Carter documentary to premiere at Dunedin festival

Otago Daily Times

3 days ago

Life in One Chord in Auckland in 2021 are (from left) cinematographer James Ellis, Shayne Carter, director Margaret Gordon and Chris Knox.
A documentary about Dunedin music legend Shayne Carter will make its world premiere in Dunedin next month as part of this year's Whanau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival.
Life in One Chord, directed and co-produced by Melbourne-based film-maker Margaret Gordon, is among a total of about 70 films screening in the city between August 15 and 31.
Comprising about two-thirds archival footage, the documentary was a "painted-in memoir" derived from the Straitjacket Fits and Dimmer frontman's 2019 autobiography Dead People I Have Known.
Set to make its world premiere in Dunedin on August 16, Ms Gordon said she was "excited and nervous" for audiences in the city to watch it.
Dunedin had a precious musical legacy which needed to be treated with respect, she said.
"For me, it's quite scary and I really hope that the people who are seeing themselves and their friends and their community on screen think that it's OK.
"So far, what I've heard from people who have seen it is that it has been good, so I'm trusting that's going to be the way that people view it — I'm hoping anyway.
"And, of course, Shayne, he's the main one."
Dunedin band Bored Games, as pictured in 1980. Shayne Carter, smoking, is far left.
Born in Christchurch, Ms Gordon said she had always been a fan of the Dunedin Sound and had wanted to pursue a project based on the city's musical legacy for some time.
She approached Mr Carter about the project as he was writing the book.
"What I didn't realise at the time is he'd actually said no to quite a few people for doing something like this before.
"I was actually really lucky that he did it and it's a real vote of confidence that he said yes."
Filming took place in Dunedin and Auckland over seven years and included interviews with former bandmate John Collie, Peter Jefferies as well as Flying Nun Records founder Roger Shepherd.
"Our rule about it was that we would only talk to someone who was directly involved with Shayne's story, or that he talked about in the book."
It would also feature the "last ever interview" of the late Andrew Brough, former guitarist of Straitjacket Fits, who died in 2020.
Footage was supplied from the personal archives of members of Dunedin's music community, TVNZ and TV3 among others — a lot of which had never been seen before, Ms Gordon said.
This included a 1989 Straitjacket Fits live show captured on VHS, and unseen footage of The Double Happys.
"There's some real treats for people who are a fan of Shayne, his music and his legacy."
Festival manager Matt Bloomfield said this year's programme was "bigger and bolder" than it had been in recent years.
"With a Dunedin festival that is 30% longer, 40% more extensive and with a second venue, the 2025 festival responds directly to Dunedin audiences with what they've asked for in our annual festival survey."
Both local and international film-makers would be presenting their films in the city and the world premiere of Life in One Chord at the Regent Theatre was a particular highlight, he said.
Tickets for the festival go on sale next Thursday.