22 June 2023
By Göran R Buckhorn
The film The Oarsmen will be like Chariots of Fire – but on the water!
Scott Patterson, Australian author and filmmaker, writes that his documentary The Oarsmen is nearing its completion. It has been five years since he started his film project which got delayed because of COVID-19. He also went back to Henley in 2022 for more interviews.
“This independently funded documentary is now a three-episode series that covers not just the winning of the King’s Cup but also the repatriation and recovery of the Diggers after the Great War,” Patterson said. “The film features many notable interviewees such as Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Mathew Pinsent, Governor-General David Hurley, rowing experts, historians from the Australian War Memorial, Imperial War Museum (UK) and many others. Well known Australian actors have also lent their voices to those of the original oarsmen from 100 years ago and brought their words to life.”
Patterson is aware that many people in the world rowing community have already supported the documentary and generously donated funds to this amazing story, but, Patterson writes, “I’m hoping more of you will assist (or donate again) in getting this story across the finish line and onto the big screen.”
In 2020, his book The Oarsmen was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Prize in the Australian History category and has since sold out. This demonstrates the popular appeal of this rowing story. Patterson is hopeful there will be a reprint of the book sometime soon.
About 90% of the film The Oarsmen archive footage has been either donated, licensed, exists in the public domain or is from family records or from public libraries.
“However, the remaining 6-7 minutes of crucial archival film and many photograph license fees from the Australian War Memorial, Imperial War Museum in the UK, British Pathé and other commercial sources are quite exorbitant, and this is where I’m hoping to can further help,” Patterson said.
The Oarsmen is registered with the Documentary Australia Foundation (DAF) and donations are fully tax deductible (Direct Gift Recipient). Here is a three-minute trailer that shows why The Oarsmen is a great Australian rowing story.
You can click the link below to go directly to the Documentary Australia Foundation.
Hear The Boat Sing 