Lawyer and actor Whangārei pays homage to kiwi director Geoff Murphy

Geoff Murphy was an exceptionally intelligent man who allowed aspiring artists to propose ideas rather than impose his will, said Whangārei's lawyer, Kelly Johnson.

Johnson, who starred in three of Murphy's iconic Kiwi classics, was among dozens of people who paid tribute to the famous kiwi director who died Monday at the age of 80.

Johnson played in three movies – Goodbye pork tart, Utu, and Scared – which were written and made by the great figure of the New Zealand film industry in the 1970s and 80s.

"Geoff was exceptionally intelligent, very concise.He was the brightest person I've ever met and someone who motivates people, even those who make street scenes that are not good. have never acted before.

"It would allow you to come up with ideas and follow them rather than say," That's what I want. "Before, I spent quite often with his family at Hawke's Bay and his conversations were only about on the movies. "

Johnson stated that he had first met Murphy before he auditioned for a film in Wellington in 1979 and that their last meeting took place at the time the lawyer delivered a speech three or four times ago. years.

On this occasion, Murphy earned an honorary doctorate in arts on the Palmerston North campus of Massey University.

At this point, Johnson said that Murphy did not look visibly ill, although he did so more recently.

Johnson planned to see him in two weeks while on a trip to Wellington.

"He was a bit of a mentor. It's a big loss, it's an important step. I guess he was part of a handful of people who put their mortgage aside and decided to make films.

"He was one of those special people who were willing to go there reluctantly, which is why New Zealanders are famous."

Citing an example of Murphy's determination to get things done, Johnson remembered that the production team had no camera crane on stage, which was a major problem.

"Geoff asked them to make one, they designed it and soldered it so that he was ready to go to do the work," Johnson said.

Murphy's career also took him to Hollywood, where he directed blockbusters, including Young Guns II and the train thriller Steven Seagal Under Siege 2.

He also worked as a second unit director on The peak of Dante (directed by his colleague Kiwi Roger Donaldson) and Sir Peter Jackson the Lord of the Rings.

In 2014, Murphy was named Officer of the Order of Merit of New Zealand for his film services. Previously, he had been honored as one of the 20 greatest living artists of New Zealand when he had been named Arts Icon by the Arts Foundation.

He was one of the founding members of the hippie theater and theater co-op Blerta, which toured New Zealand and Australia during multimedia shows in the early 1970s.

Several members of Blerta followed Murphy in the cinema, including drummer Bruno Lawrence, who played in Utu and The quiet land.