. "The hard work was done by Clayton Skidmore Weir who had all the contacts to make this happen for the foundation."

"Burt Munro was a true Kiwi hero who worked from a position that absolutely nothing was impossible. When Roger Donaldson, the director, and I knew him around 30 years ago he was already a naturally flamboyant character.... a perfect movie hero."

"When Burt first suggested he could crack the world speed record at Bonneville, people around him in Invercargill laughed....but then he got very close to the record out on Oreti Beach and the whole town of Invercargill got in behind him with a series of raffles and dances to send him off to the USA.

"At that time he'd blown the bike up around 100 times in his search for what he called 'the holy grail' of engine design... he'd cast his own pistons in the sand of the beach, and test them to destruction.

"So the movie is basically the story Burt overcoming a lot of obstacles before turning up to smash the world speed record on a 1918 Indian Scout motorbike... on his own, racing against Americans with teams of technicians.

"The Americans would be running their bikes on pure nitroglycerine and hi-tech stuff like that...Burt would e just go off to the corner service station and stick regular fuel in his bike."

ENDS