Girls' Flight Out

FOR YEARS AIR CHATHAMS has been proud to be a part of a very special initiative which sees groups of Chatham Islands women flying to Christchurch for two-yearly mammograms. The programme has been instrumental in detecting breast cancer for women who have limited access to preventative medical care, and now the charters - popularly known locally as the ‘titty flights’! - are the subject of a new documentary film.

Titled ‘Girls’ Flight Out’, the short documentary will involve a week’s filming on the Chathams in July, says director Anna Pearson, who first heard about the mammogram trips while visiting friends on the Chathams a decade ago.

“I was researching a magazine article at the time and the conversation turned to what services were not available on the island, like a dentist,” Anna says. “Someone mentioned the ‘titty flights’ and I was like, ‘What?!’ It captured my imagination and just seemed such a cool story and for years it sat in the back of my mind. It also seemed really suited to the screen as opposed to an article, and I knew I wanted to do it as a documentary, but just wasn’t sure how.”

That was until she mentioned the idea to fellow filmmaker Nick Kowalski at the end of last year. “Nick was just as excited about the concept as I was,” Anna says, “and that kind of kick-started things.”

Approximately 2800 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand every year

Anna is no stranger to filmmaking, having directed her first short filmNancy - in 2021, and her background in journalism has seen her work everywhere from Antarctica to Zambia. Nick, who is also an award-winning cameraman, came on board as director of photography, and the crew was complete with the arrival of producer and photographer Ocean Mead. Anna was also fortunate to have documentary filmmaker Vanessa Wells provide mentorship, offering advice, experience and answers to difficult questions.

There followed some nerve-wracking phone calls to pitch the film to the relevant health organisations, and also to Air Chathams seeking permission to film on the aircraft, but the response was resoundingly positive.

“I think everyone recognises the uniqueness of the programme, but also just how important the flights are; they literally save lives. If women had to individually organise flights and accommodation, many would probably just put it off till later - which can be a real danger.”

A danger indeed. Approximately 2800 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand every year and it is the leading cause of nontobacco-attributable cancer deaths for women.

ScreenSouth has been involved in coordinating screening for Chatham Islands women since 2017, and has provided approximately 350 screens in that time. Out of those, seven participants were diagnosed with breast cancer and started treatment, so it is clear that screening and early detection are critical.

“The ladies all have their mammograms done on arrival and then stay around for at least a few days to see if they need any call backs,” Anna says. “The images are read in record time to fit that in, and most also take the opportunity to catch up with some shopping and friends, which I imagine helps in what can be a stressful time.”

There followed some nervewracking phone calls to pitch the film to the relevant healthorganisations, but the response was resoundingly positive

Anna and the crew have a busy few months ahead, filming, editing and planning the release of Girls’ Flight Out. They’re aiming for film festival release, after which the film will be made available to sponsors for workplace and community screenings, as well as educational use in healthcare settings, before eventually being made available to everyone via the filmmakers’ YouTube channels. Keep an eye on the official Girls’ Flight Out social media accounts for updates.

Girls’ Flight Out is being made possible through support from Air Chathams, Hotel Chatham, Screen South Ltd, Pacific Radiology, Geneva Healthcare, The Fitting Room, Scenic Hotel Cotswold, Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand and Volpara New Zealand.