Following a visit by French television network Reseau France Outremer last December, Glamorgan Spring Bay Council in southeast Tasmania is now reaping the rewards of a 52 minute documentary.
The film, Le French Mayor, follows Mayor Bertrand Cadart performing his Mayoral duties.
It was originally planned to be a 26 minute documentary, but grew when the film crew recognised Bertrand’s natural ability in front of the camera.
While mayors across Australia come from many different backgrounds, Mayor Cadart is believed to be the only one born and raised in France. This made him the ideal candidate to demonstrate Glamorgan Spring Bay’s French connection and how he is able to preserve and maintain his own French culture while living in the region.
“The film shows that even at the far end of the world, down under in the southeast of Tasmania, there is a French connection,” Mayor Cadart said. “Not only through myself – a French born Mayor – but through our history, with the region first explored and mapped in 1802 by French explorer Nicolas Baudin.”
The film crew spent two weeks on Tasmania’s east coast recording interviews with the Mayor and other French expatriates who have settled in the area. Stunning footage of native wildlife, including one of Tasmania’s largest seal colonies, the Isle des Phoques and the Wielangta forest reserve also feature in the documentary.
Mayor Cadart said the film has already been aired in France, New Caledonia and French Polynesia with great success.
“Prior to the film’s release in New Caledonia, I flew in to Noumea to promote it, accompanying key media representatives at a VIP screening and taking part in various media interviews,” he said. “This created such hype that around 60 per cent of the country’s population of 300,000 people watched the film when it aired in June.”
Mayor Cadart returned to Noumea in July as an Ambassador of Glamorgan Spring Bay at a travel exhibition. He pooled what resources he could and flew to Noumea at his own expense to man the Tasmania display booth with a Tasmanian tour operator who specialises in catering for French speaking visitors.
The two day exhibition attracted around 4,000 local visitors.
Mayor Cadart said that the vast majority of visitors to the Travel Expo had never heard of Tasmania, let alone of the east coast’s unique features.
“A few people came to the stand because they had seen Le French Mayor and were sufficiently impressed to consider Tasmania as their next holiday destination,” he said. “I can only hope this will translate in extra visitor numbers over the next few years.
“While we don’t expect to have an invasion of French people in Glamorgan Spring Bay, we have already seen a modest but noticeable impact. We have several local French restaurateurs who have reported an increase in French visitors that owe their visit to the film.”
Mayor Cadart said the film will continue to be shown in all French speaking countries over the next few years, placing Glamorgan Spring Bay as a top tourist destination on the world map.
To view the film visit nouvellecaledonie.rfo.fr/programmes/edition-speciale/bertrand-cadart-lefrench-mayor_4985.html, but you will need to brush up on your French!
