New Zealand Cinema

New Zealand is known for its pictorial landscape, captivating an audience worldwide, but is there more to New Zealand than what meets the eye?

New Zealand and tourism almost go hand in hand when it comes down to New Zealand film-making. The introduction of 16mm film in 1920 allowed independent film companies, such as Miramar Film Studios and New Zealand Films, to form. These celebrated the Utopian side of New Zealand through its idyllic scenery.

In 1940, John Grierson, a British documentary producer, visited New Zealand and suggested that documentaries convey the social purposes of a national identity. This combined with the desire to showcase New Zealand’s World War II efforts became the primary reasons for the setup of the governmentally run National Film Unit (NFU) in 1941.

Documentaries were the beginning of filmmaking in New Zealand. Supported by the government, they helped promote the country to the rest of the world – transpiring as adverts. The aim was to increase their small population, gain tourism, and to entice a workforce through the breath-taking landscape and scenery, presenting the perfect vacation and settlement.

From 1941 to 1946, the NFU produced the ‘Weekly Review’ - weekly reels screened in cinemas. These often highlighted the aforementioned war efforts, as a form of propaganda rather than education. However, some NFU filmmakers did not abide with the government political policies, resulting in the NFU’s ‘Weekly Review’ ending after their 459^th issue.

Years later in 1983, the documentary film ‘War Years’ focused on New Zealand and the life on the home front in World War II. The film was compiled with the footage used in the NFU’s ‘Weekly Review’, with the likes of Helen Martin calling it “a fascinating record of documentary filmmaking at a crucial time in the country’s history.”

1960 sparked an increase of televisions in people homes, unlike Hollywood cinema, the influx of television did not have the same impact on New Zealand, even though cinema viewers lowered. Instead New Zealand embraced television and saw it as another outlet for independent film makers to flourish.

‘Once Were Warriors’ (1994), broke down the beauty of New Zealand and provided the dark undertones of the Kiwi Goth and particularly the Urban Goth, which is a sub-genre of horror representing the industrial and post-industrial urban society. The film demonstrates a dystopian view of urban culture in New Zealand, highlighting domestic violence, alcohol abuse, poverty, gang violence, sexual assault, homelessness and suicide. The film opens with a shot of a billboard displaying the beautiful scenery of New Zealand’s landscape, which then tilts down into the brutal reality of urban life.

The film caused much controversy, particularly between the Maori community, with critics disapproving of the political, social and aesthetic grounds represented. However, the film is still one of the highest-grossing films in New Zealand history, making more than NZ$6million at the national box office.  

Despite New Zealand’s fascination with the Kiwi Goth, it is a country that will always be recognised for it’s incredible landscape, and prosperous filming location opportunities. ‘The Lord of the Rings’, and ‘The Hobbit’, were both filmed in New Zealand, and from it brought a lot of tourist opportunities. Tourist attractions, like the ‘Hobbiton’, provide a constant influx of visitors from around the world. Even though the films were produced by American companies, New Zealand are still reaping the benefits.

History of New Zealand's Screen History