Seeing Red
Directed by Annie Goldson (Brother Number One), this 1995 TV documentary explores the story of Cecil Holmes, who won Cold War notoriety in 1948 when he was smeared as a communist agent, while working as a director for the National Film Unit. This excerpt — the opening 10 minutes — revisits the infamous snatching of Holmes' satchel outside Parliament, his Palmerston North upbringing, war service, and the founding of the Government's National Film Unit. There are excerpts from a 1980 interview where Holmes describes his inspirations (including UK film Night Mail).
Jude Dobson: From Sale of the Century to TV parenting...
Jude Dobson became famous in New Zealand as co-host of nightly game show Sale of the Century. She went on to present a range of lifestyle series on TVNZ including Open Home, Alive and Kicking, and NZ Living. In 1997 she began hosting five nights a week magazine show 5:30 with Jude. Since then she has set up her own production company and produces media content about parenting.
In a Land of Plenty
The tagline runs: "The story of unemployment in New Zealand" and In A Land of Plenty is an exploration of just that; it takes as its starting point the consensus from The Depression onwards that Godzone economic policy should focus on achieving full employment, and explores how this was radically shifted by the 1984 Labour government. Director Alister Barry's perspective is clear, as he trains a humanist lens on ‘Rogernomics' to argue for the policy's negative effects on society, "as a new poverty-stricken underclass developed".
Howard Moses
In the 1980s ex-NZBC staffer Howard Moses produced and directed a trio of award-winning alpine films: Across the Main Divide, Incredible Mountains and Turn of the Century (a history of skiing in NZ). Winter Olympic chronicle Zimska Olimpijada won best doco at 1987's Mountainfilm in Telluride Festival. Based in Australia since 1991, Moses has worked in TV in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
David Coulson
David Coulson trained to be a director, but instead discovered a passion for editing. He joined TV One and worked on a range of programmes including Mortimer's Patch, before going freelance in the early 80s. Since then he has won awards for his work in feature films and commercials, and established an ongoing working relationship with Niki Caro, editing all her features from Whale Rider onwards.
Belinda Todd
Radio writer turned TV3 weather presenter Belinda Todd went on to win infamy and a cult following, as the boundary pushing co-host of late night show Nightline. Todd has also written and produced documentaries, and starred as a caring career woman in Melody Rules, a comedy series which has its share of detractors.
Kathryn Quirk
NZ On Screen Content Director Kathryn Quirk has worked in management roles at TVNZ, NZ On Air and MTV New Zealand. Along the way she has done time in presentation, promotions, programme funding, rights and commercial affairs, and a crowded television studio — and run her own art gallery too.
Nyree Dawn Porter
From humble beginnings as a stage actor in New Zealand in the 1950s, Nyree Dawn Porter achieved international success via British television. As one of the stars of 1967's The Forsyte Saga, she was seen by over 100 million people worldwide. Following the show’s mammoth success, she was awarded an OBE in 1970 for services to television.
Liz Mitchell
Liz Mitchell has designed for the catwalk, television and Kiwis striding the red carpet at the Oscars. Her screen credits include power-dressing soap Gloss, and Front Lawn film Walkshort. She now masterminds the creation of a range of clothing designs, from high end to Farmers, through fashion label Liz Mitchell. She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005, for services to the fashion industry.
Christopher Bourn
From the mid 60s and into the 1980s, Christopher Bourn’s name was synonymous with entertainment on New Zealand television. But the man behind talent shows Studio One and New Faces also played a role in ground-breaking sports broadcasts including the first All Black test screened on television. Bourn also held senior management roles in both the old NZBC and TVNZ.