Michael Dillon’s The Great White Whale Returns to Luna SX

Although the STS Leeuwin herself has sadly gone nowhere recently, a film about her has travelled far in the meantime and returns to its home port of Fremantle on 27 February 2025.

The film, THE GREAT WHITE WHALE, tells of the expedition that left Albany in 1964, intent on sailing to and climbing Australia’s highest peak, Big Ben.

Big Ben? Always a good Trivia Quiz question! Big Ben is a snowy volcano on the Australian Territory of Heard Island, deep in the Southern Ocean, halfway between Fremantle and Africa. Big Ben is 500 metres higher than Mt Kosciuszko and much easier to spell.

One of the 1964 expeditioners, Malcolm Hay, was so inspired by this expedition that he felt all young people should be given the chance to undertake an adventure at sea. And so he became the driving force behind the building of the Leeuwin.

Michael Dillon, the filmmaker, spent a week on the Leeuwin sailing from Albany to Fremantle to capture the final moving sequence of the film, and he has been making sure that while the Leeuwin isn’t currently able to go anywhere, she is still sailing on through this film.

Michael has taken the film on the Adventure film circuit around Europe where it has won seven awards, including three Grand Prizes. “It even won the audience choice award at a Film Festival in Italy which proved that the story is so powerful it transcends language barriers” says Michael.

Michael has also been touring it around Australia to great acclaim, most recently in Tasmania where 500 people saw it over three screenings.

“It was special to have the Captain of the Leeuwin, James Rakich introduce the film at the screening at the recent Wooden boat festival in Hobart. Lots of tall ships from around Australia were there but it was wonderful that Leeuwin was there too, at least on film”, said Michael.

The Great White Whale will be screening once only at The LUNA SX Fremantle on Thursday 27 February at 6.45pm. Tickets are available through the cinema right here.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News

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