Behind The Scenes: NZ On Screen Lifts The Curtain On Kiwi Film And TV
Spanning more than 50 titles, the collection features rare interviews, on-set footage and documentaries that go inside some of our biggest productions and smallest control rooms. It's a love letter to the makers: the carpenters, costume designers, DOPs, producers, foley artists — and everyone in between.
As Toa Fraser says in his backgrounder for the collection, 'We are a motley bunch, it's true. We eat at weird times of the day and night. We wear funny clothes. We work hard, crazy hours, and to many people on the outside (civilians) it's perhaps difficult to understand why we do what we do. Maybe this collection will help.'
Among the highlights are candid accounts from the early days of independent filmmaking in Aotearoa. Merata Mita confronts censorship and hostility in Patu!, Peter Jackson launches his DIY gore-fest Bad Taste with weekend warriors and homemade rigs, and Geoff Murphy choreographs land wars in Utu. There's also footage from the set of Vigil, Vincent Ward's gothic rural drama, and Sleeping Dogs, the political thriller that lit the fuse on modern New Zealand cinema.
Elsewhere, filmmakers stretch the limits of style and technology. Peter Jackson's early puppet satire Meet the Feebles bursts into chaotic life in a behind-the-scenes look at its anarchic production, while The Making of Footrot Flats reveals the team effort behind New Zealand's first animated feature. From Len Lye to Gollum traces a long, inventive history of Kiwi animation, and The Edge – The Birth of Wētā captures a young Jackson and crew on the cusp of global success.
Other titles pull back the curtain on films that made a powerful impact — through box office success, critical acclaim or festival recognition. There are reflections from the cast and crew of Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider, and interviews with Roger Donaldson and Anthony Hopkins on the set of The World's Fastest Indian. A behind-the-scenes look at The Price of Milk explores Harry Sinclair's improvisational approach to his award-winning rural romance starring Karl Urban and Danielle Cormack. And 50 Ways of Filming Fabulous offers a heartfelt look at making a queer coming-of-age story in rural Central Otago — complete with weather issues and the logistical hurdles of shooting sensitive scenes with child actors.
Television fans aren't left out. S hortland Street: Inside an Icon looks back on 25 years of Ferndale drama, while Mataku: Hei Muri Te Mata explores the creation of Māori supernatural stories for the small screen. Vintage snapshots of the TV industry include a 1985 day-in-the-life at TVNZ (Network New Zealand) and a behind-the-scenes dive into Country GP from beloved kids' show Spot On. And for something more recent, the Wellington Paranormal Bloopers capture the fun — and chaos — behind the spooky laughs.
The collection also reveals the more personal side of production — stories rooted in real lives and relationships. Gaylene Preston revisits her father's wartime experiences in Home by Christmas, and explores Sonja Davies' political legacy in Bread and Roses. A behind-the-scenes look at Perfect Strangers captures a stripped-back West Coast thriller anchored by its two leads, while Toa Fraser reflects on turning childhood memories into a lively, intergenerational celebration in No. 2.
Two written backgrounders accompany the collection: director Toa Fraser pays tribute to the camaraderie and craft of life on set, while legendary production designer Rob Gillies charts the screen industry's evolution from garage-band ingenuity to large-scale professionalism. Also included is a gallery of behind the scenes photos from productions including Scarfies, Bad Taste, Meet The Feebles and more.
Whether you're a film buff, a student of the craft, or just in it for the bloopers — The Behind the Scenes Collection is a celebration of the creativity (and chaos) that has defined New Zealand's screen culture.
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