Out of the Blue

Synopsis

On November 13th 1990, in the small New Zealand seaside town of Aramoana, local man David Gray took a high-powered automatic weapon and shot dead 13 people.

It remains the worst mass murder in New Zealand's history.

As emergency services scrambled to reach Aramoana, a handful of young, under-armed local policemen risked their lives trying to find the gunman.

Terrified and confused residents were trapped in their homes for 24 hours, not knowing where David Gray was - or if they would become his next victim.

There were great feats of bravery on that terrible day - from ordinary people in the most extraordinary of situations.

OUT OF THE BLUE is a gripping and powerful story of courage and survival.

About the film.

Why tell this story?

The Aramoana tragedy is one of the more significant events in New Zealand's recent history. It was an event that deeply affected New Zealanders at the time. I think it is important to look at significant events like this, to reflect and hopefully learn from them.

These events highlight the positive side of the kiwi spirit as much as darkness of the actions of one man. The people of Aramoana and the police involved acted selflessly to help each other get through that night and I think that is worth remembering, and paying tribute to.

As a filmmaker I was attracted to the way this story involved an entire community in a period of sustained tension. I was intrigued that David Gray was a member of the community rather than an outsider, and by the way other members of the community reacted and helped each other. The story seemed to have something distinctively New Zealand about it. It seemed like an opportunity, framed by tragedy though it is, to explore who we are as a people, or perhaps who we were.

For more detailed information about this movie or any other New Zealand film please go to the New Zealand Film Commission