australian television information archive

RAN (Remote Area Nurse) begins filming in Torres Strait

Filming started Monday on Masig Island in the Torres Strait for the SBS Independent television drama RAN (Remote Area Nurse).

The six hour mini-series tells the story of a year in the life of a remote area nurse and her relationship with the island chairman and his family.

Acclaimed Australian actor Susie Porter has returned from London to play the lead role of the RAN, Helen Tremain. She will be joined by Charles Passi as Russ Gaibui, the island Chairman, and Billy Mitchell playing Robbo, the local barge operator.

Felix Williamson, Bruce Spence and Luke Carroll co-star with a cast of Torres Strait Islanders who include Margaret Harvey and several people playing their first screen roles.

Casting Director Greg Apps has spent the past three months in the Torres Strait islands and Queensland conducting an extensive search for the Islander cast.

Mr Dan Mosby, one of the elders of Masig, who is also playing a role in the series, said today, 'We are very happy to welcome the film crew to Masig. I am proud that my elder sister Eileen appeared in the film documentary Beyond Cape York and now the people of Masig are to appear in a drama which will be filmed exclusively on this Island.'

RAN will be shot on HDTV by acclaimed cinematographer Ian Jones.

David Caesar and Catriona McKenzie will direct the mini-series, which will be filmed exclusively on Masig Island for the next three months. The film crew are living in tents where cold bush showers and no alcohol are the order of the day.

'We are very privileged to be here' said producer Penny Chapman. "The people of Masig have made us very welcome. Theirs is an exquisitely beautiful little island in the Coral Sea - a part of the world that has never before been seen on a television drama."

RAN has been financed by SBS Independent, Film Finance Corporation Australia, the Pacific Film and Television Corporation and the NSW Film and Television Office. It will be broadcast on SBS in 2005.

For further information please contact the RAN Production Office on (07) 4090 0596 or SBS Publicist Ian Phipps on (02) 9430 3794 or 0419 977 64

Press release
September 08, 2004