It's Ōtepoti's Fault

'It's Ōtepoti's Fault' is the deeply personal final single from Zealandia, Dudley's Benson's "love album to the land". Lyrically, the song is written from Benson's perspective, as if he was introducing his home of Ōtepoti/Dunedin to his late mother. The accompanying music video is equally as intimate. Largely filmed at Dunedin's historic Regent Theatre, the video depicts Benson watching Super 8 home movie footage of his mother Adrianne projected on the cinema screen. Benson directed the video, with haunting cinematography by Miranda Bellamy and editing by his frequent collaborator Phoebe Lysbeth Kay.

It’s easy to obsess over what we consider to be a better time in our lives. Especially when we have visual evidence like photos and footage, that suggest life was once more golden somehow. I’ve been guilty of that. So this project was about examining that very thin line, the delusional idea that life used to be better.

– Dudley Benson on the video for 'It's Ōtepoti's Fault'

Key Cast & Crew

Dudley Benson

Director, Producer

Miranda Bellamy

Cinematographer

Josh Thomas

Assistant Producer

Phoebe Lysbeth Kay

Editor

Iain Frengley

Lighting