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Journey to Arras

Television (Full Length) – 1997

This documentary unearths the story of the soldiers in the New Zealand Tunneling Company, whose daring World War I raids involved digging tunnels through chalk rock, laying explosives underneath enemy lines, and countermining German tunneling efforts. The story is told through the eyes of a New Zealand woman who retraces her grandfather’s war story to Arras, France, and sees the Kiwi-tagged cavern 'city' nearly 80 years later. The company played a key role on the Western Front, and was especially recruited in NZ, made up of miners, bushmen and labourers.

20 metres beneath the surface you can’t help thinking of the weight of the earth above, but if it hasn’t collapsed in 80 years it should be alright.
– Clare Mashiter, on following her grandfather Captain Robert Ronayne’s footsteps

Key Cast & Crew

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Ann Andrews

Producer

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George Andrews

Producer, Director

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Stuart Devenie

Narrator

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Phillipe Grau

Camera

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Chris Burt

Sound

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Stephen McCurdy

Composer

See all 11 credits