Ground Zero (1987 film)
Encyclopedia
Ground Zero is an Australian drama
-thriller about a cinematographer who, prompted by curiosity about some old film footage taken by his father, embarks on a quest to find out the truth about British nuclear tests at Maralinga
. It stars actors Colin Friels
, Jack Thompson
and Indigenous activist Burnum Burnum
.
(1992), One Crazy Night (1993) and The Limbic Region (1997). Myles did not go on to other directing, but acted in numerous subsequent Australian films, including The Bank
(2001).
Ground Zero was made for , and filmed on location in Coober Pedy and Woomera
in South Australia, as well as in Melbourne
.
Sound for the film was created by a team including Roger Savage and Gary Wilkins, who had both worked on the Mad Max
series of feature movies.
. It was subsequently alleged that during those tests, armed forces personnel and Indigenous Australians
may have been exposed to nuclear fallout
that may have affected their health. This led eventually to a major inquiry, the McClelland Royal Commission
, which reported in 1985. The inquiry attracted a lot of publicity, and ultimately a deal with the United Kingdom to fund rehabilitation of the test sites.
Ground Zero was made immediately following this inquiry. While fictional, it explores the idea that the exposure to radiation of Indigenous people and army personnel may have been deliberate, or known about at the time and concealed. The political topicality of the film at the time of its release was reflected in the profile of some of the actors involved: Colin Friels has played a number of roles involving social activism, most notably in the Australian television miniseries
Bastard Boys
; Burnum Burnum was a long-time Indigenous rights activist; while Jack Thompson
had previously played a leading role in another film sharply critical of the British military: Breaker Morant
.
Ground Zero has been rated at 6.4 stars out of 10 on IMDb.
Ground Zero was shown on Indigenous television station Imparja 'as a tribute' to Burnum Burnum after his death in 1997.
, 1987
38th Berlin International Film Festival
, 1988
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
-thriller about a cinematographer who, prompted by curiosity about some old film footage taken by his father, embarks on a quest to find out the truth about British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga occurred between 1955 and 1963 at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area, in South Australia. A total of seven major nuclear tests were performed, with approximate yields ranging from 1 to 27 kilotons of TNT equivalent...
. It stars actors Colin Friels
Colin Friels
-Background and training:Friels was born in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland. His mother was a mill worker and his father a joiner. He lived in Kilbirnie until 1963, when his family moved to Australia, arriving in Darwin, Northern Territory before settling in the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows...
, Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (actor)
Jack Thompson, AM is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society...
and Indigenous activist Burnum Burnum
Burnum Burnum
Burnum Burnum was an Australian Aboriginal activist, actor, and author. He was born a Woiworrung and Yorta Yorta man at Wallaga Lake in southern New South Wales...
.
Production and cast
Ground Zero was produced in 1986 and released in 1987. IMDb, and the DVD release of the film, both credit Michael Pattinson and Bruce Miles as producers, but only Pattinson is named in other sources. Pattinson went on to direct several other Australian feature films, including Wendy Cracked a Walnut (1990), SecretsSecrets (1992 film)
Secrets, also known as Danielle Steel's Secrets, is a 1992 television film directed by Peter H. Hunt. The film is based upon the 1985 novel of the same name written by Danielle Steel...
(1992), One Crazy Night (1993) and The Limbic Region (1997). Myles did not go on to other directing, but acted in numerous subsequent Australian films, including The Bank
The Bank (2001 film)
The Bank is an 2001 Australian thriller/drama film starring David Wenham and Anthony LaPaglia.-Plot:Jim Doyle is a maverick mathematician who has devised a formula to predict the fluctuations of the stock market...
(2001).
Ground Zero was made for , and filmed on location in Coober Pedy and Woomera
Woomera, South Australia
The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area ; colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range...
in South Australia, as well as in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Sound for the film was created by a team including Roger Savage and Gary Wilkins, who had both worked on the Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
series of feature movies.
Context of the film
In the 1950s, the British government had conducted a number of nuclear tests at a site called Maralinga in outback South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It was subsequently alleged that during those tests, armed forces personnel and Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
may have been exposed to nuclear fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
that may have affected their health. This led eventually to a major inquiry, the McClelland Royal Commission
McClelland Royal Commission
The McClelland Royal Commission or Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia was an inquiry by the Australian government in 1984-1985 to investigate the conduct of the British in its use, with the then Australian government's permission, of Australian territory and soldiers for...
, which reported in 1985. The inquiry attracted a lot of publicity, and ultimately a deal with the United Kingdom to fund rehabilitation of the test sites.
Ground Zero was made immediately following this inquiry. While fictional, it explores the idea that the exposure to radiation of Indigenous people and army personnel may have been deliberate, or known about at the time and concealed. The political topicality of the film at the time of its release was reflected in the profile of some of the actors involved: Colin Friels has played a number of roles involving social activism, most notably in the Australian television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Bastard Boys
Bastard Boys
Bastard Boys is an Australian television miniseries broadcast on the ABC in 2007. It tells the story of the 1998 Australian waterfront dispute.-Plot:...
; Burnum Burnum was a long-time Indigenous rights activist; while Jack Thompson
Jack Thompson (actor)
Jack Thompson, AM is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema. He was educated at University of Queensland, before embarking on his acting career. In 2002, he was made an honorary member of the Australian Cinematographers Society...
had previously played a leading role in another film sharply critical of the British military: Breaker Morant
Breaker Morant (film)
Breaker Morant is a 1980 Australian film about the court martial of Breaker Morant, directed by Bruce Beresford and starring British actor Edward Woodward as Harry "Breaker" Morant...
.
Reception and legacy
Despite its success at the 1987 AFI Awards, reviews of the film were mixed. Pointing out that the film contained elements of both action thriller and political commentary, reviewers were unsure that it did either with great success. However, Janet Maslin, reviewing the film for the New York Times, wrote of "taut, clever conspiracy-theory thrillers, of which the new Australian film Ground Zero is a prime example".Ground Zero has been rated at 6.4 stars out of 10 on IMDb.
Ground Zero was shown on Indigenous television station Imparja 'as a tribute' to Burnum Burnum after his death in 1997.
Cast
| Actor | Character |
| Colin Friels | Harvey Denton |
| Jack Thompson | Trebilcock |
| Donald Pleasence Donald Pleasence Sir Donald Henry Pleasence, OBE, was a British actor who gained more than 200 screen credits during a career which spanned over four decades... |
Prosper Gaffney |
| Natalie Bate | Pat Denton |
| Burnum Burnum | Yami Lester |
| Simon Chilvers | Commission president |
| Neil Fitzpatrick | Hooking |
| Bob Maza Bob Maza Robert "Bob" Lewis Maza was an Australian actor and playwright.Maza was born to a Murray Islander father and to a Yidinjdji mother.-Activism:... |
Walemari |
| Beverley Dunn | Commissioner #1 |
| Alan Hopgood | Commissioner #2 |
| Peter Cummins | Ballantyne, Australian veteran |
| Brian James | Vice-Adm. Windsor |
| Bob Hornery | Meteorologist |
| Steve Dodd Steve Dodd Steve Dodd , is an Indigenous Australian actor, notable for playing indigenous characters across seven decades of Australian film. After beginning his working life as a stockman and rodeo rider, Dodd was given his first film roles by prominent Australian actor Chips Rafferty... |
Freddy Tjapalijarri |
| Alfred Austen | Aboriginal elder |
Awards and nominations
AFI AwardsAustralian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
, 1987
- Won: Best Achievement in Cinematography
- Won: Best Achievement in Editing
- Won: Best Achievement in Production Design
- Won: Best Achievement in Sound
- Nominated: Best Actor
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actor
- Nominated: Best Director
- Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Original Screenplay
38th Berlin International Film Festival
38th Berlin International Film Festival
The 38th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 12 to 23, 1988.-Jury:* Guglielmo Biraghi * Ellen Burstyn* Heiner Carow* Eberhard Junkersdorf* Tom Luddy* Heinz Rathsack* Daniel Schmid* Andrei Smirnov...
, 1988
- Nominated: Golden Berlin Bear