''A Street to Die'' is a 1985 Australian film directed by

Bill Bennett William Richards Bennett, (April 14, 1932 – December 3, 2015) was the 27th premier of British Columbia from 1975 to 1986. He was a son of Annie Elizabeth May (Richards) and former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, ...

and starring Chris Haywood, Jennifer Cluff,

Arianthe Galani Arianthe Galani (born 9 April 1940), is an Australian character actress born in New Zealand of Greek descent. She is known for her roles in TV soap operas and serials, TV commercials, as well as films. Galani is primarily known for guest roles ...

. It was nominated for four

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...

; Haywood won the award for Best Actor in a Lead Role. At the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Bennett won a Crystal Globe. The film was based on a true story.BFI info
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Premise

Colin Turner (Chris Haywood), an Australian Vietnam War veteran, blames his recently-discovered cancer on exposure to

Agent Orange Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...

, and sues the government for compensation, as well as legal recognition of the defoliant’s fatal health effects.

Cast

*Chris Haywood as Colin Turner *Jennifer Cluff as Lorraine Turner *Arianthe Galani as Dr. Walsea * Robin Ramsay as Tom *

Peter Hehir Peter Hehir (born 1949) is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role as Bert Duggan on the soap opera ''The Sullivans'' from 1976 to 1978. His film appearances included ''Rikky and Pete'' (1988), ''The Girl Who Came Late'' (1991), '' ...

as Peter Townley *

Peter Kowitz Peter Kowitz is an Australian actor. Film and television acting His television credits include: ''Prime Time'', '' Richmond Hill'', ''Rafferty's Rules'', '' Chances'', ''Pacific Drive'', '' Water Rats'', '' Big Sky'', ''Halifax f.p.'', ''Swim ...

as Craig * Malcolm Keith as Real Estate Boss

Production

The film was based on the story of Colin Simpson, a Vietnam veteran who had died while trying to claim money from the Repatriation Department. He believed his illness was caused by

. Bill Bennett read about the story in the ''Weekend Australian'' while working as a TV documentary maker and pitched it to Peter Luck to be made for ''The Australians'' but Luck declined. Bennett then decided to turn it into a dramatic feature. He raised the money himself. The script was heavily based on fact - Bennett says it was hardly fictionalised at all. Colin Simpson's widow was heavily involved in the research and writing."Interview with Bill Bennett", ''Signet'', 11 April 1996
Retrieved 17 November 2012 Bennett says he did not really consider the movie an anti-war statement:

I really saw it as being about the blindness of authorities to accept culpability. To that extent, I suppose, it is an anti-war film, but it was more to do with anti-bureaucracy and a very, very strong sense of injustice, that ultimately what was at work here was the possibility that, if a precedent was established, then huge amounts of money would have to be paid out.

The film was shot primarily in the suburbs of Western Sydney and in the Whalan street where Simpson and his family had lived. Simpson’s real house (in which the widowed Mrs Simpson was still residing) was used for exterior shots while an adjacent home was used for interior scenes. The family who owned the property were paid to temporarily vacate the premises for the duration of the shoot, which took four weeks.

Release

The film was widely screened at festivals and achieved reasonable success at cinemas. It launched Bennett's career as a director.

References

External links

*
''A Street to Die''
at Australian Screen Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Street to Die 1985 films Australian drama films Crystal Globe winners 1985 drama films Films directed by Bill Bennett 1980s English-language films