When Janet Grubner first saw Herewini Whakarua's statue atop the WWI monument at Pakaitore, she was struck by his "public solitude".
That was in 2007 when she was visiting from Taupo and she attempted to capture the essence of the statue and the monument through photographs.
Bill Milbank of WHMilbank Gallery was taken with the work and exhibited them in April 2015.
The opening would become a catalyst for the film Set in Stone when key players came together.
The film is to have its first Whanganui screening at the War Memorial Concert Chamber on Wednesday night after doing the rounds at DocEdge Film Festival screenings in Wellington and Auckland.