This short film by Clare O'Leary interviews New Zealand women at the forefront of new media design and development around the turn of the millenium. Among those on screen are Emily Loughnan, who moved from televison to co-founding company Click Suite, musician Jordan Reyne, and academic and author Lalita Rajasingham. Many agree that new developments in technology mean increased opportunity for women. The documentary first screened on the BBC World, Life series, as part of the Women Broadcasting for Change network. 

Winner of multiple awards, this 40 minute film aims to teach families how to manage communication with a deaf child. Narrator Peter Brian guides young families through the steps they can take to ensure their deaf child is able to develop speech and communication as effectively as possible. The documentary includes interviews with two deaf adults living full lives. In an early example of crowdfunding, a sponsorship body was set up to fund A Deaf Child in the Family. It was one of a number of shorts written and directed by Frank Chilton which focussed on people living with disabilities.

Gina lives in a dark, silent, room in a Wellington rest home, unable to leave her bed, communicate except by a complex touch system, and barely able to move. A rare unnamed genetic disorder has left her living what she calls “an existence, not a life”.  This documentary by Wellington film-makers Wendall Cooke and Jeremy Macey takes a look at her condition in relation to euthanasia, for which she is a passionate advocate. As Gina did not want to appear on camera, her sister Roslyn who suffers from the same condition, albeit less severely, portrays her in the film.

The language of emotion speaks louder than words in this reallife tale of devotion. Made for the Loading Docs series, the short film introduces us to Wayne, a man with communication difficulties who is aided by his minder and friend Nigel. Directors Kirsty Griffin and Viv Kernick follow Wayne as he negotiates and laments his relationship with close friend Rachel. Griffin's photography and composer Karl Steven's score lend the cinéma vérité style documentary a timeless nuance. Follow-up web series Amy Street introduces viewers to others who live in Wayne's community.

In this edition of the National Film Unit's long-running newsreel series 2000 people attend the opening of Palmerston North's brand new railway station (with up-to-the-minute signals, communication technology and cafeteria); under the watchful eye of Prime Minister Keith Holyoake a fashion show is held in Wellington to display New Zealand styles for Australian buyers; and the Osbourne family (complete with toddler) travel the country in a caravan with their road-marking business (and Mum still finds time for the housework too).      

This animated promo was one of a series that ran from 1966 to help communicate New Zealand’s shift to decimal currency. The existing imperial system divided pounds into 20 shillings and 240 pence, and required working out the fractions. In 1963 it was decided to ‘decimalise’ to make things simpler. ‘Mr Dollar’ was the icon of the change, and here, with the help of a Dad joke, he introduces the notes and coins, and the changeover date. Mr Dollar — plus 27 million banknotes and 165 million coins — officially marched into town on 10 July 1967. 

This romantic feature is inspired by the couple behind the camera. Kiwi-Samoan filmmaker Nikki Si’ulepa (Snow in Paradise) and Rachel Aneta Wills have dramatised their bumpy journey towards marriage and put it on the big screen. Pākehā single mum Rachel (they’ve kept real names) meets Samoan filmmaker Nikki and is immediately drawn to her, but self-doubt, botched communication and a pesky ex are landmines in wait. Director Si’ulepa wanted to "offer a glimpse into same sex relationships" and tell a "true, romantic love story that people can relate to".

This award-winning Attitude episode follows an ‘early onset’ sufferer of Parkinson’s disease — 48-year-old Auckland marketing consultant Andy McDowell. McDowell narrates as he struggles with the effects of the degenerative neurological condition on his relationship with his wife, family, and career. The episode includes a visual poem made to communicate his condition to his two young daughters, and an Outward Bound stint. McDowell hopes to qualify for Deep Brain Stimulation — a risky ‘bionic’ surgery that may help his co-ordination and uncontrolled movements.

In this episode from a series for secondary school music students, James Reid (from The Feelers) and his brother Donald (a singer-songwriter who has co-written several Feelers songs) recall their school days when music making was frowned on by guidance counsellors rather than encouraged by projects like this one. Armed with acoustic guitars and a piano, they play excerpts from four songs (‘Communicate’, ‘We Raised Hell’, ‘Fishing For Lisa’ and ‘Unleash the Fury’) and discuss their philosophy of songwriting which is “all about being in the moment”.

“It’s not just a game. It’s a way of life”. This short film travels to the Central Otago town of Naseby: a rare bastion where the sport of curling is still practised on natural ice. But warmer winters may end the tradition. In their woollen 'tams' the southern ice men competing for NZ’s oldest sporting trophy provide a unique perspective on climate change. Made by Rachael Patching and Roland Kahurangi as part of Otago University’s science communication masters, the award-winning doco screened at Wildscreen and Banff film festivals.