DOCNZ

I had an amazing week at the Expanding Documentary conference and the DOCNZ Summit. I was asked to be a judge also, and the winning films can be found at the DOCNZ website...congrats to all those who made it. Although I couldn't attend every part of the Summit I met all the international guests and many of the locals...in particular Leanne Pooley who was very outspoken in the forums and very entertaining. She has just finished The Topp Twins documentary which screens on TV at Easter. More deatils available at her website Spacific Films.

This year the summit had a strong German flavour with representation from the Goethe Institute and a new film scholarship announced for Berlin...Julie Hill won that this year...also reps from the French/German Television arts/culture channel, Arte and Leipzig Doco Festival.

ITVS was again presenting their projects and funding through the Independent Lens brand and invited NZ filmmakers to submit ideas in the future.

There was a lot of discussion about new media platforms and the economic recessions effect on the industry - but ultimately the passion for documentary was very evident and filmmakers were pitching and networking their little butts off to get their next project off the ground.

There are some fantastic docos in the festival so make sure you check it out.
DOCNZ

DOCNZ

DOCNZ is about to start - so for the next 5 days its 'what is the state of documentary in New Zealand'.....watch this space and check out our new company, GoGo Media featuring interviews with international guests, local luminaries and excerpts of doco projects coming up....

The Interactive Narrative

When I first started making documentaries I was aware of the vast amount of research and interview material that never makes it to the final edit. The left-over material has value for other researchers and also just as a document to the process of documentary filmmaking itself. This in itself, could become a new form of interactive narrative in documentary filmmaking which i'm interested in exploring further.

When I start my PhD later this year I hope to explore new ways to preserve and document the documentary process through this blog and also look at new ways to present background material that could be useful to others interested in the subject.

The first part though is to focus on completing my unfinished films - it seems that every filmmaker i know has a box of tapes or film still to be constructed...so here goes - my new mission is to work on 'completion' of those unfinished projects.

My current project on Gordon Crook is progressing well - but i have a much older project i'm also working on about my favourite nz poet, Hone Tuhware...some of his work and interviews are on NZ On Screen.

A Body of Work

When you think about the work you've done over your life, its interesting to look back at the patterns that keep reoccuring - its encouraging to know that despite the roller coast ride of life, that creative work remains consistent....especially with documentary filmmaking - it's an innate interest in other peoples life stories that keep you interested in making films, telling stories and constructing narratives around writing, poetry, art, and life.
Working with my brother - it's also about reflecting my life in his life and so the conversation is not just as an onlooker - but seeing life history through someone elses eyes...its' revealing and disconcerting at the same time..but never dull. Especially my brother - who has lived an artists life as a poet, a publisher of other peoples work and an occasional artist himself. He continues to inspire me with his own work and now in his pursuit of a PhD about women writers in NZ from the thirties to 1970 ...an often neglected period in our literary history.
The Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop, Mikes publishing company, in association with HEADWORX, Mark Pirie's publishing company, just completed a winter reading series...which culminated in Mike reading his own work after beautiful readings by Bill Dacker from Dunedin and then a rare treat to hear poems by Marilyn Duckworth followed by a duet by her and her partner, Nelson Wattie - who together read love poems by Alistair Campbell to his wife in a recent publication "It's Love...isn't it?"....a poignant and loving memory to her....and between them also.

Lunch with Gordon

Went to visit artist Gordon Crook today. He made Mary Jane and I a gorgeous lunch and we spent the afternoon looking at photographs of him in London in the forties and fifties, talking about life and art and philosophy. A gorgeous afternoon.

Now I have my homework to do as I explore the many facets of Gordons life as an artist and a teacher. He moved to New Zealand in 1971, a time of great conservatism in New Zealand society which was a culture shock to step into from the hub of London life. He has never returned. He has just finished a show at the Mary Newton gallery, White Crocus and is working on another big show in Christchurch for next year.

In the meantime, we're talking and filming along the way.

Tasting the Words

I've started working on an unfinished piece documenting Hone Tuwhare in a workshop at Otago Girls College. I shot it in Dunedin at the same time as i did the Michael King interview. When he was short of a bob or two he'd give the school a ring and they were always happy to see him and have him do a reading or a workshop with the English class.
Hone is natural and funny as well as deep talking about the meanings of his poetry and the inspiration that he draws from, ranging from Maori mythology to his own personal life and loves. He even convinces some of the girls to read their poems in front of him, a daunting prospect for any budding writer!javascript:void(0)

Gordon Crook

I went to the launch of Gordon Crook's new show, White Crocus, at Mary Newton gallery. It is an amazing colourful array of imagery and metaphor. Crooks influnces are Klee, Joan Miro and early surrealists. I bumped into Gordon at the bus stop a few weeks ago and started chatting - this has led to a new project and we'll be doing our first interview wiht Gordon next weekend while the show is still up. Go check out the show - its only on for another week.