FILM · 1971 · AUSTRALIA
Demonstrator
27 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (27)
- #001
Demonstrator was the first and only feature film directed by Warwick Freeman, who had previously worked in television.
- #002
Demonstrator was shot in September 1970.
- #003
According to reports, the film's A$300,000 budget was financed by businessman investors in the Australian Capital Territory.
- #004
More than three thousand extras appeared as silent protesters in the demonstration scene outside the Academy of Science.
- #005
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Army assisted with the production of Demonstrator. For the scene staged at Fairbairn Air Base they provided a BAC-111 aircraft, an RAAF honour guard and the Duntroon military band.
- #006
Demonstrator was based on real events.
- #007
The nationality of Thao Kimalayo (Kenneth Tsang), the main Asian political character, is not specified.
- #008
The then Australian Prime Minister, John Gorton, asked Commonwealth government institutions and departments to assist with the production of Demonstrator, but without any direct expenditure.
- #009
Demonstrator is one of the few Australian feature films shot entirely or predominantly in Canberra, the Australian capital, in the Australian Capital Territory.
- #010
Slim DeGrey, who played the fictional Australian Prime Minister Alexander Gurney, actually resembled the then Australian Prime Minister John Gorton.
- #011
Demonstrator was conceived by its producers as "apolitical".
- #012
Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang was imported to star in this Australian film.
- #013
The then Australian Prime Minister John Gorton did not appear in this political drama, though Gorton later appeared as himself in the political comedy Don's Party (1976).
- #014
The promotion of Demonstrator highlighted the need for a viable Australian commercial film industry.
- #015
The extras in Demonstrator were played by university students at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. ANU students also appeared as background artists, as delegates at the conference.
- #016
Australian film posters were issued with the following preamble: "Canberra… the scene of a vital conference to strengthen Australia's relations with South-East Asia… student unrest and violent demonstrations… a man's political career at stake… only his son can save him!" and "He stood for co-existence with Asia. The Defence Minister's career was threatened by his own son!".
- #017
The launch of Demonstrator featured twin black-tie galas held in Sydney and Canberra.
- #018
The promotion of Demonstrator stated that it examined the "generation gap".
- #019
This was Gerard Maguire's second feature film role, after You Can't See 'Round Corners (1969). The promotion of Demonstrator described it as Maguire's "first major movie leading role".
- #020
The film was seen as a potential launching pad for the Australian film industry to put Australia on the international film map.
- #021
Most of the police officers seen in the film were not officers on duty in the Australian Capital Territory.
- #022
Production shooting on the film lasted six weeks.
- #023
Director Warwick Freeman described the film's development at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia: "Freeman Fishburn, the producers (Warwick Freeman and Jim Fishburn [James Fishburn]), got in touch with David Brice, who was then a newsreader at CTC7 in Canberra. David bought a book by Don [Don Campbell] and Elizabeth Campbell, and was armed with an ACT barrister trio that would raise the financing. Act One (Fund) was formed and FFI (Freeman) Fishburn International) was commissioned to make Demonstrator (1971)."
- #024
It is the only film made by the production company Freeman-Fishburn International.
- #025
About six minutes after the sound post-production of this film was completed in Los Angeles, a San Fernando earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale occurred.
- #026
Former Australian patriotic actress Wendy Lingham returned to her home country of Australia from London, England, to take a role in this film.
- #027
Actor Joe James played the character Joe Slater, who shares his name.
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