AOA Progress Report
As per Joseph Campbell's articulation of the journey motif (that has particularly influenced filmmakers like Coppola protege George Lucas) we're up to the ineluctable 'threshold guardians': finding supporters for our Billjim movie - fair dinkum Australian Filmmaking Elders, Corporate Sponsors, State and Federal Government and Tourism.
Aussie Film Mafia Elders
David Lean's '1962 Lawrence of Arabia film comes in at #5 on the AFI Top 100 Movies of all time...
The AOA epic should represent a celebration of how far our Filmmakers have come on the world stage, in the tradition of what the Billjim achieved first, and highlighting role models for young ones following in their footsteps.
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Coooo-ee!
Fair Dinkum Australians
Let's not let the Lawrence
Myth and Gallipoli Defeat
bandwagon roll again.
In just 6 years we will be hit by a full-on WWI 100th Anniversary ('1914 - 2014) Billion Dollar Barrage
Major Hollywood Film and TV production companies are already working on their blockbusters and remakes about Lawrence of Arabia. Again blatantly ignoring the historical facts and the true heroes, the Australian Light Horse and Camel Corps.
Are fair dinkum Australians of the incumbent generation going to let that happen again?
You see in early '1916 it was the allied force spearheaded by the ALH, that began pushing the Ottoman Empire back out of Egypt all the way to kicking them right out of the Middle East by October '1918.
The historical evidence clearly shows the greatest military victory in modern history was executed by uncouth Australians, thereby making possible the new State of Israel. Not Lawrence, who was 'created' by an American journalist after the War. So let's also begin the difficult task of replacing the Gallipoli defeat as our No.1 'achievement' in the national psyche.
We have an obligation to restore the honour of the Billjim - by coming up with our own film, "Australians of Arabia - The Movie"
All of us, can make some kind of contribution to make it happen.
We need to find out which major Australian Bank has an Fair Dinkum Rating 5Stars, by assisting with the early funding. Then it's got to be backing from other high profile Australians, like Richard Pratt, Rupert Murdoch, Mel Gibson, Russel Crowe...
And there are signs of change. Even at the ABC see their News report of 29 April 12008 Pratt funds Light Horse commemoration in Israel.
Which Australian Country Town will be selected to be the headquarters for our AOA Operations
We are now calling for expressions of interest from Australian country towns to locate our AOA Film Studios, Theme Park and Factory for manufacturing our promotional merchandise.
Just look what Baz Luhrmann's Australia film has done for Tourism WA in the Kimberleys and Bowen NQld, which he used to recreate the bombing of Darwin.
More
If we achieve our mission it will be because these guys showed that when a bunch of internationally acclaimed Aussie filmmakers got togther they are capable producing a Movie that is really going to give that all time Top 5 a shake.
It would be just perfect if we could get the ball rolling by getting someone like Bruce Beresford to come on board first as the Director - guess who birthay he shares on 16 August? Yep Lawrence!
Financing by National Lottery
This is no ordinary movie. It's about a nation coming to terms with a fundamental truth.
It should therefore be funded by the people themselves through a National Lottery just like we had when we were kids with the Opera House Lottery:
Open Letter / Plea to State & Federal Government, Australian Filmmaking Mafia & Moguls
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Join The Great Ride II
Become a backer. It's a win-win situation - you help restore the honour of the Billjim and lift your profile with the Australian public.
We also plan to organize special tours retracing the steps of the Billjim right from the famous 'Cooee' recruitment drive around Australia. Then onto ships for the Centennial Celebrations - Cairo by '2016, Jeruasalem Decemeber '2017, and finally Damascus 6:30am 1 October '2018 - where we will get the drop on the Lawrence sycophants.
Then Cannes, the Sundance Festival, etc., and the Big Night at the Oscars!
Watch out for our new AOA Store at  .
We want to create early interest and funding by focusing on our Promotional Products (especially items like specially branded old tin mugs) and Collectibles.
