Beneath Hill 60 - The Book - by Historian Will
Davies - to be Published 2010
"Slouch
Hat Sacred" Townville Bulletin June 09
"Underground
Battle" Beat June 09
Screen
Australia to back war movie Beneath Hill 60
Sandy George in Sydney
09 Apr 2009 08:34
Screen Australia today announced it would back $5.7m
(A$8m) war movie Beneath Hill 60, the only
feature to secure the federal government agency's
backing this month.
The fully Australian production, which is set on the
Western Front in Belgium during World War I but will be
entirely filmed in Townsville in Queensland, goes into
production from July 20.
Experienced theatre director Jeremy Sims (Last Train
To Freo) is directing the project, which paints a
picture of what it was like to be one of the 4,000
Australian miners employed during the war to quietly
build tunnels under the German positions.
Producer Bill Leimbach and writer and co-producer David
Roach have substantial backing from the mining town of
Townsville: local business people are providing nearly
20% of the budget, key locations and earth moving
equipment are being supplied for nothing, and the army
is providing artillery from the period.
Transmission has secured Australian/New Zealand rights
and the producers are in discussion with UK sales agent
Intandem. Two state government agencies, the New South
Wales Film and Television Office and the Pacific Film
and Television Commission, are also investors.
The film is based on the wartime experiences of one-time
real-life resident of Townsville, Captain Oliver
Woodward, to be played by Brendan Cowell (Noise).
When the 19 mines that Woodward and the rest of the men
laid, exploded in sequence, the sound could be heard
from London.
Roach co-wrote all the features that have been made by
Yahoo Serious, including Young Einstein. Leimbach
is best known for documentaries.
Screen Australia this month decided to invest $6.1m
(A$8.6m) in 13 projects worth $18.8m (A$26.4m) including
television drama series and documentaries.
