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.

Barry Barclay RIP

Barry Barclay "Bazz" as most of us knew him, passed away today.

Bazz was an amazing mentor to me and to many other filmmakers, not only in New Zealand but across the globe. He was an advocate for the truth and for social justice. His documentary series Tangata Whenua, was radical in style and content. His collaborators included historian and writer Michael King, producer John O'Shea - and many independent filmmakers throughout Aotearoa who helped him plot and scheme to get the funding for projects he believed in. His protest outside NZ On Air in the mid-nineties challenged existing funding decisions for Maori projects and creative teams - and led to more discussion about ethics and cultural imperialism in visual culture. Bazz was an amazing committed and staunch friend with a little bit of 'Maui's trickery included in the mix. His films are living testaments to his convictions and his passions...Ngati, Te Rua, Tangata Whenua series, Indira Ghandi, The Neglected Miracle, Feathers of Peace and more recently, The Kaipara Affair. He will be greatly missed...Arohanui

Chicago 10

I went to see this film directed by Brett Morgan (The Kids Stays in the Picture)
in the DOCNZ festival the other night - it was pretty full on - with real footage of riots in Chicago at the time - police vs the people yet again...

At the 1968 Democratic Convention, protestors, denied permits for demonstrations, repeatedly clashed with the Chicago Police Department, who waged a week-long terror campaign that resulted in riots witnessed live by a television audience of over 50 million. The events had a polarizing effect on the country and 8 of the main activists were arrested which created a huge public trial. [Mmm ...sound familiar?]

The unique feature of this doco was its use of animation of the main characters of the story arrested ...Its definitely worth a look - but sometimes the flipping back and forth between real news footage, conversations between the activists at the time, then the recreation of the story in animated form was distracting from the flow of the story - but an interesting style aka The Simmonds Brothers or like Henry Rollins Show style...

Interestingly, it was also another political doco supported by the Al Gore team at Participant Productions.

and i can't believe we missed it, we had tickets to Lovely Rita and saturday was such a beautiful day we completely forgot about it...Well, at least we supported the festival i guess...

DOCNZ Festival and Symposium

The DOCNZ festival is coming up in Wellington - already been going in Auckland for some time...Lots to choose from so get out of that winter comfort zone and watch some interesting international and local docos...
Saw a great doco last night on Maori TV made by local Wellington filmmakers, Tim Rose and Jim Scott and Huia Lambie about J.C.Sturm, poet extraordinaire and by the by, ex-wfe to James K. Baxter. It was a moving portrait of a woman writer struggling to have her voice heard amongst the patriarchal literati of the 50s and 60s....
Still working on the DVD of my Michael King doco, so hope to get that out and about soon...in the meantime looking forward to seeing the Rita Angus doco by Gaylene Preston in the festival...