Arka Evren

FILM · 1971 · AUSTRALIA

Demonstrator

27 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026

22 Interesting Facts About Demonstrator

  1. #001

    Demonstrator was the first and only feature film directed by Warwick Freeman, who had previously worked in television.

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  2. #002

    Demonstrator was shot in September 1970.

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  3. #004

    More than three thousand extras appeared as silent protesters in the demonstration scene outside the Academy of Science.

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  4. #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.

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  5. #006

    Demonstrator was based on real events.

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  6. #007

    The nationality of Thao Kimalayo (Kenneth Tsang), the main Asian political character, is not specified.

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  7. #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.

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  8. #009

    Demonstrator is one of the few Australian feature films shot entirely or predominantly in Canberra, the Australian capital, in the Australian Capital Territory.

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  9. #010

    Slim DeGrey, who played the fictional Australian Prime Minister Alexander Gurney, actually resembled the then Australian Prime Minister John Gorton.

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  10. #011

    Demonstrator was conceived by its producers as "apolitical".

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  11. #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).

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  12. #014

    The promotion of Demonstrator highlighted the need for a viable Australian commercial film industry.

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  13. #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.

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  14. #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!".

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  15. #017

    The launch of Demonstrator featured twin black-tie galas held in Sydney and Canberra.

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  16. #018

    The promotion of Demonstrator stated that it examined the "generation gap".

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  17. #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".

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  18. #020

    The film was seen as a potential launching pad for the Australian film industry to put Australia on the international film map.

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  19. #021

    Most of the police officers seen in the film were not officers on duty in the Australian Capital Territory.

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  20. #022

    Production shooting on the film lasted six weeks.

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  21. #024

    It is the only film made by the production company Freeman-Fishburn International.

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  22. #026

    Former Australian patriotic actress Wendy Lingham returned to her home country of Australia from London, England, to take a role in this film.

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