The new

People

The new connection

A woman sets up a link for filmmakers in Fiji

ONE could be forgiven for assuming that a Retrogade Pro duction was a stage play in re verse or some backward-sloping contrap tion for the avant-garde. In fact, Retrog rade Productions Limited is Fiji’s newest and only feature film facility and inde pendent film production company, cater ing primarily to the needs of offshore filmmakers wishing to film, whether wholly or in part, in Fiji, as well as de veloping its own feature film projects.

Retrograde’s Director, Lois Bhagwan,

established the film facility in mid-1989 to fill a gap in the local service industry with a new interest by offshore produc ers in Fiji locations. It is also a stride to

help the development of Fiji’s fledgling

film industry.

Says Bhagwan: “International film producers and directors with whom I had worked in the past were very much interested in Fiji as a location for future film projects. But they perceived a need for a local film facility with experienced film professionals who knew the logistics of film production and who could pro

vide a viable and relatively cost-effective service, quickly and competently. Be sides, I saw Retrograde as an excellent exercise in my own development as a filmmaker and as an excellent employ ment opportunity for experienced local 35mm film and electronic tape crews. It is a chance for our local crews, or whom many people even in Fiji were previously unaware, to work on international pro ductions under skilled and often renown directors, directors of photography, etc.

“Filmmaking is an on-going process of learning a voyage of discovery and a creative industry where there is always room for innovation. I was impressed with the level of skill and dedication ex hibited by local crews and felt that this was definitely an aspect to promote offshore. I also feel that with Fiji’s loca tion in the region and the proximity of New Zealand and Australian crews to supplement the needs of a full produc tion where personnel are not available in Fiji, we at Retrograde can, at the same time, foster the employment of the re

gional film industry to producers.

A writer/director/art director who claims international feature film and television experience on United States, British, New Zealand, Australian, Japanese, Swedish and Danish produc tions, Bhagwan has structured Retrog rade to provide full-film commission re lated support services for a production company’s pre-production needs. She also provides support services for shoot

requirements including assessing crew to

specification, casting locally and regional

ly, sourcing equipment, providing admi

nistration facilities, consultants, and

coordinating production requirements

for art departments, construction, trans port, electrics and all specialist require

ments. Retrograde’s pre-production ser

vices are comprehensive and in line with

internationally acceptable requirements,

she said.

Apart from taking filmmakers in terested in Fiji locations on ‘recces’ to scout locations, Retrogarde now has a

comprehensive photobank covering at

least 1500 Fiji locations from traditional tropical island locations to mountain chains and other “less well-known but none the less spectacular” locations. Re trograde also responds to offshore queries for location slides through its photobank within five days of a query, and in addition to this service, provides a 24-hour on-call service for all its facili

ties. Recently Retrograde opened its

photobank facility to local companies in

terested in the use of its ektachrome slides.

“We’re always on recces at Retrog rade,” smiles Bhagwan.

“In addition to hands-on involvement in productions, recces and the like, we also provide support services for the pre production needs of writers, production designers, directors etc. For example, we can research requirements for writers and designers on the spot without the need for the person concerned to fly down here to collect data.

Bhagwan says it would be beneficial for Fiji’s new film and television industry if the Government were to support the endeavours of the local professional companies.

To cater for this, local professionals have established a Film, Television, Radio and Theatre Technicians’ and En tertainers’ Equity. “But that’s another

story,” says Bhagwan. “Basically, what we

need in Fiji is a Film Commission, to be run under the auspices of the Ministry for Information, Broadcasting, Televi sion and Telecommunications and to represent all the ministries, the local in dustry and Equity. Then, all the loose ends can be tied up and focus given not just to developing Fiji for offshore film makers but to the needs of local film makers.” □

Lois Bhagwan: “Films, films, films."