Port Arthur massacre survivor voices concern about upcoming film

A movie about the man responsible for the Port Arthur massacre is being filmed not far from a survivor’s home — and she has grave concerns it could “normalise” his “pure evil”.

A Victorian survivor of the Port Arthur massacre says she does not want to see evil gunman Martin Bryant’s “name up in lights” by making him the focus of a new film.

Bev Kelly, 54, told the Herald Sun she felt uncomfortable a film on the 1996 mass shooting was being made in Geelong, not far from her Lara home.

While she would not object to a documentary being made, a film with paid actors was ­another matter and it was ­unlikely she would see it.

“It upsets me in a way and I don’t think it’s necessary … why should Martin Bryant’s name be up in lights?” she said.

“I don’t agree with it, I don’t think it’s needed … but I guess we don’t know how it will be presented … are they going to make it factual or are they going to make stuff up?

“Have they got permission from the victims’ families to make this film or don’t they even need to ask for it?”

Bev Kelly (pictured in 2016) survived the Port Arthur massacre. Picture: Ian Currie

Ms Kelly said she could not imagine being the actor playing Bryant, and that he could be portrayed “as anything other than totally, completely bad”.

She also struggled to understand how anyone who had not witnessed the terror first-hand could act it out.

“My life sort of went back to normal but I feel for the people who lost loved ones and who will continue to grieve for the rest of their lives. Now they’re going to have this film in the back of their minds, wondering what’s it going to be like?”

Filming of the movie is taking place near Geelong.

Supplied photo from the Martin Bryant film shoot

It comes as children’s charity Alannah & Madeline Foundation — founded by Walter Mikac after his wife and daughters were killed by Bryant — said there was a risk the film could “normalise” the killer’s “pure evil” by lending him a degree of sympathy.

“We know that when perpetrators are put in the public eye … you can get glorification, this sort of cult, and emulation of people like that,” foundation chief Lesley Podesta said. “It normalises, to some degree, the idea that you can talk about those people.”

The project led by director Justin Kurzel and Nine-owned streaming service Stan is titled NITRAM (the killer’s name backwards). Starring Judy Davis, Anthony LaPaglia, Essie Davis and American Caleb Landry as the gunman, it has generated a storm of ­opposition.

Ms Podesta said the foundation was not trying to censor the arts but feared the film could give rise to more conspiracy theories about the massacre and Bryant.

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