On Anzac Day, the Governor General of NZ, Sir Jerry Mateparae said, “in the midst of the horrors of war, moments of astonishing humanity occur and it is those human connections that are being commemorated today.” Canopy, which premieres tonight on Rialto Channel is a film exactly about that – those strong human connections that are made at war and in battle. The film is director, Aaron Wilson’s feature debut and was released in Australian cinemas nationwide on Anzac Day last year.
Canopy is a WW2 story that takes place the night of 9 February 1942, the day after the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Singapore. A young Australian pilot (Khan Chittenden) is shot in the air and lands on enemy ground, once he regains consciousness and attempts for safety, he comes across a Chinese resistance fighter (Tzu-yi Mo) – we follow their story, as they both embark on a journey of survival.
Gallipoli has always been significant to New Zealand’s history and Anzac Day 2015 was always going to be particularly important, as it marked the year one century ago. Tens of thousands of people turned out to various services held across the country. Anzac Day Commemoration at Pukeahu, followed by ceremony at Parliament was attended by close to 40,000 Wellingtonians and an estimated 34,000 people turned out for the dawn service and parade at Auckland War Memorial Museum. I was grateful to be able to attend gatherings at the Auckland Domain this year. Old colleagues and friends were behind the Giant Poppy Project, which saw 59,000 red metal discs - with personally written messages by the public - laid on park ground to create the biggest poppy in the world. A time lapse of the 9 day event was sent to Gallipoli ahead of Saturday, 25 April.
This year we were able to appreciate the first ‘Mondayised’ holiday and there was definitely no shortage of films or television programmes lined up for the long weekend. Live crossovers to services at Anzac Cove and Chunuk Bair on the Gallipoli Peninsula were of course important to tune into, but just as much as War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us and The Time of Our Lives, both documentaries by Gaylene Preston, and favourites of mine, that never get old and always make for poignant viewing at this time.
In the week leading up to Anzac Day, The History Channel featured much Gallipoli related programming, including the universally praised, Gallipoli, made over six years and in seven different countries, directed by award-winning Turkish filmmaker, Tolga Ornek and narrated by Sam Neill and Jeremy Irons, the film uses letters, recovered diaries, interviews and dramatic re-enactments about one of the most controversial battles of the Great War.
On Anzac Day, the Governor General of NZ, Sir Jerry Mateparae said, “in the midst of the horrors of war, moments of astonishing humanity occur and it is those human connections that are being commemorated today.” Canopy, which premieres tonight on Rialto Channel is a film exactly about that – those strong human connections that are made at war and in battle. The film is director, Aaron Wilson’s feature debut and was released in Australian cinemas nationwide on Anzac Day last year.
Canopy is a WW2 story that takes place the night of 9 February 1942, the day after the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Singapore. A young Australian pilot (Khan Chittenden) is shot in the air and lands on enemy ground, once he regains consciousness and attempts for safety, he comes across a Chinese resistance fighter (Tzu-yi Mo) – we follow their story, as they both embark on a journey of survival.
Filmmaker, Wilson says there are a lot of films about war, but that this film takes the audience away from the warfare, to become a story that’s more personal, known for his passion for understated human drama, the film touches on themes – the individual and psychology, humanity and camaraderie. The film’s issues are timeless, commenting on humanity’s constant battle with war and nature. “War is epic and all consuming, but in small connections and tiny moments of beauty, we can still find hope”, he says.
As an arthouse film, realism is at its very peak in this one – filmed on set in Singapore, we’re treated to a visual feast in Canopy. Interestingly, dialogue is absent in the film, Wilson’s response: “In stripping away language, background and gender you are left with two characters that are human beings who must connect. The story reduces things to a connection that will forever more stay with these two characters for the rest of their lives.” This makes the film a different one to watch, in saying that, be prepared for how much the innocence of birdsong and in contrast the thunder clap of bombs dropping will affect you. As one critic puts it, emotional claustrophobia will get to you at your core with this film.
Wilson says, the people he spoke to in researching for Canopy, “stopped talking about the big battles and they all started talking about all the personal moments that have stayed with them for the past 60, 70 years.” Wilson came up with the idea for the film when he was living in Singapore in 2006, making the short film Wind (Feng). He met Singaporean families who were still living with the legacy of WW2, through them, and also talking to Australians, he discovered “there was a long and lasting relationship between our country and Singapore.” As someone, who comes from a generation far removed from the days of Gallipoli, films like Canopy is where we can connect to stories about the war and what it was really like for those who were sent away. It’s also a strong reminder of why we get together on Anzac Day.