The Navigator

1988
90min
Feature
Synopsis: 

A visionary boy leads five men from the 14th Century into a 20th Century city. Their quest: to save their village before sunrise.

It is Cumbria 1348, the year of the Black Death. A medieval mining village lives in fear of the advancing plague. Griffin's older brother Connor returns from the outside world in a state of despair, until Griffin tells of his dream - and reveals the only hope of survival.

Make a tribute to God. Place a spire on a distant cathedral. Do it before dawn or the village is lost.

Griffin sets out on a bizarre journey with Connor, Searly the pragmatist, Searle's naive brother Ulf, Martin the philosopher and Arno the one-handed ferryman. They reach a pit, which is rumoured to be a shaft through to the far side of the earth. It's just as Griffin dreamed it, and the medieval expedition demands more detail fo Griffin's prophetic dream.

They tunnel through the earth, to a new world - New Zealand, the Antipodes, 1988. Surrounded by echoes of the fear which haunted medieval England, they pursue their dogged goal, but Griffin has a chilling premonition. One of them will die at the cathedral.

Status: 
Complete, Remastered, DCP available
Genre: 
Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Sales Agent: 
Hanway Select
Co-Production: 
New Zealand/Australia

Credits:

Directed by: 
Crew: 
Director of Photography
Editor
Festival/Awards: 
1988: Cannes Film Festival - in competition, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival (Best Film), Fanta Festival (Best Film), Australian Film Institute Awards (Best Film, Best Director: Vincent Ward, Achievement in Cinematography: Geoffrey Simpson, Achievement in Production Design: Sally Campbell, Achievement in Costume Design: Glenys Jackson, Achievement in Editing: John Scott) 1989: Listener Film and Television Awards (Best Film , Best Director: Vincent Ward Best Original Screenplay: Kely Lyons, Geoff Chapple and Vincent Ward, Best Male Performance: Hamish McFarlane, Best Female Performance in a Supporting Role: Sarah Peirse, Best Male Performance in a Supporting Role: Noel Appleby, Best Production Design: Sally Campbell, Best Cinematography: Geoffrey Simpson, Best Editing: John Scott, Best Contribution to a Soundtrack: Dick Reade, Best Film Score: Davood Tabrizi)
Technical information: 
Colour, Dolby, Digitised

Image gallery: