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Christchurch Fire
Short Film (Full Length) – 1947
The Ballantynes' Department Store fire of 18 November 1947 was — until the 2011 earthquake — Christchurch’s biggest disaster. It claimed 41 lives and, as the narration says, was “one of the greatest civil tragedies New Zealand has known". Shot by National Film Unit crew who happened to be in the city for another film, Christchurch Fire shows the battle to beat the blaze: from the mass of hoses on Cashel St, to a fireman swapping a ciggie for a cup of tea. After the footage was rushed to Wellington, the film debuted in cinemas the night after the fire, and was also seen overseas.
The sympathy of the nation goes to the relatives of those who lost their lives, and to those who suffered in one of the greatest civil tragedies New Zealand has known.– From the narration
Key Cast & Crew
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