Utu – Gauge

Through the Lens: The New Zealand Wars

October 3, 2022October 4, 2022 Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision 2 Comments 1920s, 1980s, Annabel Cooper, film, silent film, The Te Kooti Trail, Utu, Utu Redux

Occurring over multiple decades of the 19th Century, the New Zealand Wars played an integral role in shaping post-colonial New Zealand. Given their historical significance and enduring impact, some argue that the wars haven’t received their due attention since. With this in mind, it feels worthwhile to examine some of the portrayals of the wars that do exist in the cultural limelight – and consider how these might play a role in shaping our understanding of this period in New Zealand history.

Archiving Practice Film NZ History

The history of history: New Zealand Wars Cinema and the Archives

December 24, 2018January 30, 2019 Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision 0 Comments Alfred Hill, film, filmmaking, Geoff Murphy, Jonathan Dennis Library, NZ history, Ramai Hayward, research tips, Rewi's Last Stand, River Queen, Rudall Hayward, The Last Stand, Utu, Vincent Ward

Was Rewi’s Last Stand marketed in relation to WWII? What did American audiences make of Utu? Who played all the extra soldiers in Utu? What was in the lost 49 minutes of Rewi’s Last Stand? Research student Caitlin Lynch writes about her use of Ngā Taonga’s documentation archives for her Honours dissertation.

Bill Gosden, Director of NZIFF, in the 1990s

Featured Film

Hepi Mita reflects on Bill Gosden’s tenure at NZIFF

December 21, 2018January 30, 2019 Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision 0 Comments Bill Gosden, festival, filmmaking, Geoff Murphy, Heperi Mita, Merata Mita, Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, NZIFF, Patu!, Utu, Utu Redux

Heperi Mita reflects on the contribution of New Zealand International Film Festival Director Bill Gosden, following the announcement that he will retire in March 2019.