Lord of the Rings 2002/03/04

This applies to all three films as all three films were filmed simultanaeously.

Anna Wilding was thanked by New Line and producer Mark Ordesky of Lord of the
Rings for her "humanitarian work" on all three Lord of the Rings Films, through her 
lawyers in New York.

As many now know Anna, as an actor and industry figure and  film maker instigated
and was involved with the animal welfare investigation on LOTR based on allegations
she recieved from riders and the riders not having had anyone listen to them 
previously during filming. Though she did much intensive work behind the scenes.
Anna did not recieve payment for her work though many feel she should have. 
TWO TOWERS has also been given a Questionable rating by the AHA.This rating 
also includes Fellowship of the Ring.

Anna said she responded as any ethical experienced industry person would have 
or should have.

For the first part of last year Anna lent her hand, on a humanitarian, legal,diplomatic
basis for five months, to various issues surrounding the very good movie Lord of the 
Rings. She has been supportive of the making of the movie to the fullest degree.

Let us further clarify and stress the following, Anna has been thanked by many people
at many levels and areas both USA and NZ for her help, guidance, skills, courage, 
strength and diplomacy..Many of the issues are now resolved and the infrastructure is 
now in place so that certain issues will not arise again. Anna will not comment or 
disclose further in this forum..However,if anyone has any further questions or requires 
further information please go to http://www.ahafilm.info.

Anna was quoted as saying "By my extensive work alone, I show support for the 
making of the films (and as per a published Letter to a newspaper in October 2000)."

In addition Anna  muses
"Unfortunately, due to who I am and my experience, I was placed in a certain situation. Sometimes if you have a 
conscience,  and a moral obligation to one's work as well, as I do, especially after years of international experience
 in the film and production industry... well I could not walk away, and no one else was able to do what needed to be 
done, or had the guts, experience/relationships to I guess... Even ethically, personally and professionally I could 
not walk away... (And no, it certainly was not due solely to the actions of any one particular USA company by 
any means, this was a co-production or close enough)... I won’t disclose more in this forum on the Internet (I could
 write a book! Though I take it in my stride, I am happy now it is all over and I can move on with my own life and 
creative projects)... Suffice to say this film encroached on my life for over two years! One of the things that 
quietly angers me, ("and I am going to say this", Anna says pensively and then smiling...) ...is that there was not
and still has not been any kind of disclosure to the New Zealand public,and therefore, as someone who was born in 
New Zealand, one could question the notion of freedom of speech and freedom of the press in this country."

"Tolkien wrote a great book. I honour his work in mentioning his sense of right 
and wrong, and the import and the word of truth."

"Oh yeah and (smiling) I wouldn't mind being paid for the two years this project took up of my life as well dealing
 with things on behalf of others. Humanitarian my work may have been at heart, and necessary at that, but a 
gal has to eat!!!"

  

Supported by Lucy Lawless

A fan of Anna's  sent this quote in from a recent interview with Lucy
Lawless in metro magazine where Lucy speaks of Lord of the Rings.The
fan says it bascially says that LOTR reached a new low in the
standard of treatment and backs up Anna's work and everyhting Anna
dealt with:

A quote from Lucy Lawless ...
 the Producers of Xena..." set a standard, treating their people
really well. People really....... got comfortable with it and that
standard will never be met again."

"New Line (which made The Lord of the Rings) came down and set a new
standard of what film companies can expect to pay and the sort of
conditions and it was well below what they'd become accustomed to on
our set."

"I'm really proud of the kind of company those Pacific Renaissance
producers set up. I do wish they had got more recognition."

Lucy sounds angry, but then her mood quickly lightens. "The moment we
finish talking about this," she says, smiling, "I'll never think of
it again."