By PATRICK GOWER
An author says she was gagged by Jane Campion from publishing claims that The Piano was based on a novel.
The Oxford Companion to Australian Film recently became the first official source to cite The Piano as being based on the 1920 novel The Story of a New Zealand River, by Jane Mander.
Helen Martin told the Herald that an aggressive Jane Campion and producer Jan Chapman used "bully tactics" to force her to remove a similar allegation in her book New Zealand Film 1912-96, also published by Oxford University Press.
"I gave in. I felt bullied by Chapman and Campion and absolutely hated caving in, but I had to if I wanted to get the book published."
Jane Campion has always denied using the novel as the basis for her Piano screenplay, for which she won an Oscar.
Her agent, Viccy Harper, said last night that the controversy was ludicrous.
"We have no anxieties whatsoever ... It's an original screenplay and that's that."
Ms Harper said she was unable to comment on Campion and Chapman's actions towards Martin.
"I'm just her agent - I can act for her but I can't comment for her."
Martin, who co-wrote New Zealand Film with Sam Edwards of Waikato University, said Chapman refused to give permission for them to use still photographs from The Piano - something Oxford University Press insisted upon - unless she removed her claim that the script was based on the novel.
"I even changed it to say it was only 'alleged' that it was based on Mander's novel, but that wasn't good enough for them."
Martin said she was "surprised but pleased" that another Oxford University Press book had printed the claims.
"I believe justice will [win] out ... It wasn't just alleged in the Oxford Companion to Australian Film - they put it in as a fact and in print."
Oxford University Press did not want to comment on the issue when contacted.
Ms Harper said Campion would wait and see before deciding what action to take over the entry in the Australian book.
"We're at least asking for a correction to the book. We've had enough now. It's getting boring."
Ms Harper said they questioned the authority of the Oxford Companion to Australian Film. "There's a lot of mistakes and omissions - they've even spelled Jane Mander's name wrong."
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