Gunns: The Life and Death of a Rogue Corporation

A Feature Length Documentary

This story is part David and Goliath and part Enron. It discovers what happens when the system fails and a corporation, Gunns Limited grows to become so powerful that leading national politicians of all persuasions acknowledge that the real power in Tasmania is not the government but Gunns itself.

You can, corrupt the system, control the media and seek to persecute those who disagree with you. You can rape the land, exterminate protected species, exploit your workers and you can even poison your neighbours. But the naked pursuit of greed at all costs will, in the end, destroy your public legitimacy and ensure your doom.




"They [Gunns] run the state Labor Government, they run [Labor Premier] Lennon ... and old Lennon there, he wouldn't scratch himself unless the guy who heads up Gunns told him to."

Mark Latham Former leader of the federal Labor Party

"The state's misguided forestry policy was ruthlessly policed by Gunns."

Bob Cheek, Former leader of the State Liberal Party.

“They ignored their opponents, they sued the opponents, they attacked them. They tried to take away their personal assets. The corporate governance of this company is appalling.”

Geoffrey Cousins, Businessman, Telstra board member and former adviser to Prime Minister John Howard.

Only four years ago, Gunns was a billion dollar company with investments as diverse as historic properties, wineries, walnuts, eucalypt plantations and hardware stores. However, by the time it called in the administrators it had sold even its Launceston head office and its net assets stood at just $24 million.

This is the shocking and compelling story of a rogue corporation that sort to build a pulp mill at any cost and those that stood up against in a struggle that ultimately cost the company its life.

The film will combine film footage of interviews and landscapes, archival footage, and the extensive photographic record the director has made of the last decade of the Tasmanian forest wars in the manner of Ken Burns’ celebrated documentaries such as The Civil War (1990) and Jazz (2001) to tell the remarkable story of the rise and fall of one of Australia’s most notorious corporations.

“If there is something to be learnt from the Gunns saga, it is that the captains of industry, people that are hugely powerful through their money and their political connections, can get it very wrong.”
Bob Brown, Former leader of The Greens.

This film tells the environmental, and political history of Tasmania for the last thirty years. It serves as a parable for corporate governance and the failings of government when it becomes too close to corporations. It is a story that is universal and has relevance globally. In simple terms the outcomes of this film can be measured through broadcast ratings and box office success.

A key outcome of this film empower communities to engage with process and to use the notion of “Public Legitimacy” as a powerful tool to ensure both governments and corporations adhere to the law when proposing new and ongoing developments

A further outcome of this film is to create a lasting document of a dark time in Tasmania’s history that may be used as an example for future generations.

These funds will be used to complete the film shoot. We have already undertaken three key interviews as can be seen in the film trailer. A further ten days of interviews and ten days of overlay footage is still required.

Your investment will cover fuel, accommodation, and fees for the four person crew over the twenty days it will take to complete the shoot. It is a "bare bones" budget and really only made possible by the generosity and belief of the crew in the film.

A break down of the costs :
Fuel $1000
Accom 4 people 10 nights $3000
Food $15 per crew member per day $1200
Crew Fee $300 per day for four person crew
Director,Producer,Camera Operator, Sound Recorder $24,000
Preparation of footage for edit / display $800

Total $30,000

The crew are donating their equipment and vehicles and working under their own insurance as investment in the film.

Once the shoot is completed an extended film trailer will be produced and used to raise funds for the final edit.

The Film has been approved for Deductible Gift Recipient status with The Documentary Australia Foundation and tax deductible donations over $250 can be processed through the foundation.

There are many challenges to producing a documentary film. With Gunns – The Life and Death of a Rogue Corporation, one of the primary challenges in telling the story is gaining access to the main characters. As a photojournalist, I have been documenting the struggle for Tasmania’s forests for over a decade. As a result I have built relationships with many of the key players and am well known to many of the lesser known people whose stories will be told in the film.

This is an important film that needs to be made, and for it it have weight it must be made well. to ensure this end I have put together a team of highly experienced, good people. The production company Roar Film will over see the production and edit of the film.

Prior to the demise of Gunns limited a very real risk in making this film was the litigious nature of the company involved. This is no longer an issue, which is why this film’s time has come, and can only be made now.