Page 94 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

The sparse Maniototo landscape was the uncredited co-star of The Power of the Dog, seen here as a moody backdrop for
Benedict Cumberbatch.

BRAESIDE HAS A STARRING ROLE

Movie stars, film crew, cameras – and the most amazing
view – were all in a day’s work on Braeside in 2020 for
farmers Graeme and Alastair (Al) McKnight, and Al’s partner
Philippa Pope.
The Power of the Dog film, based on Thomas Savage’s 1967
novel of the same title and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch
and Kirsten Dunst, won Jane Campion a Best Director gong
at the 2022 Academy Awards. But closer to home, the sparse
Maniototo landscape was the uncredited co-star as it was
transformed to become Montana, US.
Braeside and neighbouring Ida Valley Station formed much
of the backdrop and cattle power for the on-location filming
for the Hollywood blockbuster. The movie included panoramic
views of Herefords pouring over tussock-covered farm land
with horses and cowboys in full flight, but getting screenshots Benedict Cumberbatch, left, and Jesse Plemons, playing brothers
for this magazine has sadly proven to be impossible. Phil and George Burbank in The Power of the Dog.
Braeside has been in the McKnight family for 144 years, with
Graeme and Al farming in partnership after taking over from “They went to great lengths to make sure the farm wasn’t
their parents, Matt and Dorothy, in 1989. disadvantaged.”
The initial approach from the movie moguls was low key – Graeme says they dealt with a location manager, New
a man in a car stopped and talked to Graeme on the side of Zealander Sally Sherratt, who was originally from a farm, and
the road and then drove up to Al and Philippa working in the who went out of her way to keep the farmers in touch with what
sheepyards. was happening on the set. One of the issues was returning the
“We often joke Philippa said yes before I had a chance to cows and calves to their own mobs after filming.
say no,” Al says with a laugh. “But there were more serious “They wanted open spaces in the shots and pulled all
meetings later on, and we decided we could do it. We probably the fences down, but then that meant we couldn’t hold the
didn’t appreciate how many people it would involve or how cattle handy.”
big everything was going to be. In hindsight, thank goodness So Sally asked her brother Randall Sherratt to manage the
it wasn’t on a more intensive part of the property … we cows for the film crew, drafting them up and putting them
probably wouldn’t have made it through the filming.” back in their paddocks.
One of the bonuses about having their old sheepyards “We couldn’t have done that because we were actually still
pulled down so a fake cattle corral could be built was having farming around them,” Al says. “We would give them a hand
them replaced with brand new yards when filming finished, as to get them in in the morning but we couldn’t afford to stand
well as a number of new fences. around all day.

92 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2023