A Kiwi Christmas

Television (Full Length) – 1998

Christmas time can mix joy and stress in equal measure. Both feature in this documentary, which follows four New Zealand families in the lead up to Christmas Day celebrations. Jenny Johnson is preparing for an "old-fashioned" Christmas with her two adult daughters back in town, while the Hinds children adjust to Christmas post divorce. The Thayer family remind us that no one loves Christmas more than kids, but for Piripi and his grandparents the focus is spiritual, not material. As the day arrives, presents are ripped open and new memories are formed.

This is a typical New Zealand Christmas: you sweat like hell when you're cutting up — no, you 'glow'.
– Jenny Johnson on carving up the traditional turkey or ham