Almost 15 years since the Pike River mine disaster, Pike River the movie has premiered in Greymouth.
Before the premiere, director Robert Sarkies said told 1News it was going to be “an intense experience”, as he cared deeply about what the community thought of the film.
At the centre of the movie was a friendship forged by widow Anna Osbourne and grieving mother Sonya Rockhouse.
Osbourne said the film was “about our journey – from finding out our men were killed to where we are today”.
About 40 family members of disaster victims attended an early screening of the movie on Sunday.
Sarkies said: “I was nervous, but it felt like we were doing the right thing.
“Showing them first, many of them told me they felt validated. That’s pretty special for me.”
Former Mayor Tony Kokshoorn supported his community when disaster struck, and said he planned to keep doing so.
“It's the families who will be there tonight, they will have a lot of emotion as we did during the disaster. We’re a little community and we support each other – this is part of our history now.”
Actor Melanie Lynskey said she was happy the premiere was taking place in Greymouth.
“It feels important.”
Lynskey was sent a link to watch the movie ahead of the premiere, but she said it didn’t feel like the right way to see it for the first time.
“It’s a story that’s about these people and this place, and I just thought, 'there’s the premiere in Greymouth and it feels right to see it there'."
Almost 15 years on, Osbourne said “we’re still hoping for a court case”.
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Rockhouse added: “We are hoping we will have an answer by the end of the year.”
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