Curated by the NZ On Screen Team
Snow collects together 13 titles celebrating the scenic, recreational and spiritual call of New Zealand's mountains. They include retro ski classics Flare and The Leading Edge, climbing saga No Mean Feat, and NZ's first Oscar nominated film Snows of Aorangi. The collection features everything from ski ballet, Middle Earth glaciers and mountain parrots, to polar ice-fishing.
Freestyle skiers perform a 'ski ballet' at Mount Hutt, Queenstown and Ruapehu. This documentary was directed for the NZ Tourist and Publicity Department by one Sam Neill (who would shortly achieve fame as an actor). Check out the 70s snow-styles and beards.
In this full length Michael Firth film, a bunch of extreme thrill-seekers throw themselves off volcanoes, glaciers, mountains and into an Iron Man with "get more go" abandon. Notable for its Stuart Drybugh-filmed action sequences (set to an 80s pop soundtrack) and Billy T James as a mad pilot.
Legendary photographer Brian Brake captures stunning mountain imagery: ethereal ice forests, lightning storms, volcanic craters, glaciers, avalanches; all set to a James K Baxter-scripted narration. This was the first NZ film to compete for an Oscar, in 1958.
In 2001 cameras followed climber Mark Inglis to Aoraki-Mt Cook, where he tries again to summit the mountain that had earlier taken his legs. A story of courage-against-the-odds, topped off by stunning aerial footage, No Mean Feat won best documentary at the 2003 NZ TV Awards.
In this award-winning film, awesome four seasons footage evokes the tenuous richness of life in the geologically dynamic Southern Alps. The world's only mountain parrot (kea), Himalayan thar, and the world's largest buttercup, exist amongst thundering avalanches, wind and creaking glaciers.
Presenter Clarke Gayford roughs it on the frozen continent with scientist Victoria Metcalf. Dr Metcalf is investigating how fish survive in such extreme cold and takes Gayford (self-described "sook in the cold") ice-fishing amongst the seals and stark white scenery.
Following the conquest of Mt Everest, Sir Ed, with fellow Kiwi George Lowe, arrives in Auckland to a hero's welcome. In this newsreel he muses about the last challenging step (soon to be named 'Hillary's Step') and the suitability of the Southern Alps as preparation for knocking the bastard off.
This jaunty early NFU film includes slalom at the 1946 New Zealand ski champs, ice-skating at Lake Tekapo, and comic pratfalls in the snow. It features the expected majestic mountains, glaciers, and avalanches, as well as curious kea at Ball Hut, and amusing dogs in snow-glasses.
This classic National Film Unit documentary explores the alpine flora and fauna in the Upper Waitaki. Mount Cook lilies, karearea (falcon - our fastest bird), whio (blue duck), kererū, and cheeky kea are featured alongside introduced deer, chamois, and thar, which have become pests.
The challenges of farming the vast stations on the rugged aprons of the Southern Alps are captured in this NFU documentary, beautifully shot by photographer Brian Brake. The centrepiece is the great autumn muster where shepherds and dogs work 16,000 sheep down from "the tops".
This promotional film showcases Tongariro National Park, from dandy days at the Chateau for bowls and moonlit mountain jazz; to Ketatahi springs, the crater lake, trout fishing, and skiing on Mount Ruapehu where "the only sound in the white stillness is the hiss of the tips streaking into the snow".
An excerpt from this five part series in which Marcus Lush spends a month on the sub-zero polar plains of Antarctica and explores the history, wildlife and environment. The show celebrates the NZ connections, from the heroic, historic quests of Scott and Amundsen, to Scott base.
Directed and filmed by photographer Brian Brake this film follows a group of climbers up the Matukituki Valley, for the opening of a new hut and a trudge through snow to resurrect a flattened shelter high up Mt French. The autumn alpine scenery is breathtaking even in black and white.
Finalist - Most
Outstanding Website
The ONYAs 2010
Best Entertainment Website
Finalist – Website design
Qantas Media Awards 2009
NZ ON SCREEN 2010
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