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Before the Operations Begin

Television (Full Length) – 1999

Feeling burnt out, director Tony Williams takes his seachange literally and sets off with three mates in his recently restored 66-foot motorboat, with a grown-up son as cameraman. The plan: journey from Sydney to the Coral Sea. They witness an eclipse, find paradise in Vanuatu, and island-hop their way through New Caledonian reefs, soon after witnessing French victory in the 1998 (soccer) World Cup. Near journey’s end, a reflective Williams realises that he has experienced not just a holiday, but also “an opportunity to look at your own world from a distance”.

Putting a crew together for a boat is a bit like casting a movie. Sometimes compatibility can be just as important as qualifications.
– Tony Williams

Key Cast & Crew

Profile image for Tony Williams

Tony Williams

Director, Writer, Narrator

Generic Profile image for Rick Price

Rick Price

Sound

Generic Profile image for Nicholas Williams

Nicholas Williams

Camera

Generic Profile image for Charles Ivory

Charles Ivory

Editor

Produced by

Tony Williams Productions

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