For Nigel
A friendship of so many years... since 1962, almost 60 years.
Plenty of water under the bridge.
Nigel at home with his minder, Jedda
photo by Ivan Gaal
Over the years we helped each other to create some films, well, occasionally.
When I was just starting out as a filmmaker Nigel was starting to shoot “Fun Radio” which was a real buzz for me.
I was lucky to ride with Nigel in his fancy sports car when he filmed a few shots and I even got to hold his new Bolex camera for a tracking shot or two as he was driving.
We've shared staff-room days at Swinburne, snooker at the Red Triangle, and most recently as editor Nigel helped me create my film tribute to our friend Paul Cox:
“The Nude in the Window”
Without Nigel’s gracious assistance that film would never have been completed.
Nigel has assisted many other filmmakers in his life’s journey. The list is far too long, I will not attempt to list them all as I will most probably overlook too many.
As Nigel is about to celebrate his birthday this is my way of wishing him a very happy birthday.
A few years ago we discovered that we both admired the blues music of Big Bill Broonzy. I had seen a short film about Big Bill when I worked at the State Film Centre in the early 60’s, about the same time Nigel and I met.
A couple of years ago Nigel introduced me to a compilation of Big Bill Broonzy numbers supported by Graeme Bell’s Australian Jazz Band:
A concert in Dusseldorf, Germany, 1947. Two years after the end of WW2, Big Bill Broonzy backed by Graeme Bell, piano, and his Australian Jazz Band: Ade Monsborough, sax, Pixie Roberts, clarinet. The concert at which this track was recorded was part of a European tour, bringing together a nexus of Delta Blues and Australian Jazz.
We selected one piece from that recording from which I went on to create this tribute to Big Bill for Nigel:
A Tribute to Big Bill Broonzy from Peter Tammer on Vimeo.
Fun Radio
Black Sheep Gather No Moss
Also there's a piece Nigel made on the Ballarat Jazz Convention 2015 which is available on my YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nferL2PtHE0
So that’s my way of saying "Happy Birthday Nigel".
You've always been a very fine friend!
pt
A great tribute Peter. Love that shot of Nigel at the top by Ivan... man and dog in such sympathetic poses! I must some of these shorts now too
ReplyDeleteTerrific thoughts Peter and the mention of The Nude in the Window comes on the day this year's CINEMA REBORN gets going. Nude in the Window was the very first film we screened way back in 2018!
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Geoff. I'm greatly honoured for my film to have been first up in 2018 and I hope you have a great season this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks also to "bobbyboy" for your comments.
pt
Good one Peter. Yes, Happy Birthday to the great Father of Indie Film in Melbourne ! In the '80s he was an inspiration to many of us young indie filmmakers at the time. Here's a tribute a number of people contributed to, when he turned 80 a few years back - http://www.pureshitauscinema.com/features/buesst.html
ReplyDeleteA most fitting tribute, Peter. You and Nigel are legends of the Melbourne Filmmakers' Co-op and I was always in awe of you when I was starting out. Those were the days and you guys ha more of them than me before the world and the world of indie filmmaking changed. A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Nigel!
ReplyDeleteThanks to you Bill, and to you David. To me those days were very exciting days. There was quite a lot of independent filmmaking going on at the time. Nigel and I were only two of quite a large number of young filmmakers trying to do something special on limited or next to zero budgets. In fact none of us had much money to spend on our productions until the grants kicked in about 1970/71 with the Experimental Film Fund.
ReplyDeletept
lovely shot of Nigel. I remember him clearly telling us enthusiastic newbies in Swin Film School (1976) his editing mantra "If in doubt cut it out" and to you and Ivan as well many thanks for guidance along the way
ReplyDelete