Written in Chalk: the echo of Arthur Stace is the next chapter of the Eternity story, and looks at how this word continues to be celebrated today in Sydney, Australia and around the world.

Arthur Stace is the Sydney eccentric who wrote ETERNITY on Sydney’s streets over 500 000 times over a period of 35 years from 1932-1967.

The cast includes Sydney Millennium Celebrations creative director Ignatius Jones, Sydney 2000 Ceremonies Executive Director Ric Birch, millennium television coverage host Eddie McGuire, the daughter of the Eternity preacher Ruth Ridley, and international best-selling author Sulari Gentill.  The film also includes a rich list of artists, authors, opera composers, social and environment activists, restauranteurs, and many others. (see cast list here).

The film is being released in 2022 to coincide with the 90 year anniversary of both ETERNITY and the Sydney Harbour Bridge – Ignatius Jones makes this connection in the film.

“This film celebrates the various ways Eternity continues to play a part in our social and cultural story today” says Richard Attieh, the Executive Producer and Director of the film.

Earlier films by Lawrence Johnston (1994) and Julian Temple (2008) have previously told Arthur’s life story with superb storytelling and creativity, focusing on his early life as a homeless alcoholic, his transformation, and his obsessive writing of Eternity on sidewalks and pavements.

Written in Chalk is different in that it tells the story of Arthur Stace’s legacy, and looks at how his work is being used today for environmental activism, housing and gender inequality, in historical fiction novels, cafes and restaurants, as a talking point in historical walking tours, and by two Sydney street artists who have painted a 21 meter high Eternity tag in Kent St, Sydney.

“This next chapter of the Eternity story is relevant to people who might not remember the Sydney Millennium Celebrations and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games”, says Richard.

“While making this film, I realised that Eternity has now gained a momentum of its own, independent of its original author.  It is now a living and breathing phenomenon that still captures the imagination of people who come across the eight letter word when written in the Arthur Stace copperplate font.”

At the red-carpet screening and for one night only:

• the original Eternity Pulpit used by Rev John Ridley in 1932 when he delivered his sermon almost 90 years ago, will return to 39 Burton Street.
• the REMO General Store will return to Darlinghurst for the first time since 1996.

In addition to the cast and crew, the red-carpet screening will be attended by the producers of the 1994 Eternity film, representatives from the Darlinghurst Theatre Company, the National Art School, CreateNSW, the Royal Australian Historical Society, and a group of theatre producers who are developing the Mr Eternity stage play.

The film will be available for public screening from September 2022 through a series of local community screenings.  Screening details will be available on the film website – www.writteninchalk.com (launching on 21 August 2022).