Locals join crew for Red Dog prequel

Roebourne actress Josie Alec has described her role in Blue Dog, a new film about the early years of kelpie star Red Dog, as something that was "meant to be".

As a girl in the 1960s, she said she spent many happy hours playing with a red kelpie puppy on Karratha Station.

"My white foster parents, they knew the station owners who would often have us over to visit," she said.

"My mum told me I used to play with a little red kelpie at the station, but when a big cyclone came through, it disappeared."

To this day she said they believed the mysterious kelpie pup was Red Dog.

As fate would have it, Alec has been selected for a main role alongside a distinguished Australian cast - including Brian Brown, John Jarett, Kelton Pell, Syd Brisbane and newcomer Levi Harries - in a film about Red Dog, or Blue as he was known in his early years before being discovered on the road to Dampier.

"I suppose you could say I've got a really strong connection to the Red Dog story," she said.

"For me to be chosen to be part of it all, filming out on the station, I feel like it was meant to be.

"My character, the head stockman's wife, she represents just how resilient and strong the Aboriginal people were living on the stations back in the day.

"To be out on country, representing my people's history, I just feel so blessed."

Alec joins 65 cast and crew staying in the region for between five and 12 weeks during the pre-production and production periods of Blue Dog.

A further 10 locals have been employed in roles such as cultural liaison, extras casting, drivers, production assistants and general hands and more than 60 locals have taken part in scenes as extras, including Roebourne band the Blackstone Ramblers.

Producer Nelson Woss said local engagement was something he had been passionate about since filming Red Dog in 2010.

"I don't think it would be authentic if we didn't engage and involve ourselves with the local people and businesses - both films never would have happened without the support of the local community," he said.

"We're very lucky to have permission to work very closely with the traditional owners of the land, the Ngarluma people, and have support from our partners Rio Tinto, Woodside and Raw Hire, who have helped us logistically along the way.

"Ultimately the Red Dog story is very much region specific and I love that there is a story from right here in the Pilbara that resonates all over Australia and the world."

Last week Woss travelled to Wickham Primary School and a Pannawonica community event, where more than 80 locals turned out to meet some of the Blue Dog cast and crew, including Bear, one of the kelpies playing Blue in the film.

He said it was heartening to see how much the community had embraced the Red Dog story.

"It is pretty special because that's what the spirit of the Red Dog story is all about - it didn't matter where you were from or what job you had, Red Dog treated you the same, he united a community and it's nice that the films have the same kind of soul to them," he said.

"It's your story, it's your beautiful landscapes and what I hope the film does is help people who don't know the Pilbara to see it not just as a mining region, but as a beautiful place to live, work and invest in."

Noongar actor Kelton Pell said what he loved most about the Blue Dog story was the acknowledgment of Aboriginal people in the Pilbara and their strong connection to country.

"Aboriginal people, we have a very special past and connection to all country ... being out bush it re-energises you, it refreshes the soul, " he said.

"We've got a lot of fellas from Roebourne and Karratha who would go out to the station as kids, including my screen wife Josie, so for them to return to the station all these years later is very special.

Woss said he hoped to hold the premiere of Blue Dog in Karratha before its release in Australia next year.