This Is New Zealand - Short Film

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Synopsis

Directed by Hugh Macdonald, This is New Zealand was made to promote the country at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. An ambitious concept saw iconic NZ imagery — panoramas, nature, Māori culture, sport, industry — projected on three adjacent screens that together comprised one giant widescreen. A rousing orchestral score (Sibelius's Karelia Suite) backed the images. Two million people saw it in Osaka, and over 350,000 New Zealanders saw on its homecoming theatrical release. It was remastered by Park Road Post in 2007. This excerpt is the first three minutes of the film.

Credits (12)

Hugh Macdonald
Director, Writer, Editor

David Fowler
Producer

Ronald Bowie
Producer

See all credits ›

Comments (14)

jillian Innes

Posted at 11.59AM - 13.02.2012

Still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up

Stll current.... probably the first time we went out and said to the the world"cop this" here we are!!!

TomKoltai

Posted at 03.24AM - 11.02.2012

Many may not remember, but it was also a featured short before movies at many theatres for around four weeks, immediately preceding and post the Expo.

I saw it at the Majestic in Wellington in December 1970 before the main feature, Little Big Man.

D Taylor

Posted at 09.33AM - 03.11.2010

My mum worked on this at the National Film Unit which used to be in Darlington Road, Miramar. Such a shame that it has been turned into flats! Anyway, the film is fantastic and having now lived in London for 30 years it still brings me out in goosebumps to watch it (as it did at the time). NZ is such a great country and I am so proud to have been born there.

hdviewer

Posted at 04.30PM - 09.08.2010

This is just plain awesome !
It demands a Blu-ray HD release !

Pat

Posted at 08.08PM - 28.05.2010

I have seen this on the big screen recently, absolutely amazing!!

Mike

Posted at 11.58AM - 26.05.2010

Where's the rest of the film?

Damien Service | website

Posted at 12.49PM - 22.03.2010

@Bevan - TV One used quite a bit from This is New Zealand, not just for the opener but for some of their idents as well and I know this because, as a collector of this material, I purchased, possibly, all of the idents TVNZ had from 75-80 for TV One and South Pacific Television, except for the long version of South Pacific Television's I.D., which may have been an opener.

As for the Harbour Bridge, TV One did use the bridge in one of the idents I have on disc from the Summer of '78.

David Lee

Posted at 05.56PM - 16.03.2010

Wonderful to see this after so many years - especially in its original format.
A big thank you for your efforts in putting this up.
Would be great to see more.

Juliette McLean

Posted at 03.58PM - 12.03.2010

Great clip, and amazing in its wide screen splendour. Great seeing a low rise Auckland! Nice.

Bevan Shortridge

Posted at 03.47PM - 12.03.2010

Great to see this! I remember seeing this (or part of it) when TV1 began in the mornings, where it would play the part of the film with the Karelia Suite (back before there was 24 hour tv). Strangely, I always thought there was a shot of the Auckland Harbour Bridge in the sequence..? Obviously not. I definitely remember the mountain shot at the end being on TV. Regardless, for two decades or more I could not go across the Harbour Bridge without the Karelia Suite playing in my head! Glad to hear it is getting a DVD release.