The time has come. The Billjim need fair dinkum Australians to step up to the plate like they did.
We outdo the Poms and Yanks!
Baz Luhrmann now doing Australia too
And already films exploiting our theme of the currency of capturing the Outback Australia spirit are being released - Baz Luhrmann, a loca boy, just happened to call his epic "Australia" [remembering our "Australians of Arabia" was first published on Pete's website 11 years ago] and National and State Tourism chiefs have joined forces with the federal Government to cash in on the November '08 release. "The release of Australia offers the Australian tourism industry one of its greatest promotional opportunities in many years," said federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson. "This movie will potentially be seen by tens of millions of people, and it will bring life to little-known aspects of Australia's extraordinary natural environment, history and culture."
So by November the media is going to be hungry for this kind of story - the bandwagon heading to Damascus has well and truly started
Then it's finding the right country town, or towns, to locate our AOA Studios, Theme Park and Factory. And of course, every Australian can contribute in someway.
Why should I get involved?
1. Just stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Have I done anything that makes my kid think automatically that I am a fair dinkum Australian?"
2. Outrage at the continuing neglect of the Billjim, what they actually achieved and allowing impostors to take the credit and enjoy the spoils of something they made possible.
3. Reciprocal Altruism - everybody wins. You help put the Billjim up where they belong on the world stage, in return, oneday you sit there watching a movie with your kid - the credits are scrolling, and there's your name.
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Billjim
Edward Dyson
('1865 - '1931)
DOWN to it is Plugger Bill,
Lyin’ crumpled, white ’n’ still.
Me ’n’ him
Chips in when the scrap begins,
Carin’ nothin’ for our skins,
Chi-iked as the ’Eavenly Twins—
Bill ’n’ Jim.
They ’ave outed Bill at last,
Slugged me cobber hard ’n’ fast.
It’s a kill.
See the purple of his lip
’N’ the red ’n’ oozy drip!
Ends our great ole partnership—
Jim ’n’ Bill
Mates we was when we was kids;
Camp, ’n’ ship, ’n’ Pyramids,
Him ’n’ me
Hung together, ’n’ we tore
Up the heights from Helles shore,
Bill a long ’arf head afore,
Fine to see!
Then it was we took a touch—
Simple puncture, nothin’ much;
But we lay
’N’ we stays the count, it seems,
In a sorter realm of dreams
Where the sun infernal gleams
Night ’n’ day;
Boilin’, fryin’ achin’, dumb,
Waitin’ till the stretchers come,
Patiently.
I hangs on to ’arf a cup.
Which I wants ole Bill to sup.
Damn if he ain’t savin’ up
His for me!
When they come to lift my head
I am softly kiddin’ dead,
For a game,
So’s they’ll first take on his gills.
Over, though, me scheme he spills—
Bli’me, this ole take-down Bill’s
Done the same!
But he isn’t kiddin’ now,
And it knocks me anyhow
Seein’ him.
We was both agreed before,
Though it got ’em by the score,
Two was goin’ to beat this war—
Bill ’n’ Jim.
Mate o’ mine, yiv stayed it through.
Hard luck, Bill—for me ’n’ you
Hard ’n’ grim.
They have got me Cobber true,
But I’m stickin’ tight ez glue. . . .
Bill, there’s one who’ll plug for two—
It is Jim!
This poem has been preserved by
a fair dinkum Australian University
newcastle.edu.au
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• Background
• AOA Pre-Production:
Financing by National Lottery
Director / Stars
Plot / Synopsis / Script
• AOA - The Movie Flyer
• Open Letter / Plea to State & Federal Government, Australian Filmmaking Mafia & Moguls
[Note: soon we will have a link to a list of those who chose not to lend a hand to the Billjim, especially those tapped on the shoulder, they already know who they are (and could include you) socalled FDANs, "Fair Dinkum Australians, Not" ]
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Aussie Filmmaking Elders
