Gaylene Preston

Curated by NZ On Screen team 50 items

A collection devoted to the work of Dame Gaylene Preston. The award-winning Kiwi filmmaker has been charting stories of love, war, calamity, and inspirational women for more than four decades. Featuring her early work, memorable documentaries, full-length movies, and more...

50 items

The Collection /

Gaylene Preston

Curated by NZ On Screen team

Backgrounds

A National Treasure

By Kate Rodger on Gaylene Preston

Working with Gaylene

By Alun Bollinger on Gaylene Preston

She Stomps Hard

By Danny Bultitude on Gaylene Preston

Making Hope and Wire

By Gaylene Preston on Gaylene Preston

Hone Tuwhare

By Gaylene Preston on Gaylene Preston

Profiles

Gaylene Preston

Director

Television

The Time of Our Lives

Television 2007

Bread and Roses

Television 1993

The Making of Bread and Roses

Today Live - Gaylene Preston on Titless Wonders

Television 2001

Reel Late with Kate - Episode

Television 2010

Earthquake!

Television 2006

Strongman - The Tragedy

Television 2012

Making Utu

Television 1982

Kai Pūrākau - The Storyteller

Television 1987

Today Tonight - Gaylene Preston and Keri Hulme

Shoreline - First Episode

Television 1978

One Network News - 1995 Cannes Film Festival

Television 1995

Sunday - Media Women

Television 1986

Kaleidoscope - NZ Cinema, the Past Decade

Television 1987

Coffee, Tea or Me?

Television 2002

The Monster's Christmas

Television 1981

Film

War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us

Tātarakihi - The Children of Parihaka

Film 2012

Series

Hope and Wire

Shorts

The Making of Home by Christmas

Short film 2010

The Making of Perfect Strangers

Short film 2004

The Only One You Need - The Neighbours Compilation

Short film 1982

Hot Words and Bold Retorts

How I Threw Art Out the Window

Short film 1981

Nuclear Horror Show Parade

Interview

Gaylene Preston: On making NZ films...

Music

The Waterside

Music video 2014

Angel of the Junkheap

Music video 1984

Spotlight

Gaylene's Home Movies

Spotlight

Collection Gallery

Behind the scenes on 1985 movie Mr Wrong, in Pāuatahanui. From left to right: director Gaylene Preston (seated), assistant grip Alistair Allan, camera operator Alun Bollinger, first assistant director John Samuels, continuity person Margot Shellgrove, and cinematographer Thomas Burstyn.

Kindly provided by The Dominion Post

On the set of 1985 movie Mr Wrong. From left to right (at the back): Wayne Leonard, Thomas Burstyn (wearing hat), Margot Shellgrove, director Gaylene Preston, John Samuels, Alun Bollinger, Chris Graves and Robin Murphy. Foreground: Jan Fisher and lead actor Heather Bolton (in swanndri).

Kindly provided by Onfilm magazine

Rata (Vanessa Rare) takes to the stage in Gaylene Preston's second movie, Ruby and Rata (1990). Meanwhile Sike (Russell Gowers) gets ready to turn it up to eleven.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Charlie (Mick Rose) and Sonja (Geneviève Picot) listen to a speech by Stan Whitehead, protesting about plans to remove the Nelson railway line, in Bread and Roses(1993).

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Sonja (Geneviève Picot) and American marine corporal Red (Erik Thomson) steal a moment together in Bread & Roses.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Melanie (Rachael Blake) suggests it's time to go, to the man she meets at the pub (Sam Neill). A scene from early in Perfect Strangers (2003).

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Sam Neill in Gaylene Preston's 2003 feature Perfect Strangers.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Arriving on the island: Melanie (Rachael Blake) and The Man (Sam Neill) in Perfect Strangers.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Three women promoting their first movie Mr Wrong (1985): (from left) writer/director Gaylene Preston, lead actor Heather Bolton and producer Robin Laing.

Kindly provided by The Dominion Post

Four of the women behind Bread & Roses (1993): from left to right, writer/director Gaylene Preston, executive producer Dorothee Pinfold and producer Robin Laing. Seated is Sonja Davies, whose life was dramatised for the series.

Photograph by Guy Robinson

Director Gaylene Preston in front of the New York headquarters of the United Nations, while making 2017 documentary My Year with Helen.

Photo courtesy of Gaylene Preston Productions

Cinematographer Alun Bollinger and writer/director Gaylene Preston during the filming of 2003 movie Perfect Strangers.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

Camera operator Leon Narbey and writer/director Gaylene Preston on the set of Bread and Roses (1993).

Kindly provided by The Dominion Post

Producer Robin Laing and director Gaylene Preston with the old Jaguar that terrorises its new owner in Mr Wrong (1985), their first movie. The photo was taken for Wellington's Dominion newspaper.

Photographer Don Roy. Kindly provided by The Dominion Post

Director Gaylene Preston makes clear that her first feature film Mr Wrong (1985) is known by another name in some countries: Dark of the Night.

Photographer Simon Townsley. Kindly provided by The Dominion Post

Producer Robin Laing in a newspaper photo taken around the time of her first collaboration with director Gaylene Preston, Mr Wrong (1985).

Photographer Nigel Marple. Kindly provided by The Dominion Post

The stars of Gaylene Preston movie Ruby and Rata (1990): Yvonne Lawley (left) as Ruby, and Vanessa Rare as Rata.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

From left to right: Les Bartlett (Kathryn Rawlings), Sonja Davies (Geneviève Picot) and Ruth Page (Janet Fisher) await the verdict, after protesting against closing the Nelson railway line: a scene from the final instalment of Bread & Roses.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission

A scene from Bread & Roses. Sonja Davies (Geneviève Picot) hugs her friend Les (Kathryn Rawlings), while protesting against plans in 1955 to remove the Nelson railway line. Lyn (Mandy McMullin) sits on the left of frame in a red coat.

Photo appears courtesy of the NZ Film Commission.