FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
4 June 2020
The word of the millennium, ETERNITY, will be written above the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Friday 5 June from 8.30am.
ETERNITY will appear in the Arthur Stace ‘Mr Eternity’ copperplate font for all to see, two decades after Ric Birch included the iconic word in the Millennium Fireworks and in the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Eternity has been part of Sydney’s DNA for almost 90 years, first written on the streets in Darlinghurst by local eccentric Arthur Stace in 1932 – the same year the ABC began broadcasting and the same year as the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Mr Stace’s identity was a mystery for 25 years, making newspaper headlines and capturing public imagination. The word ETERNITY was seen on our streets throughout some of the most significant moments in recent history including the Great Depression, the duration of WW2 and Don Bradman’s cricket career, the launch of television in Australia, Queen Elizabeth’s first Royal visit, the Beatles’ 1964 Australian Tour, Australia adopting decimal currency, and the introduction of the postcode system in Australia.
The longevity and consistency of Arthur Stace’s work throughout his lifetime will feature in a new documentary being produced by the Australian Television & Media Group.
“The film will pay homage to Arthur Stace and his mysterious word throughout the 1900s, look at the impact this one word has had on individuals over the years, and celebrate the way ETERNITY continues to be embraced in Sydney, Australia and around the world today,” says Richard Attieh, the Executive Producer and Director.
Richard and his team are inviting the general public to share their Eternity Stories through the Eternity Film website (www.eternityfilm.com.au) and on social media – encouraging people to use the #eternity hashtag.
“I’ve been blown away by some of the Eternity Stories that I have heard over the past six months,” says Richard Attieh.
“We still have a generation of people who had a personal connection with Arthur Stace, and a second generation who caught glimpses of Arthur writing Eternity in the early hours of the morning, and remember seeing the iconic word written in chalk on their way to work, university and school in the 1950s-70s.”
“We can’t include every story in the film, so I want to curate as many stories as possible to capture this unique part of our history.”
Richard and his team are also planning a number of community, cultural, arts and educational initiatives to accompany the film, including an annual Eternity Day, Museum Installations, an historical walking app, tourism materials and education resources.
The documentary will look at how ETERNITY has featured in the arts, hospitality, business, religious and government sectors across Australia over the past 20 years, and celebrate the way ETERNITY is used today.
Ric Birch was interviewed in February 2020. He will be joined by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, historian and author Roy Williams, Town Hall Eternity Café owner George Semaan, architect Peter Tonkin and Australian graffiti and street artist Matthew ‘Mistery’ Peet in a long list of personalities who will feature in the film.
Richard Attieh was approached to produce and direct this film by Elizabeth Meyers, a co-author of the 2017 Mr Eternity book.
The film is being independently produced by the Australian Television & Media Group with the support of the City of Sydney Council, private financiers, corporate sponsors, and the financial assistance of community partners and the Documentary Australia Foundation.
Eternity Above Sydney Harbour
Date: Friday 5 June 2020
Time: 8.30am
Best Vantage Points:
• Blues Point Reserve
• Thornton Park, Balmain East
Eternity will be written between approximately 8.30-8.40am and will be visible drifting to the north east towards the sea for approximately 20 minutes.
• More information about the Eternity Documentary – www.writteninchalk.com
• More information about Richard Attieh – www.tvgroup.com.au/RichardAttieh
• Richard Attieh is available for comment.
ENDS.
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Contact:
Richard Attieh
Executive Producer and Director
Australian Television & Media Group
02 9966 9596
0407 708 466
richard@tvgroup.com.au