Peter Morris, Chairman BAFTA / LA presents Sharon Barbour, Producer with the award
THE WAHINE DISASTER which screened earlier this year on Maori TV has taken out the coveted top prize – “Best in Festival” at the Swansea Life International Film Festival in Wales on Saturday – the largest film festival in the UK. 236 films were screened – The Wahine Disaster was voted by judges to be the best.
The Wahine Disaster is an extraordinary documentary in which many of the survivors and rescuers speak for the first time.
On that day in April, 1968 – the country’s newest inter-island ferry Wahine set sail on her overnight journey from Lyttleton. She was also setting sail into the heart of the most violent storm in New Zealand’s history. Over 730 people were on board.
The hour long documentary, made by Storm UK Productions, follows passengers as they boarded the ferry on that “beautiful calm night” – right through to the end of the journey. One that would change all their lives.
hi sharon i dont know if you will read this but thank you from the bottom off my heart for doing a great job and i will never forget you , from your friend dave from new zealand.