The first community action in the fight to save the Terania rainforest was the making of this film. The idea was proposed at the first meeting of the Terania Native Forest Action Group, held in a farmhouse on Terania Creek Road in 1976.
Though there were only about 25 people present at the meeting, they were able to pull together a group able to produce and fund this 16mm film. This was remarkable in itself for the time, considering it was early hippy invasion days and resources were very scarce.
People power, however, was plentiful and committed to exploring any and all ways to save the rainforest. A working group was formed out of that meeting called "North Country Flix" that included Bren Claridge, an experienced film maker and advertising executive and Paul Joseph, who wrote the song and concept.
The music and soundtrack was recorded by Music Farm Studios from Coorabel, the first studio to establish on the north coast. This was their first project, recorded in the lounge room of the studio founding sound engineer, Nicky Butt. They had the equipment but the studio itself had not been completed.
The musicians on the soundtrack came from across the Rainbow Region and included Beebop and Julie (Mookx and Shanto), Donny McCormack, Ian Walsh, and a host of others.
The filming included a cast of thousands (almost) of locals, including notables such as Hugh Nicholson playing "Mr Man", the masked baddie with $$ signs for eyes. And though many think our "Foresters" were the real thing, we admit they were hippies in disguise, merely playing their part in our movie.
The film was shown on the ABC several times and was used in meetings, presentations and touring shows to help promote the need to protect rainforest.
It is worthy of note that the outcome of the action was successful. Terania was the first ever rescue of rainforest in history. As a direct result of the Terania Native Forest Action Group's campaign the State government brought in the first ever laws to protect rainforest.