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The Maintenance of Silence
Short Film (Full Length) – 1985
Just after midnight on November 18, 1982, Neil Roberts, a 22-year old anarchist, exploded a bag of gelignite outside the Whanganui police computer centre, killing himself instantly. In this short film, director William Keddell uses a fictional character — Eric, a young man awoken in bed at the exact moment of detonation — to take a psychological road-trip exploring the events leading up to what is arguably NZ’s most famous case of homegrown political terrorism. Real-life friends and associates of Roberts make cameo appearances in supporting roles.
When the bombing occured, [director William] Keddell was angered by the media reaction to "what was clearly a politically motivated suicide": "The 'misguided youth' stuff just swept the real issues under the carpet. The Wanganui Computer was worth protesting about. It represented a profound and sad change in New Zealand. "– Film scholar Russell Campbell, quoting director William Keddell in The Journal of New Zealand Studies no 8, 2009
Key Cast & Crew
See all 19 credits
Produced by
Meddle Film Productions
Source
Meddle Film Productions
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