Out of the Blue

The Aramoana tragedy is one of the more significant events in New Zealand's recent history. Says director Rob Sarkies, "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."