Before the Operations Begin

Feeling burnt out, director Tony Williams takes his seachange literally and sets off with three mates in his recently restored 66-foot motorboat, with a grown-up son as cameraman. The plan: journey from Sydney to the Coral Sea. They witness an eclipse, find paradise in Vanuatu, and island-hop their way through New Caledonian reefs, soon after witnessing French victory in the 1998 (soccer) World Cup. Near journey’s end, a reflective Williams realises that he has experienced not just a holiday, but also “an opportunity to look at your own world from a distance”.

Putting a crew together for a boat is a bit like casting a movie. Sometimes compatibility can be just as important as qualifications.

– Tony Williams

Key Cast & Crew

Tony Williams

Director, Writer, Narrator

Rick Price

Sound

Nicholas Williams

Camera

Charles Ivory

Editor